From January 17 to April 21, 2024, the exhibition *Weaving the Future, Dressing the Body* explores the exceptional craftsmanship of the textile industry and its contribution to sustainable fashion.
In recent decades, the art of creating clothing has transcended mere utility to become a form of artistic expression in its own right. The diversity of materials and techniques available to creators opens up endless design possibilities. Artists, artisans, designers, and brands bring to life unique pieces that stand in stark contrast to the textile industry and its impact on the environment.
Through “Weaving the Future, Dressing the Body,” the exhibition’s curator, Pascal Gautrand—an expert in fashion design and founder of Made In Town and the Tricolor Collective—invites us to explore the wealth of materials, people, and trades involved in sustainable contemporary textile creation. The exhibition offers a vital gateway to understanding the inner workings of this world and focuses on three key themes: simplicity, reuse, and a return to nature.
“Get ready to be dazzled by the beauty, creativity, and ingenuity of these intertwined threads that weave the bonds reaching toward the future.”
– Pascal Gautrand, curator of the exhibition
The exhibition
Chapter 1 – A Touch of Simplicity
A true ode to the exceptional craftsmanship embodied by different generations of female designers, the first section of the exhibition opens with a video work by Valérie Mréjen and continues with a stroll through the pieces of Geneviève Sevin-Doering, a theater costume designer and visual artist specializing in clothing, whose creations have rarely been exhibited in France, the Garde-Robe and the Chapeau-vie by Marie-Ange Guilleminot, in versions dating back to 1994, the asymmetrical dresses by Stéphanie Coudert, and Jeanne Vicérial’s “knitting loom.” These creations demonstrate how several generations of women have developed techniques and a minimalist approach to clothing that underscore the importance of returning to the essentials, to the elegance of simplicity, and to the art of designing pieces that stand the test of time.
Chapter 2 – The Benefits of Reuse
The concept of reuse is embodied in pieces by Daniel Jasiak, the pioneering upcycling brand Andrea Crews, collaborations by Tuomas Merikoski (Aalto), and re-woven denim creations by the winner of the Liliane Bettencourt Prize for the Intelligence of the Hand ®, Aurélia Leblanc, and by embroidery artist Anaïs Beaulieu. The collection brings together garments created by recycling existing clothing, textiles, or materials, giving them a second life and extending the use of the fabric to slow down time and the pace of fashion.
Chapter 3 – Back to Nature
Finally, with the collaboration of the Depestele Group, Le Passe-Trame, Marelha, and Maison Izard, as well as designers Sandrine Rozier and Aurore Thibout, the focus is on a return to the essence of textile design, harmony with nature, and sustainability. By using natural materials such as linen and wool—thereby promoting biodegradability and reducing the environmental footprint—these designers highlight traditional fibers, ancestral practices such as dyeing with plant-based dyes, as well as innovative approaches that shape the production chains of tomorrow.
The exhibition's creators
1083, Andrea Crews, Anaïs Beaulieu, Stéphanie Coudert, Groupe Depestele, Marie-Ange Guilleminot, Maison Izard, Daniel Jasiak, Aurélia Leblanc, Marelha, Tuomas Merikoski (Aalto/Recoded™), Valérie Mréjen, Le Passe-Trame, Sandrine Rozier, Geneviève Sevin-Doering, Aurore Thibout, Jeanne Vicérial
Find the entire collection of the exhibition in the catalog:
Credits
- Exhibition curator: Pascal Gautrand
- Project Manager: Clara Chevrier
- Set design: Juline Gauthier-Wolk
- Administration: Claire Hazart and Vanessa Gally
- Communications: Iloé Fetré and the S2H agency
- Written by: Marie-Hélène Pigis and Brune Schlosser
- Graphic design: Dune Lunel Studio, Paris
The JAD would like to thank everyone who contributed to this exhibition. Thank you to Marie-Hélène Pigis and Samuel Allouche. Thank you to Dune Lunel. Thank you to the teams from the Hauts-de-Seine department working in the Culture Division within the Attractiveness, Culture, and Territory Division, and especially to Frédéric Brung and Estelle Silliard.
Thank you to the teams from the JAD consortium: Clara Chevrier, Iloé Fetré, Vanessa Gally, and Claire Hazart for Groupe SOS; Brune Schlosser for INMA; and Juline Gauthier-Wolk for Make ICI.
Our gratitude goes to all the lenders and creators who made this exhibition possible, and especially to Pascal Gautrand, the exhibition’s curator. Thank you to the European Flax and Hemp Alliance.
For all other inquiries, please contact us at: contact@le-jad.fr