PALM BEACH, FLORIDA.- Robert Janjigian of the Palm Beach Daily News Reported tht “West Palm Beach designer and historian Susan E. Riley sees the influence of the French Rococo period whenever she opens a copy of Vogue or looks at a fashion-forward ensemble from the late 1940s to the present day. The seminal style of the Rococo age, spanning the years 1715 to 1789, was the topic of Riley’s Wednesday afternoon lecture at The Society of the Four Arts library, part of the library’s ongoing Florida Voices series.
"It was a time of love, luxury and capitalism," Riley said. "Interiors were covered in gold and featured amazing illusion."
Lavishness was the rule of the day, according to Riley, who showed slides of 18th-century paintings, decorative objects, furniture and palace rooms to illustrate her points.
" ’S’ and ’C’ curves were seen everywhere," she said.
In fashion, courtly dress was based on a tight bodice covered with a V-shaped "stomacher" and featured bows and elements of ruffled lace, which took months to make and were extremely expensive, Riley said.
"At the time there were no darts. The were not invented until the 19th century," said Riley.
The hand-pinned, elaborately decorated stomacher, served the same silhouette-contouring purpose as darts and tucks. The bodice area, though covered, was considered an erogenous zone in the 1700s, she said. The Rococo look was completed with voluminous skirts with wide panniers, some projecting up to 6 feet from the body, a style that proved challenging for the woman who expected to sit or walk through a single-width doorway.
Also in vogue were loosely pleated draped backs, called ÒWatteau pleatsÓ after their representation in the work of Rococo-era painter Jean-Antoine Watteau. Madame du Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV, set many of the styles of the time, said Riley, explaining that "she was a cultural leader who had a fascination for the exotic."
In addition, "there was a craze for anything Asian during the Rococo," Riley said, citing the taste that developed for Chinoisserie in clothing, furniture and interior design.
Also greatly influential, especially when it came to dressing, was Rose Bertin, Marie Antoinette’s style adviser, who brought lace, feathers, pom-poms and tulle into fashion. Bertin was even named the official minister of fashion by the French court, to emphasize the importance of attire during the period, Riley said. The influence of the styles and decorative interests during the Rococo era can be seen in late 20th-century design, Riley said, showing examples of modern-day European and American fashion creations, works of art and interiors.
Riley sees links between Rococo styles and the work of glass artist Dale Chihuly and a host of designers, including Gianni Versace, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, Balenciaga and Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Rent and many others. These include homages to the pannier and Watteau pleats, the inclusion of extensive ruffles and bows, references to Chinese-style dress, the design of cutaway skirts and short-fitted jackets, and the recurrent popularity of the corset.
Elements of Rococo interior design are continuously incorporated into contemporary homes featuring boisserie paneling and Chinoisserie decorations and references.
While the Rococo ideals, which Riley calls "light and lovely" were replaced at the end of the 18th century with a rougher, less delicate and less playful aesthetic, their vitality has survived as an important part of what is designed today, she said.
