World War II Fashions on Display in Paris

World War II Fashions on Display in Paris - Eye - Lifestyle News - WWD.com

Women in Paris never give up on elegance during challenging times — be it 2009 or 1940.

Some 300 fashion accessories and objects dating back to World War II will be on display here beginning today at an exhibition that pays tribute to fashion ingenuity against a backdrop of penury and restrictions between 1940 and 1944.

Held at the Mémorial du Marechal Leclerc de Hauteclocque et de la Libération de Paris – Musée Jean Moulin — twin museums dedicated to the history of the French Resistance and of the liberation of Paris — the exhibition showcases items ranging from the homespun to the high-end designer. Hand-crocheted hats sit next to a minimalist Hermès clutch made of panama straw, reflecting the paucity of luxury materials like leather and silk during the war years.