Temporary exhibition from 18 April to 15 June 2008

In the course of 2008, the 200th anniversary of the fire at Koldinghus is being commemorated in several ways, amongst them this exhibition, which features about 35 new designs inspired by the dress of that time.
The Danish knitwear designers have let their imaginations run wild in order to create interesting clothing on the borders of the past and the present – with ideas and inspiration from the French Empire style, which was the dominant fashion in European culture in the years after 1800.

Emperor style

Fashion from around 1800 and for the next twenty years was in the style of the French Empire. Napoleon's court in Paris was leading in style and fashion, and the ladies' dresses were light, loose, low-necked, simple in cut with puffs and the waistline drawn up under the chest. Silk was one of the preferred fabrics amongst the well-to-do, and shawls in contrasting colours as well as flat shoes were trendy. Manipulation of the body's shape by use of corsets had long been out of fashion, but would return with a vengeance a little later in the century. As for men, it was at this time that long trousers as we know them today began to be developed.
The designs by Netmaskerne are all different from one another, but all clearly take their inspiration from the Empire. The exhibition shows that taking inspiration from a historic epoch can lead down many creative roads and introduce new and entirely surprising elements to Danish design.

Facts The group Netmaskerne has existed since 2000. The members are Danish fashion designers who experiment with the development of knitwear. The group also exhibited at Koldinghus in 2005, with clothing inspired by the history of Japan.

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