Calais, Cité Internationale de la Dentelle et de la Mode (International Centre of Lace and Fashion)

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1 Calais, Cité Internationale de la Dentelle et de la Mode (International Centre of Lace and Fashion) Calais, Cité Internationale de la Dentelle et de la Mode (International Centre of Lace and Fashion) The permanent exhibition, covering 2500 square meters, takes you on a discovery tour of lace, past, present and future. Formed partly of a former 19th century lace factory (Boulart) and a modern glass and steel extension, the building alone is worth a visit. Architects Alain Moatti and Henri Rivière, who also built the main offices of the Jean-Paul Gaultier Couture company, sought to emphasize the importance of the town's heritage while creating a bridge with contemporary creations. A long façade screen-printed with patterns of the Jacquard punched cards of the Leavers looms was thus added to the original building. This figurehead museum retraces the history of the famous mechanized lace-making industry of Calais while providing a wonderful resource centre offering residencies to new fashion designers and artists from all horizons. The museum: An exceptional building ez Publish PDF export 1 of 5

2 Not just a museum but a city Paying tribute to the town's industrial heritage, the Cité internationale is above all a living monument to everything there is to know about lace. Looking both to the past and to the future, the Cité presents not only the know-how, techniques, economic and social aspects and traditions of lace-making, but also its more contemporary aspects. The Cité is also a place for design, research, learning, meeting people and creativity. As well as a shop and restaurant, it contains an auditorium, a catwalk, a resource centre, cloth bank and creator's podium, organizes workshops on lace-making, how to care for lace and fashion design and provides training and other facilities for professionals,. Calais lace produced before your very ez Publish PDF export 2 of 5

3 eyes The museum designed by the Pascal Payeur studio, invites visitors on a journey of initiation, an immersion in the world of lace: its history, professions, creations - its present and its future. All its secrets are unveiled, from the most ancient to the most contemporary. And there are no less than five Leavers looms still in operation: watching their movements is a feast for the eyes while the old factory again resounds with the clicking of mechanical looms. It is not somewhere you simply visit, but a place to experience and discover the amazing world of lace-making. As part of a European programme in conjunction with the UK and Belgium, the main hall of the lace museum now houses a high-tech and amusing piece of equipment: a 3D measurement booth. This tool is unique in France. It enables you to calculate your vital statistics and then create your Innovation: own personal avatar on 3D a touch measurement screen, customizing it you booth wish. This 3D application allows you to create your own fashion designs based on digitized samples from the Cité's collections. In just a few clicks, you can walk down the catwalk wearing some of the outfits designed by the world's most famous fashion designers, and share your ideas with an on-line community via an integrated "chat" line. This technology is freely accessible to the general public on the ground floor of the Cité. ez Publish PDF export 3 of 5

4 BALENCIAGA, LACE MAGICIAN 18th April to 31st August 2015 In celebration of the 120th anniversary of the birth of Cristóbal Balenciaga (Getaria, , Javea, Spain), the Museum of Lace and Fashion in Calais presents a new exhibition dedicated to this great designer. The show is the first of its kind to specifically address the topic of Balenciaga s lace creations, a theme of considerable importance when we consider the prominent place which lace occupied in the designer s work throughout his long career. Cristóbal Balenciaga was an avowed devotee of lace, using it as a fabric and for ornamental purposes. Experimenting with different motifs, colours and applications, Balenciaga fully explored lace s endless possibilities and celebrated its distinctive qualities. From jackets to cocktail dresses, tunics to accessories, lace is an almost constant presence in his creations, a testament to the stylistic originality of a creator who was often the driving force behind the evolution of fashion in the 1950s and 1960s. Balenciaga s designs often invoke the memory of the sumptuous Spanish fashions painted by Goya and Zuolaga, or the dresses worn by Zurbarán s saints, a heritage particularly evident in some of his more spectacular evening gowns. With his use of lace accessories and items such as scarves, stoles, capes, boleros, ruffles, mantillas and elbow gloves, Balenciaga concentrated on amplifying the inherent femininity of lace clothing. Communiqué de presse Balenciaga EN Opening Open every day (except Tuesdays) - 10am to 6pm (1 Apr - 31 Oct) and 10am to 5pm (1 Nov - 31 Mar) Closed from 1 to 15 January included, 1 May and 25 December Admission Permanent or temporary exhibition: Full price 5 / Concessions 2.5 Temporary and permanent exhibition: Full price 8 / Concessions 4 Lace Museum and Fine-Arts Museum one-week pass: Full price: 10 / Concessions: 5 Free on the first Sunday in March, June, September and December and for the under fives. ez Publish PDF export 4 of 5

5 Contact Cité Internationale de la Dentelle et de la Mode 135, Quai du Commerce Calais TL Send a Website Calais ez Publish PDF export 5 of 5