The fashion historian behind the traveling museum exhibit Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective, Florence Müller gives an in depth interview to Elle addressing a very important concern that has made its way into the limelight ever since we saw the first episode of the Netflix show, Girlboss. In the show, the lead character finds a way to make a living by cutting up old, vintage clothes and reselling them online.
FashionFocus
Should iconic pieces from famous designers be collected in a museum or worn by their fans? Fashion historian, Florence Müller weighs in.
The fashion historian behind the traveling museum exhibit Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective, Florence Müller gives an in depth interview to Elle addressing a very important concern that has made its way into the limelight ever since we saw the first episode of the Netflix show, Girlboss. In the show, the lead character finds a way to make a living by cutting up old, vintage clothes and reselling them online.
Müller revealed that she used to be against such behavior but now, she finds herself looking for a balance. “I used to think everything had to be in a museum,” she shared. “Now, I have a different view. I’ve gotten to wear a vintage [YSL] tuxedo from [someone’s] personal collection. And it’s amazing. It gives you a different perspective and appreciation of the clothes. And my psychology on this has changed. I’ve gone to the next step, and I’ve discovered how fun it is to search for things on the internet.”
However, Müller shares that there are some antique pieces that must be safeguarded in a museum. “I do think that very exquisite, very rare vintage pieces do have to go to the museums. For example, the first tuxedo that YSL ever made for his Rive Gauche collection? That has to go to a museum. It’s historic in a way that it’s irreplaceable.”
The historian believes that it’s not just about the designers anymore, though. “I think today, we are ready also to speak about the story of the women who are wearing the clothes. The personality of the women plays just as big a part in the story of the designer, I think.”
“Of course, we need the designer,” she is again quick to clarify. “I would never say “it’s just about the girls.” We need people with the technical knowledge and vision and historical perspective and creativity—we need great designers. It all starts from them. But fashion museums need to be more balanced between the story of the women and the story of the designers. And when you wear vintage clothes, you become part of that story. So, you can wear it. More than that, you need to wear it.”
