SoftMatters

StéphanieOvide

Performance de restauration , exposition « Des robes au-delà du temps », Journées du Patrimoine Kering, Septembre 2022.

New fashion materials in the collections of the House of Balenciaga in the 21st century. The need for research through the practice of textile restoration(2023)

Stéphanie Ovide, CIFRE funded PhD with Balenciaga, prepared at Ensadlab, PSL University. Supervision: Jean-François Bassereau, Aurélia Chevalier.

The restoration of 21st century fashion presents particular problems linked to the evolution of the textile materials used for its manufacture and decoration. Little is known about the ageing process and alterations to these new materials, and much remains to be explored. Similarly, new garment assembly and cutting processes, notably thermobonding and thermoforming, require innovative restoration methods. The scientific aim of this thesis is to use practical restoration research to identify and study the materials and techniques used in the creation of Balenciaga’s collections from 2001 onwards, to study the role of archives in a fashion house and to propose a set of methods and tools for the restoration and preventive conservation of these collections.

Related publications

  • Ovide, S., Bassereau, J.-F., Balcar, N., et al., 2022, ‘L’algimousse, un matériaux bio-sourcé et évolutif à base d’algues marines, adaptable à la conservation préventive, l’exemple d’une boite
  • Hamelin, L., 2022, « Stéphanie Ovide: rebroder la transparence », Art Press, Février 2022
  • Bonan, J., 2021, « Stéphanie Ovide », Mes copines ont du style, France: Axe Sud et France Télévision

More pictures on Atelier Ovide‘s instagram