With the completion of the renovation of Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors, the Musee National of the Chateau de Versailles was ready to showcase not only one of its crown jewels of architecture, but one of its most infamous queens – Marie Antoinette – with a worldwide tour. So they chose the Legion of Honor as host to an exclusive U.S. exhibition of Marie Antoinette’s ”home away from Versailles”, the Petit Trianon.
The timing couldn’t have been better – Sophia Coppola’s 2006 blockbuster, featuring Marie Antoinette, managed to envisage her as a pop culture icon. Through this resurgence in popularity, her former reputation has undergone some severe reevaluation (it was, afterall, her unpopularity amongst the French people that got her killed). In asking Iron to promote Marie Antoinette at the Legion of Honor, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco was effectively asking us to tell a renewed story behind the Queen of Fashion.
What a fun project – getting to know the notorious queen who came to be synonymous with excess, opulence, and above all, high-end designer fashion. After some research, we discovered that through her love of fashion, Marie Antoinette showcased many of her political views in her personal style – particularly evident in her teetering pouf hairstyles.
Because Austria, her homeland, was still somewhat on the outs with France – people (ahem, her husband King Louis XVI) often wouldn’t listen to her. So she put her opinion on display for all to see. The woman recreated entire battle scenes and other historic events within a hairdo.
How progressive is that? Unfortunately, her love of fashion – and her love of making a statement – were ultimately her downfall. And so…Iron rebranded Marie Antoinette as not only the Queen of Style and Taste, but of Controversy and Revolution.