Théâtre de la Mode
About Théâtre de la Mode
Maryhill Museum of Art’s permanent display of Théâtre de la Mode presents post-World War II French haute couture fashions on one-third-life-size human mannequins. When it appeared at Louvre’s Museum of Decorative Arts in 1945, the Théâtre de la Mode opening drew 100,000 visitors.
The exhibition toured Europe and the United States in 1946, before languishing in the basement of San Francisco’s City of Paris department store. The sets were lost, but the mannequins were saved through the efforts of Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, who championed their transfer to Maryhill Museum of Art.
Maryhill is home to nine re-built sets and restored mannequins dressed in period casual and formal wear. Each year, three of the nine sets are on display.
In 2025, three Théâtre de la Mode décors rotate onto view: Georges Wakhévitch’s 1946 Place des Vosges; Jean Cocteau’s 1945–46 Hommage à René Clair: Ma Femme est une Scorcière (My Wife is a Witch); and Jean Saint-Martin’s 1945 Croquis de Paris (Paris Sketch).
The 1946 Lelong Dance Dress
In an adjacent gallery, see an intimate display of a fashion mannequin wearing a 1946 Théâtre de la Mode ensemble that is sometimes attributed to Lucien Lelong’s senior designer, Christian Dior.
The mannequin will be shown in concert with historic photos and period advertising related to the Lelong atelier and Christian Dior’s New Look.
The 1946 Lelong Dance Dress and the 2025-26 décor rotation are sponsored by Donna Hidden.
In the news
- Town and Country article about Dior film premiered during the first digital Paris Couture Week.
- Balmain podcast conversation with fashion journalist Lynn Yaeger who examines the hardships, challenges and shortages of a newly liberated Paris.
- Dior recreates the making of Théâtre de la Mode dolls for its Fall-Winter 2020/21 Collection: Dior Autumn-Winter 2020-2021 Haute Couture – YouTube
- Moschino’s Théâtre de la Mode-inspired marionettes present its Spring-Summer 2021 Collection:Moschino | Spring Summer 2021 | Digital (youtube.com)
- AppleTV’s “The New Look” tells the story of Christian Dior’s rise to fame after designing fashions for Théâtre de la Mode under Lucien Lelong: Watch The New Look – Show – Apple TV+
“Rose de France” ensemble by Mendel, part of the set Le Théâtre by Christian Bérard. Gift of Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne and Paul Verdier, Collection of Maryhill Museum of Art
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Jeanne Lanvin & the Théâtre de la Mode
Lanvin’s career as a couturier began in 1909, when she joined the Syndicat de la Couture. She contributed designs to the 1945 and 1946 editions of the Théâtre de la Mode.
Top row: 1. TDLM BEAUREPAIRE Enchanted Grotto; Théâtre de la Mode: “La Grotto Enchantée” (The Enchanted Grotto), original 1946 fashions and mannequins from set by André Beaurepaire (recreated by Anne Surgers); Collection of Maryhill Museum of Art.
2. 17 TDLM en la Place Vendôme décor detail; Théâtre de la Mode: “La Rue de la Paix en la Place Vendôme,” fashions and mannequins in décor by Louis Touchagues, detail (recreated by Anne Surgers); Gift of Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne and Paul Verdier, Collection of Maryhill Museum of Art.
3. Detail from Théâtre de la Mode: “L’Île de la Cité,” original 1946 fashions and mannequins in décor by Georges Douking (recreated by Anne Surgers); Gift of Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne and Paul Verdier, Collection of Maryhill Museum of Art
Bottom row: 1. Link Image; Théâtre de la Mode; Collection of Maryhill Museum of Art.
2. The mannequin is from “La Rue de la Paix en la Place Vendôme,” fashions and mannequins in décor by Louis Touchagues, (recreated by Anne Surgers); Gift of Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne and Paul Verdier, Collection of Maryhill Museum of Art.
View this exhibition online
In an effort to share our exhibitions with a wider audience, the museum’s curator of art, Steve Grafe, created these digital presentations. We invite you to explore the featured objects and accompanying label copy.
Explore the Museum Store
Theatre de la Mode Fashion Dolls: The Survival of Haute Couture
You can enjoy the paperback book with wonderful color photos and read about the history of how these diminutive mannequins have become one of the most popular exhibits in the museum.