After five years of renovation and restoration work, the Hôtel Bouchaud de Bussy has opened its doors and offers a comprehensive overview of fashion in Provence since the 18th century.
It is within the Hôtel Bouchaud de Bussy, whose origins date back to the 14th century, that Fragonard Parfumeur has opened its seventh museum.
A little history...
In 2019, Fragonard acquired the Hôtel Bouchaud de Bussy.
Built in the Middle Ages, this mansion underwent numerous modifications over the following centuries by the illustrious Arlesian families who owned it (Nicolas des Alberts, Pierre Cabroll, and Honoré de Someyre). Between 1717 and 1720, Antoine Laugier, a wealthy bourgeois, gave it its monumental classical façade, inspired by the Town Hall.
It owes its current name to the Bouchaud de Bussy family, who owned it from 1723 to 1884. The interiors still retain traces of its past history, such as the androne (a medieval covered passageway), the grand staircase and its central light well, a true 18th-century masterpiece, as well as the enfilade of salons and state rooms surrounding a bright central courtyard.
To transform this Arlesian residence into a museum, Fragonard partnered with Studio KO, founded by Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty, who designed and created the scenography and museography.
They are known for having created the Yves Saint-Laurent Museum in Marrakech.
The Museum
Anne, Agnès, and Françoise Costa, who run the Fragonard company, passionately continue the work of their mother, Hélène Costa, who founded the Provençal Museum of Costume and Jewelry in Grasse in 1997.
The idea for a museum in Arles was conceived by the Costa sisters, Odile Pascal, who has collected local costumes all her life with her mother Magali, and Clément Trouche, costume specialist and museum director.
For its first exhibition, “Collections-Collection,” the museum brings together two collections that offer an exceptional wealth of information on the history of costume in the French Mediterranean region and the history of textiles. Through a chronological journey, this exhibition offers the public an overview of fashion in Provence since the 18th century.
The Museum of Fashion and Costume
16 rue de la Calade,
13200 Arles
Tel.: 04 90 18 37 37
https://musee-mode-costume.fragonard.com
Translated with DeepL.com
(free version)
