Des Cheveux & Des Poils

Exhibition at the Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris, 5 April - 17 September 2023

Hair and human hair, like clothing, jewellery and accessories, have been part of the construction of appearances for centuries. In Western culture, both shaggy hair and excessive body hair have often been associated with the devil, the animal and the wild man. So much so that for centuries civilised men and women have had to comb, tame and sometimes even conceal their hair.

A few names of famous hairstyles - Fontanges, Titus, garçonne, Iroquois, etc. - reveal that hair is also the object of real fashion phenomena, the bearer of social and cultural codes that the contemporaries of each era know how to decipher.

From the end of the Middle Ages to the present day, this exhibition catalogue deals with several themes inherent to the history of hairstyles and issues related to facial and body hair. The book also discusses the use of hair for jewellery, the glory of superstar hairdressers and the use of hair in haute couture.