A Vol D 39;oiseau Poésie

[Nhyiraba Valentin]

Herfamed headdresses know as the pouf, were constructed from a combination of her own hair, human hair extensions and wool. These lofty coiffure's were up to six feet high and were bound to wire scaffolding and decorated with precious jewels and large plumes. Some hairstyles even reflected voguish topics and politics by featuring detailed figurines such as ships, windmills, babies, and even fresh vegetables.

Initially Marie Antoinette dazzled the Parisians with her avant-garde approach to fashion, however this mood dramatically changed. A series of devastating harvests and excessive price of bread impelled the starving people of France to stage riots known as the Flour Wars, in the lead up to the revolution.

Enthusiastically transforming the palace into a cultural experiment, the Queen even replaced the formal French gardens of Petit Trianon with English rolling meadows, complete with cows and perfumed sheep.The glamorous pouf Marie Antoinette embraced in Paris was transformed to mimic the surrounding landscape and poufs of the Petit Trianon included vegetables, fruit and posies.

Louis XVI preferred Marie Antoinette to remain out of politics and instead, entrusted her with the task of entertaining the court. Hosting several themed parties a week, the Queen revived the grand balls of Versailles by organising dazzling masquerades and theatrical performances.

Setting her sights on Paris, the undisputed centre of fashion, Marie Antoinette was drawn to the boutiques, gambling dens and the ultra-stylish Paris Opéra. At Opéra balls, guests were able to disguise their identities behind masks and cloaks (dominoes) and mysterious strangers were able to chat and flirt without revealing their social rank. Although the rebellious Queen enjoyed dressing incognito at the Opéra balls, she was regularly recognised behind her black domino disguise.

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