"Artist and designer Isabelle de Borchgrave creates exquisite paper dresses evoking high fashions from the courts of the Medici to the legendary Fortuny silks of the early twentieth century. She cuts, folds, glues, and paints her paper costumes with imagination and exceptional mastery, creating the illusion of lace from Bruges, Renaissance-era brocade, and delicate silk a la Pompadour. Their historical authenticity, combined with their startling realism, caused an overnight sensation when they were first shown in France in 1998 as "Papiers a la Mode." Since then, the dynamic, light-hearted collection has traveled all over the world to critical and popular acclaim." "Paper Illusions does full justice to de Borchgrave's magical workshop, where humble art materials are transformed into shimmering visions of beautiful clothing and luxurious living. Paper, author Barbara Stoeltie reminds us, possesses "the power to attract and enchant us, to direct our lives and change our course, to teach us, to influence our opinions, and to mark our daily existence with its imposing presence." In Rene Stoeltie's vivid photographs, figures from the history of style made from this magical medium seem to breathe in atmospheric rooms, while details of color, pattern, and form jump off the page. Their book is a celebration of creativity, wit, and elegance."--Jacket.
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