L'art du costume de scène
Opened in 2006, the National Centre for Stage Costume is the first museum, in France and internationally, to be entirely devoted to the tangible heritage of the theatre. Its mission is to conserve, study, and promote a heritage collection of around 10,000 stage costumes for theatre, opera, and ballet, drawn from the holdings of the Centre’s three founding institutions—the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the Comédie-Française, and the Paris National Opera—as well as from donations by companies, theatres, and artists.
This year, the CNCS pays tribute to its Honorary President with the exhibition Christian Lacroix on Stage, in which 140 costumes immerse visitors in the fascinating world of the designer. Through a selection of examples from this collection, this lecture will present a historical overview of stage costume and its affinities with the history of art.
Delphine Pinasa joined the Paris National Opera as Head of the Costume Heritage Department, a position she held for more than fifteen years. She took part in the preliminary planning of the CNCS and oversaw the museum’s opening in 2006 as Deputy Director. In addition to directing the institution, she has curated numerous exhibitions (Christian Lacroix, Costume Designer; Vestiaire de Divas; Déshabillez-moi! Costumes of Pop and Song; Artisans of the Stage; Dressing the Opera; Rio Carnival; Cabarets!…), presented at the CNCS and on international tours.
