Write For Us

When real men wore feathers

E-Commerce Solutions SEO Solutions Marketing Solutions
161 Views

  • Thanks! Share it with your friends!

    You disliked this video. Thanks for the feedback!

admin
Published
Ostrich feathers are often associated with glamorous women but this wasn’t always the case. In the sixteenth century, it was Europe’s men who spearheaded this trend.

Now, a forgotten moment in fashion history has been brought back to life by the recreation of a lavish headdress worn by Matthäus Schwarz, a 24-year-old German fashionista in 1521.

Led by historian, Professor Ulinka Rublack (St John’s College, University Cambridge), and Jenny Tiramani, Principal of London's School of Historical Dress, the ambitious project sought to investigate how this complex object was made, but also how it behaved when worn and what role it played in advancing Schwarz’s ambitions during a period of dramatic cultural and economic change in Europe.

The completed masterpiece measures more than a metre in width and 45 cm in height. It comprises a split-rim bonnet made of felt, satin and velvet; and the feather headdress itself, which sits on a light-weight wire frame. Thirty-two long ostrich feathers, sewn together to form sixteen magnificent plumes, cover this structure, complete with gold spangles which were individually stitched with metal thread onto every spine.

Recreating every element of this luxurious edifice occupied five highly-skilled British milliners, felters, costume-makers and their assistants for weeks.
Category
Academic
Sign in or sign up to post comments.
Be the first to comment