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Last week I had the pleasure of visting one of my favorite DC museums,
Hillwood, to see the new exhibit
Pret-a-Papier by paper artist
Isabelle de Borchgrave.
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Unlike many exhibits at
Hillwood, this one is spread throughout the mansion itself as well as in one of the exhibit spaces on the
estate.
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Believe it or not, all of the historic clothing you see here is made of nothing but paper and paint!
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De Borchgrave brings such life to paper that you would swear there were living, breathing people housed in her creations.
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My 2 favorite were based on paintings in the collection in the ballroom / screening room, seen here.
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The piece on Countess Samoilova even included the jewelry in paper!
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The pieces span the 17th through the 20th centuries, much like Hillwood's collection. I loved these flapper dresses found out in the Adirondack building.
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This 19th dress in Mrs. Post's bedroom reminded me of something she might have worn in her teens.
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The French Salon featured matching costumes;
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Including shoes!
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I loved the details on this dress, you could practically see Martha Washington wearing this.
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Don't miss Pret a Papier on view now at
Hillwood through December 30. Don't forget, the collection is constantly changing so you'll always see something new other than the lovely seasonal gardens!