World premiere of "Couture Essentielle" by Olivier Saillard staged at Palácio da Bolsa, March 17th

Porto presents "Couture Essentielle", world debut of a dance performance created by director of the Palais Galliera/Paris Fashion Museum, Olivier Saillard. It premieres this Friday, March 17th, at 9.30 pm at Salão Árabe, Palácio da Bolsa.

According to Saillard, "Couture Essentielle" is the result of a collection of clothing, memorabilia, objects and body segments in which the history of fashion is embodied as the material of creation.

"If we want to produce a fashion collection, we create it around a dance studio. If we want to present a fashion show, we plan it externally, outside the established circuits, outside fashion" Saillard states.

Olivier Saillard is, most probably, the most informed curator and acknowledged fashion historian at the moment.

He has curated prominent international fashion exhibitions, notably "Alaïa puis Jeanne Lanvin", at the Palais Galliera; "Paris Haute Couture", at the Hôtel de Ville de Paris; "Madame Grès, la couture à l'?uvre', at the Musée Bourdelle; "Christian Lacroix, histoires de mode" (Arts Décoratifs); "Yohji Yamamoto, juste des vêtements" (Arts Déco); and "Andy Warhol et la mode" (Musée de la Mode, Marseille). 

Saillard began his studies in archaeology and contemporary art in Besançon, eastern France and Montpellier.  Instead of being sent to the army, he requested to serve out his public service as a "conscientious objector" at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, where he managed to work as an assistant. 

Saillard spent five years as director of the Musée de la Mode in Marseille before returning to Paris in 2002. While serving as fashion curator at the Parisian Musée de la Mode, Olivier Saillard started experimenting fashion stage performances, featuring Yohji Yamamoto, Christian Lacroix and Sonia Rykiel from the museums vast archive in his stage exhibitions.

Saillard unique and detached perspective on today's fashion industry allowed him to invent a new genre and a powerful way to bring Galliera's impressive archives to life.

One of his most impressive performances was a joint mimic on stage with actress Tilda Swinton. They displayed the entire process of hand making a dress. The result was a huge success.

"I'm not an administrator, I'm still a curator. But I have also proven that I'm a curator who gave himself the possibility to re-invent his profession", Mr. Saillard affirms.

The show is sponsored by Associação Comercial do Porto, Institut Français and the Embassy of France in Portugal. It features again on March 18th, Saturday, at 7 pm at the Palácio da Bolsa.

Tickets (€ 10, 00) and more information here.