La Mode en Majeste : Haute couture et tradition a la Cour de Thailande / Royal Thai Dress : From Tradition to Modernity

A handsome book exploring clothing at the Thai court, tracing the relationship between local textile traditions and haute couture.

Published to accompany an exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs to  celebrate the 170th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and France, and the 340th anniversary of the first official contact between Siam and France. 

Passionate about fashion, Queen Sirkit played a central role in modernising court attire, presenting her creations during official trips with King Rama IX. From the 1960s onwards, Queen Sirikit maintained close relations with leading French and European fashion houses. By collaborating for more than thirty years with Pierre Balmain and then with Erik Mortensen, his successor at the head of the fashion house, she reinvented Thai royal elegance, preserving its heritage while ensuring its international appeal.

Committed to preserving traditions, she also worked tirelessly to safeguard her country's textile arts and crafts. The book brings together nearly two hundred outfits, accessories, royal objects, photographs, fabric samples, and embroidery (from Lesage and Princess Sirivannavari), and offers a unique glimpse into Thailand's rich tradition of craftsmanship in textiles, jewellery, and accessories. It highlights the use of fashion as a form of cultural diplomacy that works through image, craftsmanship, and materials.

Text in English and French.

Details

• Author: Beatrice Quette,  a curator at le musée des Arts décoratifs, Head of the Asian and Islamic collections. 
• Hardcover: 192 pages | 150 illustrations
• Date published: July 2026
• Language: English/French
• ISBN: 9782383140375
  
• Product Dimensions: 32.7 x 24.9  cm