Podcast Summary: Dressed: The History of Fashion

Episode: "Getting Dressed in Paris 2025, Part I"

Hosts: April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary

Date: September 3, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, hosts April Callahan and Cassidy Zachary return from a summer hiatus to deliver a rich recap of their annual Dressed Fashion History Tour in Paris. This two-part special (with Part I covered here) explores the blockbuster fashion exhibitions of Paris in the summer of 2025, personal highlights from their tours, and expert insights into the social and cultural histories showcased through landmark museum displays. The hosts also unveil updates to the podcast format and tease exciting offerings for their listeners this fall.

Episode Highlights by Topic & Timestamps

1. Welcome Back, Show Updates & New Offerings [01:12–05:18]

• Return from Hiatus: April and Cassidy explain their extended break, necessitated by summer travels and fashion history tours, expressing gratitude for listener patience.
• Format Change: Going forward, Dressed will release one new episode and one re-air ("Dressed Classic") per week to allow for expansion into classes, tours, and a newsletter ([03:00]).
• Upcoming Events & Classes:
  • Newsletter featuring "musings" and updates ([03:42]).
  • December 2025 Fashion History Tour of New York City ([04:10]).
  • Cassidy's upcoming online class "What Women Wore to the Revolution, Part 2" (1930s–1960s), launching in October ([04:25]).
  • April's class on the history of Schiaparelli ([04:48]).

Notable Quote:

"We're actually going to be switching the format of the show just a smidge...one new episode a week and one re-aired episode a week from our cache of Dressed classics."
— April Callahan [03:00]

2. Summer 2025 in Paris: Blockbuster Exhibitions Overview [05:18–06:21]

• 2025 was exceptional for the sheer number of major fashion exhibitions in Paris.
• Plan for the episode: Discuss key exhibitions, highlight standout objects, and preview a surprise guest for Part II.

3. Review: Louvre Couture Exhibition [06:21–16:36]

Key Points:

• Historical Milestone: The Louvre's first fashion exhibition in over 200 years, curated by Olivier Gabay.
• Exhibition Layout: 100 fashion objects were spread across 9,000 sqm of the decorative arts galleries, creating a "fashion history treasure hunt" ([10:43]).
• Strengths & Critiques:
  • Visual connections between high fashion and masterpieces across centuries.
  • First-time experiences for many with objects in dialogue across art and fashion.
  • Lacked explanatory wall text, making navigation initially confusing; required a special exhibition map.
  • The show focused on visual impact rather than social or cultural context.

Notable Quotes:

"If you have to have a map to find the fashion in the fashion exhibition—is this a successful exhibition? I'm just gonna throw that out there."
— April Callahan [14:08]

"Some people in our group really loved that fashion exhibition and said that was reason enough just to come to Paris."
— Cassidy Zachary [15:03]

Standout Objects:

• Alaïa dress combining chainmail and chiffon, paired with chainmail art ([11:41]).
• Thierry Mugler's 1995–96 silver and gold metal corset, displayed with gold clocks ([13:06]).
• Balenciaga toiles—rare chance to see the designer’s work-in-progress up close ([15:42]).

4. Review: House of Worth at Petit Palais [16:36–26:10]

Key Points:

• Comprehensive Survey: Nearly 400 works showcased in an exceptional collaboration between the Palais Galliera and Petit Palais.
• Contextual Depth: The exhibition masterfully traced the evolution of Worth's fashion house through generations, blending garments with paintings, sketches, correspondence, and more.
• Standout Themes:
  • Fancy Dress Costumes: Lavish costumes for high-society balls, often incorporating real jewels and historic textiles ([19:24]).
  • Upcycling: Example of an 18th-century embroidered waistcoat incorporated into an innovative women's jacket ([20:00]).
• Craftsmanship: Praised for exemplary mannequin dressing and revealing the extraordinary quality of old haute couture fabrics.

Notable Quotes:

"This was the pinnacle of this art form of dressing mannequins for museum exhibitions...So beautifully done."
— April Callahan [24:15]

"The Worth exhibition zooms in on one creator and puts him in this incredible context as this creator of some of the most exceptional and coveted gowns..."
— Cassidy Zachary [17:51]

5. Review: Poiret — "Fashion is a Feast" at Musée des Arts Décoratifs [28:36–35:32]

Key Points:

• Dedication to Paul Poiret: The museum’s first solo show on this pivotal designer, whose work is newly accessible thanks to the vast collection from his wife, Denise Poiret.
• Personal History: Garments not only from Poiret’s wife but also from Poiret himself and his children, offering unique intimacy ([32:14]).
• Highlights:
  • Multiple pieces from the 1907 “Les Robes de Paul Poiret” collection, notable for revolutionizing early 20th-century fashion by rejecting corsetry for neoclassical silhouettes ([33:05]).
  • Use of slanted boards for ultra-delicate dresses to preserve and display them.
  • Artefacts and illustrations emphasizing Poiret’s circle of collaborators and his own artwork ([34:17]).
• Critical Note: Exhibition skirted the complexities of Poiret’s later life and death; catalog provides more depth ([34:21]).

Notable Quotes:

"For me, it was. I didn't necessarily...I mean, there's certainly stuff that I learned...But again, just to be able to commune with those objects..."
— Cassidy Zachary [34:56]

6. Review: Rick Owens & Fashion on the Move at Palais Galliera [35:32–43:17]

Rick Owens Show:

• Contemporary Focus: Retrospective of the avant-garde designer’s work, conceived as "fashion sculpture."
• Emotional Impact: Both hosts and museum-goers found the presentations deeply moving.
• Younger Audience: Praised for actively drawing in fashion students and young fans ([37:55]).
• References: Garments directly referencing Madame Grès and Leigh Bowery ([38:46]).

Fashion on the Move (Mu de Moment):

• Theme: Explores how fashion adapts to the moving body, especially sportswear.
• Object Rotation: Each iteration brings 180 new objects; this version emphasized ski wear and included a Schiaparelli skating costume ([42:37]).
• Favorite Objects: Motorist Blanket Breeches (protection for women in open-air cars, like an early Snuggie) ([41:35]).

Notable Quotes:

"...The entire point of exhibition is to commune with the public and engage with the public, but who that public isn't always the same. So I think...to get the attention of these young people and get them to this museum was incredibly, really cool."
— Cassidy Zachary [37:55]

7. Additional Highlights from the Paris Tour [45:03–51:43]

Not-to-Miss Institutions:

• Musée du Parfum (Fragonard): Insight into perfumery, including a private shopping experience for tour attendees ([45:41]).
• Galerie Dior: Immersive chronology of the House of Dior, featuring toiles and live artisans ([46:50]).
• Versailles Day: Special focus on the Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette’s hamlet, with host lectures on 18th-century etiquette and fashion ([47:09]).
• Rue de la Paix Walking Tour: Guided stroll down Paris’s historic street of haute couture establishments ([49:19]).
• Crazy Horse Club: Classy, sensual cabaret experience, a highlight for many travelers ([50:28]).

Pro Tip:

"If you want to explore the garden, do not have lunch in the palace itself. Go down to the Grand Canal...there are two restaurants right there...not listed on the Versailles website because they're independently run."
— April Callahan [48:03]

8. Teasers & What’s Next [51:43–end]

• Special Guest: Rebecca Devani, founder of Textile Tours, will join for Part II to share her perspective on Paris fashion history tours ([51:43]).
• Upcoming Content: In-depth episodes on Worth and Poiret are in the works, as is expanded social media visual coverage.
• Connect with Dressed: Follow @dressed558 on Instagram for photos and recaps.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On the Louvre Show:
  • “It was almost like a fashion history treasure hunt.” — April [09:16]
• On the Worth Exhibition:
  • “Just looking at some of these fabrics and embellishments, things like this practically do not exist anymore.” — April [25:26]
• On the Rick Owens Show:
  • “You could really feel the emotion in the clothes themselves and the way that it was presented.” — April [37:01]
• On Young Visitors at the Museum:
  • “All you could tell they were all Rick Owens fans by the way they dressed. And that was so cool.” — Cassidy [37:55]
• On the Personal Impact of Fashion:
  • “By the end of the tour, like the last dinner, people are always crying because they don’t want to leave.” — April [40:29]

Concluding Thoughts

April and Cassidy’s annual Paris recap delivers a passionate, behind-the-scenes look at some of the fashion world’s most anticipated exhibitions, balancing critique with contagious enthusiasm and seasoned historical insight. Their expertise as fashion historians, teachers, and guides brings each exhibition to life for listeners, offering both practical travel advice and a deeper appreciation of what it means to get dressed—whether in Paris or anywhere else.

For visual highlights and more updates, follow @dressed558 on Instagram. Stay tuned next week for Part II and a guest appearance by Rebecca Devani!