La Traviata is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi and the Canadian Opera Company’s production features many period-inspired costumes included the ball gown. The talk I attended gave some history on the development of the ball gown from Victorian times to modern haute couture gowns.
La Traviata Ball Gown
La Traviata Ball Gowns
Four speakers shared their knowledge on the subject. The most fascinating was by the first speaker on mid-Victorian ball gowns and general clothing as carriers of disease during that time period. Similar to makeup of the time being lead based and causing disease, dyes in clothing had a similar effect. For example, emerald green became a fashionable colour and was found to contain arsenic. Not only did emerald green clothing and accessories contain arsenic, so did candies and other foods containing the colour contained arsenic in it as well. Eventually, with enough advertising, the colour fell out of fashion. Often with high society of the time when going out for the evening, most ladies showed off their neck and shoulders regardless of the weather as it was fashionable to look sickly even if you weren’t.
Haute Couture Gown
The Canadian Opera Company (COC) does several Opera Insights related to the operas during their production season. One Opera Insight I attended was La Traviata and the History of the Ball Gown.
La Traviata Ball Gown
The Head of the Costume Department at the COC spoke to the dress making process for La Traviata. It was great to learn about the process in designing and putting together the ball gowns for the women in this opera.
