“Au Louvre” in Ghent: A Parisian state of mind in Belgium

“Au Louvre, Rue Longue-Monnaie, 48, Gand, Les Modes Nouvelles”: as written on one of the many advertisements found in the Vliegende Bladen archive of the Ghent University. Noteworthy here is the reference to Ghent; is there a link with the Petit Louvre department store in Paris? The French department store featured ready-made garments and fashionable textiles for men, women, and children. Nevertheless, the archives tell us that there was also a Louvre store in Ghent. Julie Delaere and Axelle Vansteenkiste will research the history of this Ghent store and examine whether Louvre in Ghent was a branch of the Petit Louvre in Paris or if it was an independent shop that may have wanted to radiate the same status as the Parisian one. At the core of this research project we ask: to which extent was Belgian fashion dominated by Parisian trends, or was it able to free itself from the fashion capital of Europe?