10 pieces to reconnect with culture through the wardrobe

This morning, the French woke up to news that they are no longer going to museums. According to a study conducted by the international foundation Art Explora and the polling institute Ifop, they are avoiding exhibitions, skipping movie theaters, neglecting libraries to collect dust, leaving historical monuments to pigeons, and concerts to those brave enough to wait on waiting lists. Twenty percent of them reportedly did not attend a single cultural event in the past twelve months. Despite this, 86% of these cultural abstainers claim that culture is essential to them. It seems that they love culture like the idea of going for a run – passionately from their couches, as if hearing about it through their algorithm is enough. To gently remedy this “imaginary sedentarization” and resist the exodus from cultural places, it is possible to start with a simple daily habit – getting dressed.

It is already an art to dress oneself, and by turning oneself into a museum, this could potentially encourage passersby to quickly return to culture. For example, a red suit from Loewe may evoke the fiery heroine from Almodóvar’s “All About My Mother,” exceptionally projected at mk2 Bibliothèque x Centre Pompidou this Saturday. Wearing a slightly baggy Agolde jeans, as seen on Zendaya in “The Drama,” may give a subtle clue about her character’s psychology and discreetly invite viewers to see the film currently in theaters.

One can literally wear art, by putting on the cracked canvas of an unknown masterpiece from Maison Margiela, becoming a frame for a self-portrait by Claire Tabouret on an Études Studio shirt, or deceive the eye with a laser lace top from Julie Kegels. One can imitate artists like Serge Gainsbourg in Repetto’s “Zizi” shoes or Winona Ryder in a photobooth triptych transform into a t-shirt by IDEA. One can also remind people in the metro to reread classics like Baudelaire’s “Les Fleurs du Mal” on a Dior tote bag.

Adding artisanal hints with metal and pearl earrings like a duo of planets from Chanel, or a mini bag designed for Anteprima by Izumi Kato, represented by Perrotin, can be another way to incorporate culture into everyday life. After all, even if one out of every five French individuals did not engage in any cultural outings, they all dressed every morning. This may be a small step, but it is not an excuse. Dressing oneself is truly an art, but it does not replace spending an hour in front of a Rothko. Therefore, after closing the closet doors, if conditions allow, let’s be tempted by the doors of museums.