Short trapeze dress

The collection of 79 pieces, selected by Pietro Maria Bardi (1900–1999), the museum’s founding director, was donated in 1972 by Rhodia. The French chemical manufacturer promoted its synthetic fabrics in Brazil through fashion spectacles, collections and press articles, according to a strategy devised by Lívio Rangan (1933–1984), the company’s visionary publicity manager. The fashion shows presented between 1960 and 1970 were true spectacles that brought together professionals from the fields of theater, dance, music and the arts. Held at the Feira Nacional da Indústria Têxtil [National Textile Industry Fair] (Fenit), Brazil’s largest fashion event at the time, each show featured up to 150 designs, with two collections per year traveling throughout Brazil and internationally.