A unique dialogue between ESMOD and the National Archaeology Museum

On the occasion of the exhibition “Masters of Fire – The Bronze Age in France, 2300–800 BCE”, the National Archaeology Museum – Domaine national du château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye – partnered with ESMOD Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, and Rennes for a summer residency combining fashion design, historical research, and cultural transmission.

In July, 11 second-year Fashion Design students worked in a creative fab lab to design contemporary clothing and accessories inspired by the Bronze Age. Patterns, materials, gestures, and stories drawn from the exhibition informed their experimental and sustainable design process. The students were guided through an open, immersive, and interdisciplinary approach by ESMOD experts and professional archaeologists.

Original creations showcased during the Science Festival

The resulting projects will be presented to the public as part of the “Masters of Fire” exhibition from October 1 to 13, 2025, coinciding with the Science Festival. This educational showcase is part of the museum’s rich programming throughout the exhibition.

ESMOD Students

Capucine Acevedo

Arwen Aubriot

Angelina Barseghyan

Guéwen Boëdec

Brune Cougouille

Louise Caillière

Mette Glawe

Solange Ibled

Milane Laun-Garault

Monica Alana Mauri

Gaby Richard

Ana Carolina Zemp

Sylvie Marot Director of Art, Culture & Heritage – ESMOD International

"The Bronze Age is also a textile age. Recent archaeological discoveries and modern analytical methods have profoundly renewed our understanding of Bronze Age textiles and clothing, highlighting their diversity and sometimes astonishing sophistication. This summer residency offers a rare opportunity to closely study these scholarly artifacts, guided by expert perspectives and techniques, and to create an ‘archaeology of the future."

Amandine Labbé Image Manager – ESMOD International

"Collaborating with a national museum and scientific institutions is a fantastic opportunity to show that fashion is not limited to runways: it is also a tool for cultural transmission, research, and mediation. This project is a brilliant demonstration of that."

About ESMOD

Founded in Paris in 1841, ESMOD International is the first French fashion school, pioneering in Fashion Design and Fashion Business education. Each year, it trains creative and strategic talents across 18 schools in 12 countries. Its visionary founder, Alexis Lavigne, introduced innovations still used today, including the flexible measuring tape, the dress form, and a cutting method that remains a reference. ESMOD offers certified programs from Bachelor to Postgraduate level, accessible via application or through recognition of prior learning (VAE). With ESMOD Pro, the school also offers short modules for industry professionals.

Rolande Simon-Millot General Curator of Heritage, Head of Neolithic and Bronze Age Collections, and Co-Curator of the Exhibition – National Archaeology Museum

"Why the Bronze Age? Because this period represents a true textile revolution: the invention of the vertical loom, the dominance of wool and flax, and the first use of dyes. Craftsmanship became organized into specialized workshops, producing textiles for long-distance trade. Beyond technique, clothing was a marker of gender and power."

Hakima Benabderrahmane Head of Cultural Development and Public Engagement – National Archaeology Museum

"This residency is an innovative educational and cultural project that brings together heritage, archaeology, and contemporary know-how. It allows students to explore Bronze Age techniques while applying their current knowledge of textiles and fashion. The project perfectly illustrates how archaeology and the transmission of Bronze Age technical and artisanal practices can enrich contemporary understanding and inspire today’s students."

About the National Archaeology Museum

Since 1862, the former royal residence of Saint-Germain-en-Laye has housed the National Archaeology Museum, founded under the initiative of Napoleon III. The museum preserves exceptional collections tracing the history of human societies in France, from the earliest traces of life to the 10th century, and offers, through its extraneous and ethnographic archaeology collections, a comparative view of world civilizations.

Situated within a landscaped estate designed by Le Nôtre, just 30 minutes from Paris, the museum is currently undergoing extensive renovations. While only the Neolithic and Metal Ages galleries remain open, the museum continues its mission of knowledge dissemination through off-site exhibitions and national collaborations. Masters of Fire, focusing on the Bronze Age, represents a new step in this dialogue between past and present.

Acknowledgements

Bronze Age Specialists

• Yann Lorin – Research Engineer, National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap)

• Claude Mordant – Professor Emeritus of European Protohistory, University of Burgundy, specialist in European Bronze Age

• Théophane Nicolas – Archaeologist and Ceramologist, European Bronze Age Specialist, Inrap

• Marilou Nordez – Research Officer, CNRS

• Rebecca Peake – Head of Archaeological Research, Inrap; Exhibition Curator

• Rolande Simon-Millot – General Curator of Heritage, Head of Neolithic and Bronze Age Collections; Exhibition Curator

• Françoise Toulemonde – Independent Carpologist, PhD in Archaeology and Environment, Paris 1 – Panthéon-Sorbonne

ESMOD Faculty

• Pierre Cencelme – Leather Expert

• Laura Deweilde – 3D Expert

• David Gillard – Fashion Design Professor

• Sabine Vanaverbeck – Textile Expert

This residency was led by Sylvie Marot, Director of Art, Culture & Heritage at ESMOD International, and Amandine Labbé, Image Director at ESMOD International.