Fashion for God - exhibition

The exhibition starts at the beginning of the seventeenth century. A turbulent period, because after the Reformation Catholics in the Republic were no longer allowed to meet in public. They therefore fled to hidden churches. Behind closed doors they pulled out all the stops to propagate their faith. The pastors wore ‘fashion for god’. This was the way to express one’s identity in times of oppression. After extensive research, the museum can tell the fascinating story behind these unique works of art. A story with women in a defining role; as makers and as donors.

The beautiful examples of Baroque gowns are each shown in combination with a vestment made of almost the same fabric. This provides a wonderful insight into how the development of secular fashion was embraced by the Catholic Church. The quality of the pieces is so high that they still impress hundreds of years later. The exhibition ends with a grande finale in a veritable celestial ballroom, where the very finest vestments made from ladies’ dresses can be admired in their full glory one last time. An enchanting experience!