Melissa Leventon

Look at it this way.

France has been relying on the couture industry and all of the other industries it involves.

The textile industry, the industry that makes all of the zippers, the buttons, the hooks, the feather workers, the embroiderers.

That's been a big part of not only France's economy, but France's national identity since the 17th century.

They're not just going to let that go because of four-year occupation by Germany.

They were not going to let it die without a really tough fight.

We are still here.

We were not destroyed by the war.

And we kept our skills.

And we might not have much in the way of materials, but we're just going to figure it out.

We survived, and we want you to know that we survived.

But in order to keep going, we need our customers back.

So let's talk about fashion dolls.

The way dressmakers and women who were called milliners, marchandes mode, kind of like fashion stylists of today, they sent around dolls dressed in the latest fashion.

Supposedly, the installation in Paris raised something like a million French francs, which was a lot of money given the total economic disaster that was France after World War II.

They didn't need them back.

So the de Young had not earmarked funds to return them, like there was no spare cash in the system.

I remember talking to a woman who used to work at the City of Paris, saying she remembered seeing them in the basement.

In a lot of ways, it seems to be the fate of this exhibition to get forgotten about from time to time.

I just love a puppet show.