Gold–a precious metal whose shimmering quality has fascinated the human eye from prehistoric times to today.

Since its discovery, gold has been used to make jewelry, ornament clothes, and even weapons. The exhibition Au Fil de l’Or (Golden Threads) is a large exhibition at the Musée Du Quai Brandly-Jacques Chirac that traces this historical affinity for shiny gold and how humans have woven, embroidered, or embellished it onto clothing. The exhibit spans a vast area, from North Africa to the Far East, reflecting its organization by providing each section with a specific geographic location and context. Co-curated by my professor Magali An Berthon, my class was able to get an insider's look at this exhibit, whose timeline is a journey that spans from as early as the 5th millennium BCE and continues for many centuries.

In addition to highlighting the historical and technical work of craftspeople from around the world, the exhibit is also punctuated by the work of Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei, an official collaborator. At a glance, the themes of this exhibition range from status, class, power, and tradition. I analyzed four works from the exhibit to discuss these themes and unveil gold’s complex and sometimes deceptive history, exploring whether there is a genuine desire for gold or if humans are simply drawn to any shiny material that resembles gold for the associations that it has.

The first piece from the exhibit I would like to discuss is the Manteau de mariée (Japanese overkimono) Uchikake from Japan. This piece is a good place to begin when analyzing quintessential gold thread and the ways it is fashioned to clothing. The kimono, displayed under specific lighting and protection in order to preserve the quality, displays a high level of embroidery craftsmanship as well as dyeing. Made of silk and embroidered with silk, metallic and golden thread, the story of the garment is told through the pine needle decor. In her article Embroidered Narratives Lee discusses how embroidered textiles can be "a form of narrated history, often commemorating important events" (Lee 74). The pine trees in Japanese culture symbolize longevity, good fortune, long life, and even immortality (Krusinski). The use of this motif, through the methods of silk painting, gold leaf embroidery, and couched stitch, on a bridal overkimono makes sense, as the longevity and good fortune are values that one would want ahead of a marriage. The use of gold thread in this piece, as well as all the others in the exhibit, would associate with “royalty, aristocracy, and liturgy, indicating superiority, magnificence and otherworldliness” (Rado 73). This identifier of class and status is a huge piece of what makes gold thread so desirable.

The next piece I will discuss takes a different technique to applying gold. The Sarong kain panjang prada from Indonesia, were made for women of the Sino-Javanese Peranakan upper class, usually for weddings. The processes used to create the pattern are batik and prada. Batik traditionally involves hand-applying liquid wax to fabric with a tjanting, dyeing the fabric where wax is not applied, removing the wax, and repeating this process for multiple colors, often on both sides of the cloth to achieve intricate designs (Young). Prada is a form of gold leaf printing that utilizes linseed oil and resin. These time-intensive artisanal processes, along with the use of gold printing, contribute to the reason this type of garment was worn by the upper class to demonstrate status.

The next pieces I will focus on are the golden silk section, specifically the dresses, as well as the photos and display of actual silk. Silk has been known in China for over five millennia, and silk farming likely originated there more than 4,000 years ago (Field). The exhibit, though, discusses golden silk that originates in fact, from Cambodia. The cocoons of the silkworms become a bright golden hue due to the mulberry leaves that they eat as food. Though this is simply silk, the golden color alone is an indicator of value, so it is used raw and undyed to display this golden color. The dresses display the material in an unusual way. Instead of weaving the thread like one might normally do with silk to enhance its delicate quality, the dresses mold and mesh the silk to the bodice in a manner reminiscent of paper mache. This method is better for keeping the integrity of the vivid gold color contained in the sericin, which goes away when silk fibers are processed for spinning and weaving through the degumming process.

Finally, I would like to discuss Lurex in conjunction with several Guo Pei dresses. According to the exhibit, in the late 19th century, gold and silver wire production soared thanks to steam and electric-powered machines. This innovation allowed for finer wires, new metal blends, and reduced production costs to meet the growing middle-class demand. In 1946, Lurex was invented in the U.S. It is a shiny, lightweight, and affordable metallic thread made from polyester film, making the look of gold thread accessible to everyone. The use of metallic threads made with real gold has largely faded in modern applications, such as in the Guo Pei dresses featured in the exhibit. These dresses are ornate, beautiful, highly detailed, and extravagant, with almost every inch of it showcasing a shiny gold effect. Although it is not directly disclosed, it is a safe assumption that Guo Pei capitalizes on Lurex’s affordability, accessibility, and eye-catching qualities. Practically speaking, it is most likely cost-prohibitive to use real gold thread in garments like hers, even for a couture brand targeting high-end consumers. The consumers appear to appreciate the effect and association with gold that Lurex achieves.

The Au Fil de l’Or exhibition thoughtfully highlights the essential role materials play in shaping garments for specific cultural and ceremonial contexts. From Japanese bridal kimonos to Indonesian sarongs and contemporary couture, the use of gold—or its visual substitutes—transcends geography and time to signify power, prestige, and sacredness. What stood out most was how the material itself often dictated not just the form or technique, but the function and meaning of the garment. Gold, whether woven in fine threads, printed as prada, or simulated through Lurex, has consistently communicated social rank, spiritual value, or theatrical impact. The exhibition shifted my understanding of fashion materials from being purely aesthetic or functional to deeply symbolic and culturally embedded. It also raised questions about authenticity and perception: if something looks like gold and evokes the same associations, does it matter whether it’s "real"? Ultimately, Au Fil de l’Or offered more than just a history of embellishment—it revealed how material choices reflect broader narratives about value, identity, and access across cultures and centuries.

Bibliography

Banna-Chidiac, Hana Al, and Magali An Berthon. Golden Thread The Art of Dressing from North Africa to the Far East. 2025.

Field, Jacqueline. “Silk Production: Moths, Mulberry and Metamorphosis.” Making and Growing, Routledge, 2014.

Krusinski, Ali. Pine Branch. https://www1.swarthmore.edu/library/exhibitions/japan/gallery/pine-tree.php. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Lee, Christina. “Embroidered Narratives.” Feminist Approaches to Early Medieval English Studies, edited by Robin Norris et al., Amsterdam University Press, 2023, pp. 53–82. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv32dnb90.6.

Rado, Mei Mei. “Fabric of Light, Surface of Displacement: Lamé and Its Shine in Early Twentieth-Century French Fashion.” Materials, Practices, and Politics of Shine in Modern Art and Popular Culture, Jan. 2021. www.academia.edu, https://www.academia.edu/53327715/_Fabric_of_Light_Surface_of_Displacement_Lam%C3%A9_and_Its_Shine_in_Early_Twentieth_Century_French_Fashion_.

Young, Paulette. Ghanaian Woman and Dutch Wax Prints: The Counter-Appropriation of the Foreign and the Local Creating a New Visual Voice of Creative Expression. 2016, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0021909615623811.

A creative mind and design professional, Julia is an Art Director, Senior Graphic Designer, Beauty Enthusiast, and a Master's Student in Global Communications. This blog is an extension of her multi-faceted journey, offering a space to explore the intersections of design, beauty, culture, and lifestyle

Golden Thread: A Marker of Ritual, Status, and Spectacle

Gold–a precious metal whose shimmering quality has fascinated the human eye from prehistoric times to today.