The relationship to time in the history of taste andappearance is central—the notion of being “out of style”fundamentally disqualifies all forms of the past. Yetaesthetic cycles, like the seasonal rhythms to which theyrespond, are not always linear: we enjoy recalling asilhouette or evoking a bygone era through a pattern or afabric.By examining the temporalities of fashion through thelens of crafts and techniques, this fourth volume exploresdifferent ways of representing history, through narrativesthat run counter to established chronologies. Thisprovides an opportunity to explore—amid anachronismsand fantasies—the revival of certain forgotten heritagetraditions, as well as the role of traces or fragments—whether a gesture or a tool—in the construction ofknowledge. Here, restorations and reconstructionsreveal both their creative dimension and their technicalexpertise. A detour into the world of perfume and thelong-term nature of botany—in its more geologicalaspects—invites us to reconsider the gap between themost ephemeral and the deceptive permanence of thelandscape. From musicians to embroiderers, fromgardeners to weavers, these artisans thus engage in aperpetual reimagining of their own traditions.
