Under Louis XIV's reign, Jean-Baptiste Colbert is very proud of the French fashion industry. He would argue "Fashion is to France what the gold mines of Peru are to Spain".
Under Louis XVI, the Kingdom is still very concerned by Fashion and Queen Marie Antoinette is a great ambassador of the french fashion supremacy and art de vivre.
Rose Bertin is her dressmaker and adviser in style. She runs the "Minister of Fashion". Often considered as the first designer in the history, she brought haute couture outside of Versailles and popularized fashion. And had a real influence on fashion trends of the century.
She also inspired Sofia Coppola in her movie Marie Antoinette with a great focus on fashion and style.
Marie Antoinette à la Rose - Vigée-Lebrun (1783)
Kirsten Dunst as Marie-Antoinette - Sofia Coppola (2006)