Collections

Hélène Costa grew up in Cannes, near the Forville market, the historic heart of the city. During the war, she frequented the members of the Académie Provençale, dedicated to the preservation and maintenance of traditions. They sang and danced in costume, a way for the many young people subject to the curfew to come together. In the 1980s, the publication of a book on Provençal costume revived a taste for the subject. Dealers and enthusiasts began collecting forgotten and often neglected textile pieces. This revival went hand in hand with a thirst for knowledge, and the lack of specialized literature on the subject made this quest even more exciting. Demanding and concerned about the condition and quality of textile pieces, Hélène enjoyed traveling the roads meeting antique dealers and merchants. Faced with this enthusiasm, her daughters suggested creating a museum to protect her collections and share them with as many people as possible.

Born in 1925, Magali Pascal was named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2010 in recognition of her work as a historian and researcher. She is the author of three reference works and, with her daughter Odile, the tenth Queen of Arles, a historian of costume and jewelry, they own one of the most important collections of historical fashion.
Through their research, mother and daughter have offered the city of Arles, Provence, and beyond, the discovery of this garment since the 17th century.

Today, Françoise, Agnès, and Anne continue to preserve their mother’s memory by enriching the collection with new acquisitions each year. This collection is also extensively supplemented by a variety of iconography, sample books, and rare and antique jewelry, complementing the museum’s scientific work. Odile Pascal, for her part, is deeply involved in the Arles museum project, as an active member of the scientific committee.