Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Versailles might be best known as that shockingly sexy show about the early days of Louis XIV’s legendary court, but its greatest assets might actually be the luxurious clothes those romping royals wear before they strip down and get busy in the bedroom. The exquisite, bespoke costumes of Versailles all come from the mind of Oscar-nominated designer Madeline Fontaine (Jackie). Last night Ovation and the Cultural Counselor of the French Embassy hosted a reception feting the art of Versailles that featured a mini fashion show hosted by Fontaine herself.
Versailles is the most expensive show ever produced in France and has marked itself as an opulent, boundary-crossing, soapy international hit. Part of the show’s appeal is its frothy look at one of the most luxurious courts in world history; the other part of its appeal is its no holds barred approach to sexuality. The hosts at last night’s event seemed proud of both parts of the show’s brand. Yes, fans got an up close look at the meticulously constructed costumes — and a fully dressed set — but one of the event’s hosts, Bénédicte de Montlaur, Cultural Counselor of the French Embassy, spoke with pride about the show’s “risqué” reputation. She also highlighted the importance of global entertainment by explaining, “What a better way to promote a country, what a better way to promote a language and a culture, than a TV show?”
Season Two of Versailles premieres on Ovation this Saturday, September 30 at 10 PM ET, but Executive Producer Chris Chelli was already teasing Season 3. During a presentation about how the show translated the evolving architecture of the famous palace season-by-season, he gave attendees a sneak peak at what the palace will look like in Season 3 and confirmed that we’ll finally see Paris in a big way.
First, though, is Season 2, and though the season will open with tensions high between Queen Marie-Therese (Elisa Lasowski) and the King’s favorite mistress of the moment, Madame de Montespan (Anna Brewster), both actresses were laughs at last night’s reception. The two posed for photos in designer gowns and tried on some of the masquerade masks available for attendees.
If you’re new to the world of Versailles or need to freshen up on the series ahead of this week’s Season 2 premiere, you can binge the first season on Netflix.
