Lizzy Rys is a doctoral student at the Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Ghent where she researches fashion at Belgian World's Fairs of the nineteenth century. She obtained her Master in Art History at the Ghent University in 2023.

In her master’s thesis, “Mrs. D’Aubreby Van Swae, a case study of a Brussels couturière in nineteenth-century Belgium (1829-1902)”, as well as in her bachelor paper “Maison Lipman, a forgotten couturier”, she examined the work of a thus far unknown fashion house and its position in the broader fashion scene of the late nineteenth century, respectively in Brussels and Paris.

During her work, Rys combined archival, as well as object-based research, experience which she acquired during her internship at Fashion Museum Hasselt in 2022.

As a part of the World’s Fairs Project, Rys aims to investigate the role of fashion in the international exhibitions held in Belgium between 1885 and 1913. An analysis of the way in which Belgium presented its fashion (confection as well as couture) during these world’s fairs, and a comparison to other neighboring countries such as France, the Netherlands and Germany, will provide a first look at the interplay between fashion, nationalism, and globalization in turn-of-the-century Belgium.

A comparison of multiple expositions will be conducted through their respective fashion sections. A broader look at the quantitative characteristics of each fashion pavilion, as well as a qualitative analysis of the constructed definitions of fashion-related concepts and how they evolved through time, and a look at the deciding forces behind these pavilions’ organization aim to construct a more detailed understanding of Belgian fashion history at these exhibitions.

The (evolution of the) presentation of fashion and fashion-adjacent articles are also approached from different intersectional perspectives. Conscious attention will be given to the position of women at these world’s fairs in relation to fashion production and consumption, as well as the way labor was shown at the pavilions and what is says about the idealization or addressing of Belgian fashion production at that time. Lastly, a decolonial critique is implemented. Connecting the financial support, material composition, and ‘Othering’ of fashion, brings to light the often-neglected relationship between fashion and colonial history.

Rys’ study navigates the different narratives presented at Belgian world’s fairs, placing them in their respective theoretical and historical contexts, and seeks to critically deconstruct this singular story in favor of a richer uncovering of Belgian nineteenth-century fashion.

Journal Articles

• Rys, Lizzy. “Mme D’Aubreby Van Swae (1829-1902),” Tijdschrift voor Interieurgeschiedenis en Design 45 (2023), pp. 107-110.
• Rys, Lizzy. „D'Aubreby Van Swae. Drie generaties Belgische mode tussen traditie en vernieuwing (ca. 1815-1929),“ Tijdschrift voor Interieurgeschiedenis en Design 46(2024), coming 2025.

Edited Volume Articles

• Rys, Lizzy, and Marjan Sterckx. “La Femme Nouvelle : Veranderende Vrouw(En)Beelden.” Yvonne Serruys : Beeldhouwer van de Nieuwe Vrouw, edited by Marjan Sterckx, Snoeck, 2023, pp. 196–233.
• Rys, Lizzy. „Curating hierarchies: the case of Hélène De Rudder and Bakuba textiles at the 1897 Brussels World's Fair.“ In A unique Assemblage of all Things’ – New styles, Latin America, and reviewing art and fashion history of international and world expositions, edited by Alexandra Karentzos, et al., eds. Bielefeld: transcript, coming 2025.

Co-Edited Publications

• Karentzos, Alexandra. Miriam Oesterreich, Elena Nustrini and Lizzy Rys, A unique Assemblage of all Things’ – New styles, Latin America, and reviewing art and fashion history of international and world expositions. Bielefeld: transcript, coming 2025.

• Rys, Lizzy, “Maison Lipman, the forgotten glory of the couturières,” at Revers – Belgian Fashion Research Network, 2022.
• Rys, Lizzy, “Curating Hierarchies: the Case of Hélène De Rudder and Bakuba Textiles at the 1897 Brussels World’s Fair,” at Study Day The Fashion of the ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’: Decentering Art Nouveau Style at International Exhibitions, 2024.
• Rys, Lizzy, “Elisabeth D’Aubreby Van Swae (1829-1902).Casestudy van een Brusselse couturière in negentiende-eeuws Europa,” at Studiedag Historisch Interieur en Design, 2024.