Thank You, Madame de Pompadour.

Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson - more commonly known as Madame de Pompadour - was Louis XV of France's favourite mistress. So preferred in fact, Madame de P. was given her very own title of marquise as a means to be presented at court, as well as an ornate apartment at Versailles in which she decked out in the Rococo style, full of gilt, mahogany and all things porcelain. History may remember this mistress for her love of Voltaire, eye for interiors and lasting relationship with the King, but if we dig deeper into the books written in her name, we will discover one crucial aspect often left behind. That is that Madame de Pompadour is noted to be the first woman to have formally worn black and white together in public. Versailles was witness to many groundbreaking events, although this one could possibly be the most significant. Musette honours Jeanne-Antoinette's fashion forwardness by highlighting a few of the best black and white collaborations we've seen of late. It makes you think, where would we be without her?

Threeasfour Fall 2008
Billowing black and fresh white.

Chanel Spring 2009
Karl Lagerfeld assembles the two immaculately.

Rag & Bone Pre Fall 2009
A white tee gets spruced up with a pair of chic black pants.

Rodarte Spring 2009
Gothicism lightens up.

Herve Leger by Max Azria Fall 2008
Bandage black, tight white.

Balmain Spring 2008
Black and white goes bohemian.

Lanvin Spring 2009
The colour combo turns into a Katherine Hepburn sighting of sorts.

Oscar de la Renta Pre Fall 2009
A formal take on the two.