PARIS — How do you make history come alive? In the case of Sotheby’s upcoming sale of Napoleonic memorabilia, the answer involves fog, eerie sound effects and a Pop Art take on military regalia.

“I wanted it to be an immersive and emotional installation,” said Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, who has brought his colorful touch to the showcase for the June 25 auction of objects from the trove of Pierre-Jean Chalençon, one of the world’s leading private collectors of Napoleonic material.

Fresh off designing the priest’s robes for the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, the designer with aristocratic roots took another deep dive into the history of France.

This chapter has a personal ring: his ancestor Armand de Castelbajac fought alongside Napoleon Bonaparte in the Russian campaign of 1812, which famously claimed the lives of nearly a million soldiers and civilians. “Through his life, I took a close interest in [Napoleon’s] rise to power, but also his decline, which is so moving,” he said.

De Castelbajac hopes a more nuanced portrayal will provide a gateway into Napoleon’s story for those who view him not as a national hero, but as an authoritarian ruler who reinforced colonial dynamics.

Inspired by Napoleon’s habit of using toy soldiers to plot his military battles, the designer dotted the entrance with giant cutouts with gold outlines, and shrouded the floor in smoke. “People will be greeted by fog, which often features in the emperor’s memoirs on the morning of battles,” de Castelbajac said.

He decked out plinths, pedestals and even the auctioneer’s lectern with colorful stripes that nod to the Empire period’s fascination with Greco-Roman columns. Elsewhere, an electro soundtrack is mixed with the sounds of wind, drums and horses.

Noting that the ruler tried and failed to replace France’s tricolor flag, de Castelbajac commissioned French specialist Doublet, which made banners for the Notre-Dame reopening, to create a symbolic green flag emblazoned with a gold bee — echoing those Napoleon had embroidered on his coronation mantle.

“I like the idea that this is the 21st century, and telling this epic story is no dusty history lesson,” said the designer, known for signature creations like his teddy bear coat and Iceberg cartoon sweaters, prized by the hip-hop set. “I wanted to blend history with elements of pop culture and take people on a journey.”

Among the star lots is Napoleon’s iconic bicorne hat, crafted by his official hatmaker Poupard, estimated at between 500,000 euros and 800,000 euros. His personal gold and ebony seal, used to send dispatches from the front, is valued at 150,000 euros to 250,000 euros.

A red velvet throne armchair, a gilt-bronze eagle and an epic portrait of the caped military leader on horseback convey the pomp of his reign. But de Castelbajac was more interested in fragments of the man behind the myth: his wrinkled shirt; a madras headscarf he wore in exile on the remote island of St. Helena, or a lock of his hair.  

They are among the items showcased in a darkened room lined with camouflage fabric, next to Napoleon’s portable tented camp bed. “It’s incredibly modern, yet this draped green fabric takes us to what I call a ‘spectracular’ dimension,” he said, playing on the word for ghosts.

De Castelbajac accentuated the eerie ambiance with a soundtrack that juxtaposes his own voice with Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7.” The room, which will only welcome 15 people at a time, is scented with a special fragrance created by perfumer Frédéric Malle.

“I wanted to show the destiny of someone who went from a sort of apex to immense solitude,” de Castelbajac said. “It has an emotional weight. My feeling is that these are not just objects, but rather relics.”

Fashion designers are in high demand in the art world.

Last year, Sotheby’s tapped Rabanne creative director Julien Dossena to curate its “Important Design” sale of masterpieces of 20th-century design. Meanwhile, Christie’s asked Simon Porte Jacquemus to curate the exhibition preceding a sale of works by François-Xavier Lalanne in New York City.

De Castelbajac noted it was not the first time he’s created a showcase for Chalençon’s collection. He previously designed an exhibition around it at the Paris Biennale in 2018.

Both Chalençon’s palatial home in Paris and his vast collection are coming under the hammer as he seeks to pay off a reported 10 million euros in debt. The eccentric collector and television personality has also been dogged by controversy over his public support of far-right political leaders.

De Castelbajac is taking the long view.

“I told myself: This is a piece of French history, and whether it’s in a museum or in a prestigious auction house like Sotheby’s, at some point you have to sanctify it, to crystallize it, and to show it as a historical example. And how do you make this story relevant to younger generations? It’s by reinjecting a sense of drama,” he said.