Job:12-29742 Title:RP-Fashion Design Ref and Spec Book
#175 Dtp:204 Page:42
026-051.indd 42 2/26/13 7:38 PM
42 THE FASHION DESIGN REFERENCE + SPECIF ICATION BOOK
(Text)
1910s
In a s h a r p d e p a r t u r e f r o m t h e e l a b o r a t e t a i l o r i n g a n d p a t t e r n ma ki n g t h a t h a d r u l e d f a s h i o n ,
Pa u l Po i r e t b a s e d h i s d e s i g n s o n s i mp l i ci t y o f s t r u ct u r e a n d d r a p i n g . In u e n ce d b y t h e Ba l l e t s
Ru s s e s a n d d r a w i n g o n h i s e xp e r i e n ce w i t h f u r a t t h e Ho u s e o f Do u ce t , h e b e ca me f a mo u s f o r
h i s h o ma g e s t o o r i e n t a l i s m, i n cl u d i n g t h e h a r e m a n d l a mp s h a d e l o o ks h e l a u n ch e d i n
1913.
Al t h o u g h r e me mb e r e d f o r h i s o w i n g u n s t r u ct u r e d g a r me n t s , Po i r e t w a s a l s o t h e cr e a t o r o f t h e
h o b b l e , a s ki r t s o n a r r o w i t r e qu i r e d a kn e e -l o n g co r s e t o r b e l t i n g t h a t r e s t r i ct e d a w o ma n ’s
l e g s b e l o w t h e kn e e t o ke e p h e r f r o m t a ki n g w i d e s t r i d e s . De s p i t e i t s co n s t r a i n t , t h e h o b b l e
s ki r t p r o ve d p o p u l a r a mo n g f a s h i o n a b l e w o me n .
Th e t e a g o w n s o f a r t i s t /i n ve n t o r Ma r i a n o Fo r t u n y e mp h a s i ze d t h e f e ma l e g u r e i n mo t i o n . He ,
t o o , l o o ke d t o t h e cu l t u r e s o f t h e Or i e n t f o r h i s e xp e r i me n t s i n t e xt i l e d e s i g n . Fo r t h e Gr e e k
s cu l p t u r e –i n s p i r e d De l p h o s g o w n o f 1907, Fo r t u n y ’s u n i qu e n e -p l e a t i n g t e ch n i qu e s e cu r e d
o n e o f ma n y p a t e n t s t h a t h i s i n n o va t i o n s w o u l d e a r n . Hi s l o n g b o d y -co n f o r mi n g g o w n s w e r e
w o r n b y f a mo u s w o me n o f t h e t i me , s u ch a s d a n ce r Is a d o r a Du n ca n a n d a ct r e s s Li l l i a n Gi s h ,
a s w e l l a s s o ci e t y l a d i e s .
Bo t h t h e s u f f r a g e mo ve me n t a n d Wo r l d Wa r I, d u r i n g w h i ch w o me n s u cce s s f u l l y l l e d r o l e s
u s u a l l y o ccu p i e d b y me n , r e d e n e d a w o ma n ’s ca p a b i l i t i e s . Cl o t h i n g d e s i g n h a d t o r e s p o n d t o
w o me n ’s d e s i r e t o i ma g i n e a mo r e a ct i ve p a r t i n t h e i r o w n l i ve s a n d s o ci e t y a t l a r g e . Th e w a r
a l s o h a d a ma jo r e f f e ct o n w o me n ’s f a s h i o n b y w a y o f t h e a d o p t i o n o f g a r me n t s , l i ke s w e a t e r s
a n d t r e n ch co a t s , t h a t w e r e t r a d i t i o n a l l y w o r n b y mi l i t a r y me n .
1920s
Ce l e b r a t i n g y o u t h a f t e r t h e d e va s t a t i o n o f t h e Gr e a t Wa r , t h e Ja zz Ag e w a s a t i me o f
b r i g h t y o u n g t h i n g s . Wo me n b o b b e d t h e i r h a i r i n t o b o y i s h s t y l e s s u ch a s t h e e t o n a n d t h e
s h i n g l e , t o p p i n g t h e m o f f w i t h n e w s b o y ca p s a n d cl o ch e h a t s . Si l h o u e t t e s s u p p r e s s e d t h e
b u s t , h i d t h e w a i s t , a n d f a vo r e d n a r r o w h i p s . He ml i n e s r o s e b u t n o t u n t i l 1927 d i d t h e y
r e a ch a b o ve t h e kn e e , o n l y t o co me cr a s h i n g d o w n w i t h t h e St o ck Ma r ke t i n 1929. Wo me n
e mb r a ce d p u b l i c b e h a vi o r d e s i g n e d t o s h o ck. Ap p l y i n g ma ke u p , s mo ki n g , d r i vi n g , a n d
p a t r o n i zi n g s a l o o n s , ca b a r e t s , a n d s p e a ke a s i e s i n t h e f a ce o f Pr o h i b i t i o n a cce n t u a t e d
t h e r e b e l l i o u s n a t u r e o f t h e p e r i o d . In 1920 Fr a n ce s Ma r i o n ’s mo vi e The Flapper, s t a r r i n g
Ol i ve Th o ma s , d e f i n e d t h e i co n o f t h e Ro a r i n g Tw e n t i e s . La t e r , a ct r e s s Cl a r a Bo w b u i l t h e r
ca r e e r o n t h e s ca n d a l o u s Fl a p p e r i ma g e . Th e e xca va t i o n o f Tu t a n kh a mu n ’s t o mb i n 1922
a l s o i n f l u e n ce d f a s h i o n a n d a cce s s o r y d e s i g n .
He l p i n g t o s e t t h e n e w t o n e i n Fr a n ce , Co co Ch a n e l e s ch e w e d t h e co r s e t f o r a r e l a xe d , mo d e r n
s t y l e . Sh e b e ca me r e n o w n e d f o r b o t h h e r b e a d e d d r e s s e s a n d h e r s i mp l e je r s e y s u i t s a n d
kn i t w e a r , i n cl u d i n g h e r s i g n a t u r e ca r d i g a n ja cke t , w h i ch e n d u r e t o d a y . An o t h e r l e a d i n g d e -
s i g n e r t o f r e e w o me n f r o m t h e co r s e t i n t h e 1920s w a s Ma d e l e i n e Vi o n n e t , w h o a ch i e ve d f a me
f o r h e r b i a s -cu t cl o t h i n g t h a t a cce n t u a t e d t h e n a t u r a l cu r ve s o f t h e f e ma l e f o r m. He r s e n s u a l
a n d e a s y -t o -w e a r d e s i g n s w o u l d r e ma i n a f o r ce t h r o u g h o u t t h e f o l l o w i n g d e ca d e .
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Job:12-29742 Title:RP-Fashion Design Ref and Spec Book
#175 Dtp:204 Page:42
026-051.indd 42 2/26/13 7:38 PM