Book
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Job:12-29742 Title:RP-Fashion Design Ref and Spec Book
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Fashion History 4 9
(Text)
1970s
Marked in the early years by the opposition to the Vietnam War, the oil crisis, Nixon’s impeach-
ment, and the rise of the Women’s Liberation and Black Power movements, the 1970s were a
decade of disillusionment and experimentation. It was a time when the ease and widespread
availability of air travel led to a conglomeration of ethnic trends from every corner of the world,
among them caftans, kimonos, turbans, peasant blouses, fur vests, and quilted jackets.
Hemlines ran the gamut from mini to maxi and platforms were the shoe of choice. The popular-
ity of disco and glam rock permeated fashion with glitter by way of satin, sequins, rhinestones,
Lurex, and lamé in gure-molding styles. By contrast, rejecting glamour or prettiness, the punk
scene emerged with ripped and frayed clothing held together by safety pins and chains; body
piercings were the preferred adornment. Vivienne Westwood, who would go on to design many
in uential collections, added bondage gear to the punk fashion mix, in the store she opened
with music impresario Malcolm McLauren called Sex.
Diane Keaton and Woody
Allen in Annie Hall, 1977
d-
y
In the early 1970s Diane von Furstenberg introduced her jersey knit wrap dress, a classic that
would be popular for much of the decade (and appear again in the late 1990s). At the same time,
trouser suits and three-piece suits became a popular addition to a woman’s wardrobe. In 1977
Ralph Lauren’s costumes for the movie Annie Hall turned Diane Keaton’s character into a symbol
of the modern women who could adopt and be empowered by the trappings of menswear.
The couture house of Yves Saint Laurent rst put women in tuxedos in 1966 and in trouser
suits in 1969. In the 1970s Saint Laurent continued to de ne an ultrafeminine style garnered
from men’s clothing. He also drew from the global mix to present his groundbreaking Russia
collection with its rich colors and opulent fabrics in 1976; the following year he launched the
perfume Opium.
Photograph by Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images.
Photograph by Brian Hamill/Getty Images.
03
Book
ge:48
Job:12-29742 Title:RP-Fashion Design Ref and Spec Book
#175 Dtp:204 Page:49
026-051.indd 49 2/26/13 7:38 PM