100 years through shoes by Abi Haigh

1OO YEARS OF FASHION THROUGH SHOES

CONTENTS 6 8 14 17 20 26 30 34

Editors letter Chanel Balenciaga Review Dior Manolo Blahnik Vivienne Westwood Christian Louboutin References

1910

1910 4

Editors Letter

Coco Chanel

She broke the rules within the 1920s strictly male dominated worlds, by being a powerful woman and breaking the mentality of it being normal for a woman to live in a society like that. Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was raised by nuns and grew up in an orphanage which gave her a perspective on life which most designers never experienced for themselves, and would later become one of the biggest influential designers in history. She was a long-lasting pioneer and her radical, innovative ideas has shaken the fashion world forever. “Simplicity is the keynote of all elegance”. Chanel references the simplicity and everlasting elegance throughout her pieces, and creates designs by utilizing what she knew and learnt to revolutionize the industry. For Chanel, elegance was always a key factor behind the making of her garments whilst creating her own sight of comfort, luxury, masculinity and femininity into a garment. She broke the cycle of fashion, especially in her time and took the eras ethos of a driven future and glorified youth, and created a new ideal for women. Finding inspiration within the male clothing to create elements and features for women’s clothing was always one of the main aspects with all her garments. Her first success was the jersey dress which

was shown in her first store opening. A lot of her garments were made from jersey, as she saw the potential which this fabric had to offer, with it being an inexpensive fabric, easy to with and draped well also. “I make fashion women can live in, breathe in, feel comfortable in and look younger in”. Chanel always seemed to vocalise her expression on society and cultural aspects through her clothing which is one of the reasons she is recognised. Throughout the history of fashion, she has created many timeless staples and put her stamp on the fashion industry itself. Black was Coco Chanel’s go to colour, even though it was associated with mourning, she saw the chicness and essence of it, and therefore produced the little black dress. This simple and effortless piece invented in 1926 was named the ‘ford dress’ because of its popularity, this quintessential, iconic garment definitely earned its place in every women’s wardrobe. The severe refined cut of the chemise style dress then lent to the geometric patterning of the art deco era. The practical choice for the new ‘cocktail hour’ opened opportunities for new fashion pieces like the flapper dress which evidentially as the dress got shorter, shoes needed to adapt to this change. Chanel profound for freeing the fe-

male body from corsets, and the new simplicity of the little black dress, needed shoes which were plain and all depended on elegance and style. The ‘Chanel way’, was a way of lifestyle, way of thinking, and a way of dressing, which many people copied from her, and this is not a bad thing. Coco Chanel has the highest paid luxury fashion houses still to this day and always has had a wide loyal clientele base. Her perfume, No.5 skyrocketed with sales in the 50s once people found Marilyn Monroe wore her perfume but the launch was 30 years before that happened. “I always launch my collection on the 5th day, of the 5th month, so the number 5 seems to bring me luck, therefore the name of No.5”. her legacy lives on and is kept inscribed on our brains with the likelihood of always scrolling past one of her iconic quotes. She always used to write daily, with “fashion fades, but style remains the same” as one of the most famous quotes.

1920

1930

London

Balenciaga Review

The revolutionary designer Balenciaga has an entire exhibition dedicated to his work and legacy within the fashion industry, and it is the first tribute yet displayed at the V&A museum in London. Displayed on two floors, the exhibition was separated between his work and designers inspired by his work. Downstairs showed his most creative period displaying memorable shapes he created for dress styles such as the tunic, sack and shift dress. The thematic displays were dedicated to the ‘workrooms’, ‘front of house’, and ‘Balenciaga legacy’, with the layout all giving the simple message of organisation and focus on his designs. The reasons which this exhibition sets apart from all of the others is how videos of designs and making process are projected onto the pristine white, curved walls which provided a better insight into the way he creates his work. The videos set light onto the 3-D parts of his work and the innovation behind all of his work, whilst still having the 2-D images also. Not to mention how the x-ray art studio helped to reveal parts of garments which you can’t see and details which are missed out on creating shapes, as when you look at a finished garment you don’t see the precision and creativity underneath. He is a true innovator for the high fashion industry especially in post-war times where he begun to shape fashion and gain identity. His use of fabric manipulation, and shapes he creates with the fabrics is what sets him apart from other designers such as Christian Dior who was glamourous but not extrovert like Balenciaga was. Elements which were fresh and unique in the exhibition were the fully replicated and stitched toiles which displayed his ingenuity of construction.

Dior Christian Dior is not only one of the biggest influential designers in the 20th century, but is the designer who changed fashion history with his timeless designs and innovative imagination. Dior’s love for fashion was heavily inspired from his mother who he adored and the way she used lavish textiles, and mostly coming from ‘the beautiful era’ which had major symbolism for him as a mind full of creativity and whirlwind of ideas. He started out with aspirations to be an architect which is visually represented in the structure of most of his work and uses this knowledge to his advantage. Mixed with his skills and passion for architecture, the added degree in political science opened his mind to new and liberating pathways in both arts and science combined. Christian Dior’s first collection launched in Paris on the 12th of February 1947, and the attention this ‘new look’ caused is what gave him the pedestal to the start of his career. “swirling skirts, tumbling from hourglass waists almost to the model’s ankles, drew gasps of admiration from the audience”. The outrage in which the designer caused for this radical ‘new look’ was both wildly fresh post-war, and is what the industry needed, but also received havoc with the issue of rationing and limitation of fabrics, so his designs where frowned upon because of the use of a vast amount of fabric. Dior was accused of distorting women’s bodies and became an established hated figure, although only months later own the hearts of fashion conscious women and they couldn’t get enough of him. He could be with the title of just ‘fashion’ in itself all for the reason because he has changed fashions course and mostly glamourizing masculinity and presenting women with new opportunities for them to feel empowered. Dior is known for his post-war exuberant fashion which was embraced by all, because it was such a drastic change from the frumpy dresses prior to his creations. His legacy always remains etched in our sartorial, and that is why I think he is a radical designer.

Manolo Blahnik

I love exaggerated, and I love eccentric, but you must be comfortable. Otherwise it is nonsense. There is nothing charming about a woman who cannot walk in her shoes, said by Manolo Blahnik. He is set apart from other designers by his way of thinking, how shoes hold the power of a magical object. This all stems from the way Manolo sketches and designs his sensual, extraordinary shoes. Manolo in a sense did the same thing as the fashion photographer Richard Avedon; as he captured how clothes gave off charisma and attitude on the wearer of the garment by revealing snippets of the silhouette. Instead Manolo displayed this in his sketches and has shown the transformative power to the world of the right shoe more than anyone else. Manolo Blahnik grew up in the Canary Islands, his father coming from Czech and mother being from a Spanish background, all of these which influence him and remain an important factor to him to this day. He studied in Geneva in his late teens, but later fell in love with England upon his arrival in London 1968, particularly because of the era and names such as David Bailey and Angelica Huston which he would later work with. The editor of American Vogue then spotted his now worldly renowned sketches, a design of which was an ankle intertwined with ivy leaves and red cherries; he then began his career of making shoes. In 1972, this was the year he designed shoes for the Ossie Clark collection, and for the first time he was published in US Vogue. The following year he bought he store Zapata and made this into a point of reference for jet setters in those current years. The iconic entrance which Bianca Jagger made in 1977 at Studio 54 where she was captured on horseback wearing a pair of jewel encrusted Manolo shoes, was one of the moments that put him on the pedestal in the industry. Late 1979 was when he opened his

first store in New York City, where his name entered the fashion industry because of Sex In The City. The power of heels and the sex appeal they give are what make him the ‘holy man of heels’. His shoes being handmade, each designed by him and not mass-produced or designed by a team is what makes him unique. I admire the variety of tasteful colours, bejewelled embellishment, and assorted materials that makes each pair of shoes different from one another. It is visible he is one who pays clear attention to detail, especially when it comes to presentation and visual merchandising of his stores his layouts are impressive alone from his shoes. Watching Sex In The City the many years ago is how I came about my interest in his shoes and the empowering women who wear his creations. Dreaming of living the luxury lifestyle, having her wardrobe and obsession with shoes all of which Carrie Bradshaw lived. Watching her wear an array of colours from hot pink, sunshine yellow and a hint of glamour with gold. Accessories on the shoes are important in all of his collection with buckles, bejewels, and embroidery making each pair different to the shoe next to it. Heels are his best designs in both his sketches and designs, but he is also the sultan of slippers and if heels aren’t for you then his classic creation of brogues in black and white, or his strappy sandals which are still as sensual and a sexy alternative. Manolo’s are tapered, lightweight shoes, generally with a pointed toe. The distinctive traits of which are in each pair of his shoes include, arched soles, stiletto heels and a low toe box. A shoe is an instrument of seduction for Blahnik and this is the way his designs are perceived, when he combines extreme elegance with sensuality.The decoration is rich, whimsical, and is inspired by his childhood memories along with his wardrobe. He is influenced and learnt his own style by artisans

such as Andre Perugia, Roger Vivier and Salvatore Ferragamo, and this is referenced throughout his work. What has shaped his brand and the look of his shoes is how he personally designs every pair of shoes, his company is kept and ran in his family, and has never done a mass market collaboration as other shoe designers have done with a high street brand. He has always remained true to his brand roots and never altered his aesthetic, and creates shoes with a slender sole even when it may be for a vast platform. He says how he hates platforms, which is evident in each of his collections, and this single vision has proved that has trends come and go his high end clients always remain, but as a brand, it drifts in and out of fashion. He built a high-profile brand and for himself also, and remains one of the last hands on designers in the shoe making industry. The way he carves and sculpts the heels by hand is immensely fascinating and he has earnt the right of a true craftsman and artisan.

1970

1980 24

Vivienne Westwood Vivienne Westwood, revolutionized what was deemed appropriate to wear in public since the 1970s, but it would be 20 years on in the 90s when the brand flourishes. Westwood was the first designer to introduce bondage trousers and BDSM to the fashion industry, also including chains/safety pins to the fashion mainstream. She is very fashion forward and takes into consideration all the environmental, social and political aspects into her collections which no other designer does so. Always keeping her labels current but sticking to the authenticity of the brand is something that has visually flown throughout all of her designing years. For Vivienne Westwood, its always more than just the clothes, its about expressing her passions and beliefs and interpreting this into a fashion statement. As bold as she may be, this is what keeps her so popular with her innovative and quirky designs, and always being consistent as a designer. 1981 was the first runway which was titled ‘pirates’, and the radical cut line of the trousers the men wore, soon mixed into women’s designs and is now used today. A strong activist for climate change, and a regular protestor for issues she fights for is one of the things she uses to influence and incorporate into her work and used in many collections. Campaigning for charities, political issues and certain causes are all voiced through her expression in fashion and frequently seen in her visual displays inside her stores. She has a lot of tops and garments which include slogans and political calls for actions which is her own way of trying to help and give back to difficulties of said time. A true fashion icon, labelled ‘the queen of punk’ as she was a leading inspiration of punk fashion, was given the British Designer of The Year award in the 1990s which was one of her biggest achievements. Although achievements such as campaigning and making issues relevant to consumers, she is targeting people to focus on these causes when purchasing or browsing to make them think. As she is against fur, animal cruelty and climate change a lot of her runways support these beliefs and generate cycles which are key to the fashion industry to be noticed. Vivienne Westwood has transformed the industry and influenced creatives for decades to come, and being such a bold character, her power and radicalisation in the industry will never be un noticed.

1990

Christian Louboutin Christian Louboutin is considered the ‘lord of desire’ and takes his designs to an extraordinary level. He is one of the world’s most wellknown shoe designers, with the red sole being his iconic trademark, his designs are synonymous with luxury and celebrities. His surrealistic shoes have become a success story worldwide. Christian Louboutin was born on the 7th of January 1963 in Paris. Although he was a Frenchman, he was born with Cameroonian roots, and was raised by his mother and grew up with his sisters, surrounding him in a feminine world this is evidentially an influence his work. He came across a design on the walls of Musee des arts Africanis et oceaniens; the design was a women’s pump crossed out with a red line, and this is where his career and creativity begun. Christian started making shoes at 13 and knew straight away that is what he wanted to do. He has always loved anything theatrical; once he discovered the Parisian nightlife, an old theatre transformed into a nightclub of the mythic palace. He found himself surrounded by colour, craziness, celebrities and the unknown. He was inspired by environments of theatres and music halls, which he began creating pumps for dancers with creative inspiration from this. Louboutin’s career all started when he took a trip to a museum and saw a sign that implied that high heeled shoes were not allowed. He said that “He was totally fascinated by that sign. I’d never seen shoes like that”. Louboutin started his career He was an apprentice for roger Vivier and worked alongside him, still Vivier is his main source of inspiration. He was inspired by a book of designs by Vivier which was given to him by a friend, he also has been

inspired by Andre Perugia; “what someone like Perugia does is very beautiful, but if you strip away all the details on the shoes and look only at the shapes, you will see that rogers are far more superior; very imaginative, very organic and sculptural”. Louboutin started his career working for Charles Jourdan in the 1980s, who is the worlds most respected shoe maker and in Paris also. He left Charles, and became a freelance to take on jobs for some of the biggest couture houses and designers such as roger Vivier, Yves saint Laurent, Chanel, and Maud Frizon. Christian decided to spin in a different direction and took an interest in landscape design, and architecture. Within this he wrote articles for Vogue and designed gardens but vastly missed the designing of high heels. He opened a boutique in Manhattan and followed on to appear in US Vogue. Then followed to open up his boutique store in Paris 1991 where his iconic red soles, handmade in Italy were taken up by Hollywood actress and Paris’ fashion establishment. The red sole trademark came about when “My assistant was sitting there, painting her nails red. I took one look and decided to colour my soles red as a statement for the reason”. He told footwear news “red soles are flirtatious, and my customers asked me not to stop”. Louboutin’s first client was the princess Caroline of Monaco, and this gave him the establishment of being a full designer. Madonna was also known to help introduce him into the world of fashion, when she wore his designs in a variety of her videos. His shoes are a natural extension of the female body and her strength. His shoes also have the power and ability to “make women look sexy and

beautiful, and to make her legs look as long as they can”. Collaborations with designers such as alexander McQueen, jean Paul Gautier, and designed a collection for the YSL final runway collection; which ended up in a legal battle over trademarking of the red sole. “I’m not concerned with fashion because I love the idea that there is timelessness in my work.” Christian is often inspired by different continents in worldwide travelling, he has a fascination in different sources of materials and objects which he has made a collection of over the years he has been travelling. His inspiration for his design today come from his collection of objects, arts landscapes and the cinema. When he did his collaboration with David Lynch for an exhibition at the Cartier foundation, and were hand painted by the filmmaker. For the fetish exhibition, one off shoes were created and photographed by himself, with the creation of the fantasy world in mind. Christian always loved anything theatrical, and he particular admires the category of women who are survivors, and embrace their empowerment in themselves and society. He creates shoes which are sculptural and believes that shoes are a natural extension of female strength which is a strong image to portray. “I’m not concerned with fashion because I love the idea that there is timelessness to my work”. My connection with Christian Louboutin is how he as a designer empowers a brand and how his shoes make me feel. Wearing my Louboutin’s makes me feel confident, strong and sexy, which is exactly how he wants it to be, especially with the grace of the shoe I feel powerful.

2010

References Jo Craven (2008) ‘Coco Chanel.’ Available at: http://www. vogue.co.uk/article/coco-chanel-biography (Accessed: 15th October) Julie Street (1996) ‘Christian Dior’. Available at: http:// www.independent.co.uk/life-style/the-man-who-lovedwomen-1313480.html (Accessed: 17th October) Margret Molloy (2016) ‘Coco Chanel’. Available at: https://medium.com/@margaretmolloy/simplicity-is-thekeynote-of-all-true-elegance-2459ff1dae11 (Accessed 23rd October) Alice Casely-Hayford (2015) ‘Coco Chanel’. Available at: http://www.hungertv.com/feature/ten-ways-cocochanel-changed-fashion/ (Accessed 23rd October) Erika Clark (2017)”Coco Chanel’. Available at: http:// hfusionmediagroup.com/coco-chanel-the-making-of-anicon/ (Accessed 20th October)

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Jo Craven (2008) ‘Manolo Blahnik’ Available at: http:// www.vogue.co.uk/article/manolo-blahnik-biography (Accessed 3rd November) Hollie Armstrong (2017) ‘Vivienne Westwood’ Available at: http://www.wildaboutmagazine.com/vivienne-westwood-punk-creator/ (Accessed on the 3rd November)

zine created by Abi Haigh