AGENDA
Vivienne Westwood- Major Designer (Corina and Ioana) Comme des Garcons(Cecilie) Viktor and Rolf (Ieva) Elie Saab (Lorena) Inspiration Style Quiz
Designer: Vivienne Isabel Swire Nationality: British Company:Vivienne Westwood Company Biography: She began designing clothes in 1971 with the opening of her first shop, Let It Rock. She gained international recognition in the early 1980s with her Pirate and New Romantics look. Westwood's name appears in a list of the world's top six designers in John Fairchild's book Chic Savages (1989), along with Armani, Lagerfield, Saint Laurent, Lacroix and Ungaro. 1990 First complete menswear collection, Cut and Slash (S/S 1991) shown in conjuntion with Pitti Uomo in Florence. In 2005, Westwood joined forces with the British Civial Rights group and launched exclusive limited design T-shirts bearing the slogan I AM NOT A TERRORIST, please don’t arrest me.
Awards: British Fashion Designer of the Year in 1990, 1991. 1992 Honorary Senior Fellow at the Royal College of Art. 1994 Institute of Contemporary Art Award for Outstanding Contribution to Contemporary Culture. 1998 she won the Queen's Export Award 2007 she was awarded the gong for Outstanding Achievement in Fashion Design at the British Fashion Award
Products: womenswear, manswear, women’s accessories, men’s accessories, jewellery, fragrance, gifts, eyewear, shoes, beachwear. Markets: Global: France, Guam, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE, United Kingdom and USA. Statement: Inspired by: Victoria & Albert Museum, Christian Dior Quote: You have a much better life if you wear impressive clothes. I'm not trying to do something different, I'm trying to do the same thing but in a different way.
Design DNA/ Characteristics: Product Reworking of the corset for outerwear has become one of her most recognizable trademarks .It was described by Karl Lagerfeld as one of the most important fashion ideas of the 20th century.
An item that appears constantly in her collections is the ball gown. It is Westwood’s belief that “you have a much better life if you wear impressive clothes”
One thing is certain: Vivienne Westwood’s outfits are never boring or simple. Prints mixture always give her garments a punk, unconventional look. ”Free form” cutting, rectangles, triangular gussets and curved seams explore the natural dynamic of fabric.
Double breasted or single breasted, the jacket is a customary item in all of Vivienne Westwood’s collections.
Vivienne Westwood’s use of tartan and tweed is unparalleled. Tartan triumphed in the Anglomania collection in 1993 and it has been used frequently in her collections throughout the years. Locharron of Scotland, the world’s leading tartan manufacturer ,created a special design for Westwood ,which she named “McAndreas”.
The orb of Vivienne Westwood appeared on her garments constantly throughout the years as her label logo.
User By wearing Vivienne Westwood’s clothes, people feel different, like they stand out from the crowd in impressive, high quality clothes, that allows them to feel fashionable, yet comfortable. They feel proud and satisfied by wearing one of the most important contemporary designer creations.
Culture The culture form which Vivienne Westwood’s products originate is Ready-to-Wear and Demi-Couture and thereby not accessible for everyone. Her inspiration throughout the years has been the punk culture, French art, the Queen and the Scottish tradition.
Target group: 25-35 women and men, who want to be ahead of their time, who don’t want to follow trends. Category: Demi- couture, Ready to wear, strong British Brand known globally. Reflection: Vivienne Westwood is the most eccentric and influential of Britain’s fashion designers who puts out on the runway the most amazing and spectacular clothes. She represents a source of inspiration for top designers like John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Jayne Pierson, Marc Jacobs, Rodarte and even high street store All Saints. She was the creator of the Punk design, the bra over the top. She doesn’t follow fashion in particular she follows her own style and sense, that is why she inspires and motivates us. Alexander McQueen dress inspired by Vivienne Westwood
Designer: Rei Kawakubo Nationality: Tokyo, Japan Company: Comme Des Garcons
Biography: CDG started in 1973 in Tokyo by Rei Kawakubo (born in Tokyo in 1942) She studied literature. After she graduated she joined Asai Kasei Chemical and Textiles Company, working with advertising but had a problem finding clothes for herself so she started designing and making it herself (she is self taught). She launched menswear in 1978 in Japan and a furniture line in 1982. She launched CDG to the West in 1981, and showed her first collection in Paris. The audience was shocked and amazed because of her random look and asymmetric cuts. She was put to a box of other Japanese designers as avant-garde designer and she was called “Hiroshima Chic� by some critics. Her mantra is monochrome colours random fabrics to turn pattern cuttings around.
Awards: Mainichi Newspaper Fashion award, 1983, 1988; Fashion Group Night of the Stars award, New York, 1986; Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Paris, 1993; Harvard Graduate School of Design Excellence in Design award, 2000. Products: Known for uniform jackets and artistic dresses, menswear, womenswear, perfumes, accesories. Markets: It is a global brand with flag stores in Paris, New York, London,Hong Kong, China, Thailand and Singapore and online shops
Statement: Minimalistic but she brings an edge to it with. To her fashion is a fine intellectual art. She said“I don’t feel exited about fashion today. People just want cheap fast clothes and are happy to look like everybody else.” My approach to fashion design is influenced by my daily life, my search for new means of expression. I feel that recently there has been a little more of an interest towards those who look for new ideas and who are searching for a new sense of values. My wish is to be able to continue my search for the new.”
Design DNA/: The DNA is clear. Many designers use trends to make collections, this is not the case for Rei. We choose to concentrate on her line for women CDG’ Noir. She always tends to use minimalistic, asymmetry, monochrome. Black is in many collections and it’s a dark mystic universe. Always thinks in new ways to use patterns. “Ugly fashion” is the mantra. Signature details can skip seasons, but return after a few. Ex: the two-row uniform jackets, polka dots, transparent fabrics, black and red, flower details, cut out, asymmetry and layers. She’s against beauty and trends.
Target group: It’s quirky girl. She is 25-40. Stand out from the crowd. She has a mystified attitude. She is an intellectual girl. Category: It is an avant-garde mix of high end, haute couture and ready to wear pieces. Some of her dresses are more likely to be haute couture than ready to wear, but her uniform jackets and trousers could very well be used as every day wear. She has corporate with labels like H&M, Converse. Own line PLAY which is for a younger audience with lower prices. Reflection: She is an inspiration because of the ideology she represents. She is an inspiration to the throw away culture we have today and because she has an artistic eye to the garments she makes.
Designer: Elie Saab Nationality: Soudi Arabian Company: Elie Saab Couture
Biography: He opened an attelier in Beirut in 1982. In the 1990's he continued to expand his business moving to a larger atelier in Beirut and organizing exclusive fashion shows in Europe. In 1997 he was invited to make part of the prestigious Camera Nazionale della Moda .In 2000 he opens a Salon and showroom in Paris. The breakthrough moment came for him in July 2003 when he showed his Haute Couture collection in Paris beeing member of the Prestigious Chambre Syndicale. In 2005 launched his expanded ready-to-wear collection in Paris and in Beirut.In March 2007 he opend flagship store in Paris and in July 2008 opend his first UK Boutique at Harrod’s.
Awards: In 2002 he achieved stardom and started designing for A-list celebrities. In 2006 is nominated as “Membre Correspondant” at the Chambre Syndicale de la Fédération Française. Products: womenswear,handbags,fragrance,shoes Markets: Global: Beirut, Paris ,London ,Italy,Selfridges and Harodds, soon Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai; in the States. In Beverly Hills and New York, and in Moscow Statement: His 07-08 collection was inspired by the elegant 60’s spirit . “I want women to feel feminine and sensual when they wear my clothes.”
Design DNA •User Saab has dressed notable celebrities that wored his creations on the Red Carpet. The user feels comfortable and elegand wearing the design as it is made from good quality refined silky materials.The user feels relaxed and feminine and can relate to people that also participate at an important event.The intention might be to purchase original and elegant designs to attract attention.
•Product Simple and classic silhouette.The color used is beige and the materials are transparent with applications.Elie Saab refers to elegant wear through shiny or transparent material and applications. •Culture The Company is identified through himself. His style is classic and elegant. Elie Saab has become synonymous with luxury and modernism.He’s romantic crystal-encrusted designs are known all over the world.Some of his designs were inspired from japanese traditional kimonos.
Target group: 25-35 women ,for those who want to feel elegant and special. Category:Haute-couture ,ready to wear Reflection:Elie Saab has become synonymous with luxury and modernism. A serious couturier with a powerful and unique vision, Saab takes luxury to its zenith, designs for a woman that are both dreamlike and elegant.He describes his style as beeing feminine and elegant.
C O R ` P I R A L U X U R P B L U 1. 2. 3. 4.
E T E A Y S C R E E N
What did Vivienne Westood reinvent? What is the name of Vivienne’s Westwood first collection? The word that best defines Elie’s Saab collections. What is the name of Comme des Garcons’s collection for young people? 5. What did Viktor and Rolph bring new to the fashion shows in 2002 ? (… technique)