World War Fashion During the Wartime, function transcended surrealist excess in fashion. The styles available during the war were austere and simple. Because of the shortage of resources during wartime, first the British and after the American governments set the tight limits on fabric usage and rationing clothing items, which means everyday apparel, coats, handbags and shoes had to be functional and hard-wearing. The Utility Scheme, introduced by British Board of Trade in 1941, regulated cost and quality of manufactured cloth in England. The ruffles and frills of the previous decade were no longer adapted. Buttons were limited to three and turn back cuffs were eliminated. Doublebreasted jackets were also prohibited, and the number of pleats allowable in shirt was regulated. Since there was also a shortage in silk, ladies’ silk stockings were banned from the market in 1941. Nylon hosiery, a technological breakthrough of the 1930s, disappeared from the shelves. Additionally, as metal is used for armaments, zippers in both men and women’s clothing were prohibited.
Wartime 1940~1949 What changes of women’s purses had been developed by war? The Second World War brought on the 'hard times' for most of the people, and at this time, women were carrying their handbags differently, because accessories had changed during the 1940s for necessity’s sake; pretty pochettes and glittering minaudieres had no place in wartime Europe. Bags became larger and more practical, reflecting a desire to appear self-sufficient, as they entered the workforce during the war. Simplicity won out over surrealist excess, and the shoulder bag based on the military satchel became a common sight, worn with a black wool Utility suit. Materials commonly used in handbag production, such as zippers and leather, were instead directed to production of supplies for the war effort. As a result, designers turned to wood, plastic and other synthetic materials. American women did not partake in this kind of fashion experimentation
because in their county conditions were a little different from those in Europe. What with the hardships of war and g e n e r a l disapproval of Paris, the fashion i n d u s t r y moved to New York with the American look. American designers then had the freedom to develop their own style. By the end of
Left: Gas mask bag, British, 1940 leather and metal Middle: Satchel-inspired shapes are typical of the wartime bag. Right: American, 1940-1949 Rayon Corde and Lucite
Top: Christian Dior's new look in 1947. The clutch is made of calfskin. Middle: A typical american style in 1943. Bottom: This shoulder bag shows a main style of a military inspiration and a masculine look.
the decade, Christian D i o r h a d reintroduced the clutch, while bags made of snake, alligator, calfskin, and turtle were produced in colours that ranged from green to red and shapes that imitated those of barrels, hat boxes, and old-fashioned doctor’s bags.
Left: Brish, 1940-1949 This purse is made from corde, a material created by twising strands of silk or wool together with wire or cord, and stiching these to a fabric base.
Structure and Decorum 1950~1959
At first, these bags were wildly popular with movie stars, socialites, and highly paid prostitutes, but as time went on, more and more of them were produced, and they started to become more a f fo rd a b l e when lower quality imitations become more available. As modern plastics became an important material of the post war era, it became very popular and played a major part in the 1950 decorating that swept the fashion and style world. And with the discovery of
Clutch, Raphia,1950
Above: Minaudere, American, 1950-59 metal During the 1950s etiquette demanded that women maintain high standards of grooming. This example contains a comb, mirror, rouge and puff, powder.
Handbags became increasingly popular and were often coordinated with shoes and hats in 1950. Larger bags to hold possessions were also popular when women travelled to a long distance. They could keep all their essentials with them as very fe w women realistically had regular car access in those days in UK. Bucket bags and raffia bags were also useful accessories as wear high hell shoes were not so comfortable. Often a pair of flat shoes prepared in the bags out of necessity just in case entrance was forbidden. As demand increased, handbags saw a “return to fashion.”
Beading and other purse. embellishments became m o re c o m m o n a n d leather was once again introduced. Bamboo and straw were the new materials of the day. Bags continued to become boxier in appearance and the military influence of WWII could still be seen through gold chains and insignias at the beginning of the 1950s. Handbags were made out of a range of colorful new plastics, i n c l u d i n g L u c i t e . Above: arie-Helen In the late forties, MArnaud carried DuPont developed the with Chanel 2.55 affordable and readily in 1959. ava i l a b l e m a t e r i a l 1.Clutch, Lewis, called plastic, and this Brish, 1950 predicted the creation Wool and Plastic of the beautiful and 3.Hermes Kelly popular Lucite bag and bags
4 . B o x B a g , To r y, American,1955 Lucite and Copper
1.
creative methods to tint or colour the clear Lucite, hand bag and purse manufacturers began a fierce competition to produce stylish, chic and even outrageous Joseph la Rose, 1955 In 1950, purses are coodinate with shoes and hats.
designs of hand bags with a generous use of sparkling rhinestones, crazy shapes such as pagodas, bird cages and beehives. The 1950's saw the rise of important fashion designers including
3. 4.
2. 2 . B o x B a g , W i l a r d y, American, 1954 Lucite, Metal, Crushed Seashells, and Glitter
Chanel and Hermes. The handbags of note include the Chanel quilted bag and the famous Kelly bags originally made for Grace Kelly who used her Hermes bag to hide her pregnancy. The Kelly bag is beautifully hand stitched and made of the best quality calfskin, crocodile skin, lizard skin or ostrich skin. Many handbags had side pockets, or even grip clasps or rings for a woman to keep track of her gloves. T h i s e r a transformed the ordinary “Purse” from a utilitarian necessity into an artful accessory.
Will Hardy Lucite handbags become high class and celebrity’s nouveau chic of evening bag of choice after launched to the public. As one of the the very best makers and most well-known original Lucite designers, Will Hardy created the WILARDY name brand for his lucite plastic handbags.
Wilardy Star Glitter Purses
Our most expensive bags are probably the jewelry box-purse. The customers who love our bags are the actresses and ladies of the high society. It is made not just to carry it but to show it and be admired. Our bags are famous for the unique design, the choice of colour and the geometric shapes such as squares, rectangles or circles.
5.What inspires you and where do you find inspiration? Is there a theme
1.When did you start designing bags?
I began to work for my family in 1946 as Handbag Specialties. It is a family business between my grandfather, a n d m y f a t h e r. M y g r a n d f a t h e r, w h o everyone called "Bill," was a genius in mathematics and a "hard business man." My father, "Will," was the artist, designer, a great motivator and a man who is obsessed with unusual social grace.
2.Do you have a certain process when working on the collections?
I inherit my father's concept of "summer
c a m p " . B r i e f l y, t h e plastic was cut to the particular size needed for the purse, then heated in an oven until i t wa s f l e x i b l e . T h e piece was wrapped and clamped around a wooden form until it cooled. After cooling, the piece would maintain its new shape indefinitely.
7.Do you have a signature type that you always design in your collection?
Our bags are extravagant yet durable designs. We produce a series of sleek, t o u g h L u c i t e bags of which the brightest s t a r i s
expensive.
that runs through each bag collection?
My first inspiration was placing two handles on a jewelry box and looking at it as if it was a handbag. This developed the idea of using Lucite as a medium (rather than plastic) to create these sculpture-like handbags.
3.Describe your techniques.
The bags from WILARDY are indestructible bags, a bag as tough as a car, to last forever. Molded and hand-welded, manufacturing Lucite bags are costly, so the resulting product is
So I am considering producing vinyl, which is easier and less expensive to work with. We also use basketweave fabric to make more option for customers.
4.What is it about your bags you are best known for?
6.What materials and fabrications do you use?
We use hard plastic very often, but this type of material is costly and needs a lot of process to finish.
undoubtedly the capsuleshaped Rocket. The sensual curves, rich, glossy colours and lavish decorations of accessories (rhinestone, mother-of-pearl and jewelry) are designed for starlets and society dames.
8.How do you feel about the bag industry at the moment and how do you think it is going to develop in the future? This market grows to develop continually higher q u a l i ty b a g s c o n s i s t i n g
of very thick p l a s t i c s and heavy l i d s . L a t e r, manufacturers also serves the lowerend market by providing handbags made of lighter, more fragile plastics that could be afforded by teenagers.
9.Do you have any thoughts on the other bags?
I am considering launching t h e c l e a r b a g s . Wo m e n can put a scarf inside their clear bags, and then put their stuff inside the scarf. They change their scarf to match their outfit. Finest Shell and Lucite Handbag "Private Hell 36, starring Ida Lupino and Steve Cochran--A Filmaker's Release"
1960s-1969s
1970s-1979s
This time of radical, new, exciting discoveries and trends, which have continued to grow in the 70s, 80s, and 90s of XX century. In Africa, this time was a period of political change - 32 colonial countries gained independence. 1960 can rightly be called the era of manned spaceflight: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first who flew in space, Aleksey Leonov was the first left in open space, and American Neil Armstrong was the first to set foot on the moon. Also, sixties - the height of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and its allies on the one side, and the U.S. and its allies – on the other. In the field of music officially began its existence the group The Beatles and no less famous and beloved band The Rolling Stones. Likewise, it was beginning of the “sexual revolution”, which greatly influenced on the fashion of these years. Miniskirts began are popular. This elegance cloth was worn by Jacqueline Kennedy in the early 1960s. Hippies conquer the whole world and have a great influence on the fashion world.
This period is known as a Hippie movement that captures all countries especially USA. Originally hippies opposed Puritan morality of some Protestant churches and promoted the love and freedom. Culture "hippie" has own symbols, signs accessories and attributes. For representatives of the hippie movement, according to their worldview, characterized by the introduction of ethnic costume elements: beads, beaded or braided threads, bracelets. An important event of this period was Vietnam War and the conflict in Northern Ireland. In the early '70s vegetarianism begins popular; Frances Moore Lappe launches vegetarian movement in the U.S. In music was very popular ABBA, AC/DC. In this decade on the exhibition featured the most massive personal computer Apple II.
Bags 1960s-1969s In the 1960s, were popular bulky bags, this type of bags entered hippies. Representatives this subculture manually created bulky bags free cut, mainly textiles. Hippies used ethnic, psychedelic and floral prints to create patterns. In 1966, Gaston-Louis Vuitton invented cylinder bag Papillon. The girls began to use satchels and backpacks from the beginning of the 60s to the beginning of the abolition of the different "gender discrimination". Narrow long clutch was one of the first types of bags, which entered the era of no formalities and youth fashion, its appearance is very well fit into the word “young”. Small and delicate woman's handbag on a long chain or thin handles began to dominate as perfectly suited to looking childish mini-skirts. In contrast to 50s, in the 60s bags were more contrasting and recorded in the history of fashion this decade as a "hippie." After frequent travels to India in the late 60's large bags and fabric bags are becoming more popular. Afghan bags, patchwork (patchwork), embroidery, army bags, it all became much more popular than the factory bags. Less than a decade, individualism in fashion has become very popular because of it appeared in a fashion romanticism, bags became more exotic with psychedelic patterns, and later appeared on the bags flowers . Handbags were often made of patent leather or vinyl.
Bags 1970s-1979s
Aldo Gucci (25.05.1905 - 19.01.1990 )
In the 70s designer’s bags produced mainly textiles. Widely spread sporty. During this period, Miuccia Prada has created a collection of nylon backpacks Pacone. In Russia at that time were popular grid-string bags, woven from threads.
Aldo Gucci was the most talented of the sons of Guccio Gucci. In 1922, Gucci engaged in high-quality leather processing and soon opened a small manufactory. Gucci introduced a handbag with bamboo handle, which is still the main product of the company. Today Gucci Group sales reach 214 million euros. Under the control of the company are brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Bedat & Co., Boucheron, Roger & Gallet, Stella McCartney и YSL Beaute. - During your active work in the fashion you have achieved incredible success, the whole world know you. Tell us how it all began? - My father was a craftsman and worked in trade hats own production. When I was 23 years old, I opened my own workshop for the production of horse harness, which he called "House of Gucci." True, my firm has existed not long. In London, for 10 years I worked at the Savoy Hotel porter and then a bellhop and elevator operator. It was at this time I was born the idea to create a company for the production of luxury bags and suitcases for traveling. In 1921, when I lost my job at the hotel, I decided to return to Italy and start my own businesses. For this idea I have accumulated 30,000 lire. After a while I became the owner of a workshop for the production of bags, located in Florence. Gradually, my company started production of expensive clothes for jockeys and Gucci name has become synonymous with quality. - Who created the logo of your brand? - My eldest son Rodolfo in 1933. - Among the admirers of your creations many celebrities. Who among them are your friends? - I have a good relationship with Audrey Hepburn. During the filming of Roman Holiday, she wore a scarf and shoes by our company, and Jackie Kennedy, who often appeared in public our accessory. I created a small bag-purse and called it Jackie O. For my close friends I made a discount cards and bonuses as for regular customers. This is a novelty. - Tell us about creating your perfume. - In 1970 I decided to create an exquisite perfume. I opened the first perfume line company - Gucci No.1. Today, along with leather goods, clothing and accessories, our perfumes enjoys worldwide recognition and popularity. She performed in France the country of fashion and fragrances. - Do you think that your business will continue after you leave? - Certainly. Our brand is primarily quality and respect each client. We care about our customers and will do everything to maintain our brand.
Miuccia Prada is one of the most famous designers in this period. The first her collection was published in 1985 and was enthusiastically accepted by buyers. More precisely are women shoppers because designer handbags have designed a collection of black nylon, which have long been as trendsetters. Inspired by the strength of the military material, the first LeSportsac bag was designed 1974s and sewed in a small New York City factory, from this moment, the birth of the brand, which will become an American classic. With the creation of lightweight rip-stop nylon and iconic logo ribbon, LeSportsac has become internationally recognizable. Personal stereos of the late 1970s were the product of technological advances and heralded the advent of the communications resolutions of the late twentieth century. This novelty telephone handbag in red mock-crocodile skin contains a functioning telephone. Unlike the satellite technology of today, which allows telephones to be truly mobile, this example needs to be plugged into a socket.