A2 Textiles Exam Question The following was a response I wrote to an exam question on a Textiles A2 Paper. Analysis of a TEXT 3 Question Question 1 The following designers were influential in the twentieth century: - Paul Poiret - Christian Dior - Pierre Cardin - Issey Miyake - Vivienne Westwood - Mary Quant Select two designers from the list above. For each, analyse the importance of their designs at the time they were created, and their ongoing influence on fashion history.
Vivienne Westwood Vivienne Westwood became known in the fashion industry in the 1980s with an aggressive and offensive approach to fashion. Westwood was important to fashion design because she designed unique and individual styles that captured many people’s imagination in the 1980s. These styles also influenced fashion to this day forward. Westwood opened a boutique in London where she sold vintage style clothes and later punk fashion. The fabrics that Vivienne used ranged from Harris Tweed to Tartan. Westwood used a range of coloured fabrics for example reds and purples and more dull colours such as blacks and browns. Westwood’s shop assistant wore rubber clothes, a beehive hairstyle and theatrical make-up. Westwood stated that ‘people would regard as shocking, I wore the clothes I did because I just thought that I looked like a Princess from another planet’. This quote backs up the fact that Westwood’s designs were out there and unique. In 1976 Westwood designed a ‘Clothes for Heroes’ collection. There were ripped garments of the 1950s, leather, chains and badges for the bikers. These clothes weren’t cheap but punks improvised their own gear and the look spread quickly. Westwood thought it would confront the older generation but it was disarmed by the mainstream. In 1981 the shop was re-designed for ‘Worlds End’. ‘Pirate’ was Westwoods first catwalk collection. The clothes evolved from the golden age of piracy to a an age of highwayman. Most of the dresses designed by Westwood were made from cotton/cotton jersey. The colours in the Worlds End collection were mainly browns and the style of the dresses were baggy (loose fitting). Westwood went on to design more clothing including dresses, particularly white silk dresses for females to wear in the evening. Her design dresses were usually tight-fitted at the top with a very floaty loose fitting bottom. Street style and punk have been a huge influence on fashion. Many of the younger generation are wearing these styles as they have been influenced and feel comfortable wearing that certain style. The Harris Tweed Collection which includes classic garments helped to increase exports of British fabrics (woollen) and associated labels such as Burberry. Many clothes on catwalks are influenced by Westwood and models wear plague-like facepaint with white braided hair. Tartan fabric much like Westwood used have been in fashion again and many people are wearing this print.
Mary Quant Mary Quant was most well known for inventing the mini skirt and hot pants. Quant is an important designer because she has influenced many styles, shapes and colours of todays generation. Mary Quant opened a boutique in 1955 at the time when fashion wasn’t designed for young people. Quant was influenced by Chelsea beatniks and dance outfits she remembered from childhood. Mary Quant’s clothes she designed were made up of a simple shape combined with strong colours. By 1963 her success led to the opening of a second brand of Bazaar in Knightsbridge. She later launched the Ginger Group, a lower priced line designed to appeal to an even wider clientele. Mary Quant introduced the ‘mod’ era and the ‘Chelsea look’. The best selling items were white plastic collars used to brighten up black dresses or T-Shirts and black stretch leggins. Mary Quant was the first designer to use PVC as a fabric. She then went on the use wool, terylene and cotton. Mary Quant designed clothing with bold and bright colours, for example, bright reds and contrasting colours such as back and white. Did Mary Quant influence a significant trend that will continue into the future? Yes, trends like the mini-skirt and knee-high boots have been in style for decades. There doesn’t seem to be designer who doesn’t incorporate one of Mary Quant’s contributions to fashion. The mini skirt and knee-high boots are very much targetted at the younger generation. However, many women now remain both fashionable and younger in their styles well into their middle-age which extends the popularity of the Quant iconic pieces to a wider customer base. Quant went on to popularise hot pants in the late 1960s and concentrated on household goods and make-up as well as clothes during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1988 she designed the interior of the Mini car (Designer model) which incorporated black and white striped seats with red trimming and seat belts.