I have a personal interest in womEN and how they have contributed to the fashion industry. As a result, I have created this zine to capture the history of fashion and woman. It has been interesting to research into how theY have evolved over a hundred years. Looking into the most recent history from 2010, I feel proud to be female. I am in awe of the changing views on body diversity on catwalks and campaigns with models like Ashley Graham and Winnie Harlow, how designers like Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior and Stella McCartney are using their opinions and political views on clothing like the T-shirts with ‘We should all be feminists’ statement. Women’s fashion has changed drastically since the 1910s, from S-shaped corsets and bustle skirts to 1940s uniform wear to 1960s Mary Quant miniskirts to 2000s minimalistic styles, this zine will share with you the reasons why it has changed so drastically and who is responsible for the changes. ‘Men do dominate women’s fashion,’ so revealed Valerie Steele in her ‘Women of Fashion’ book. This was in the 1980s when a recent study found that ‘approximately 65% of famous twentieth century fashion designers have been male, and only 35% female’. However, women did dominate fashion design from around 1675 up until the nineteenth century as most dressmakers were women. In the early twentieth century, the leading fashion designers of the time were women: Grabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, Elsa Schiapparelli, Sonia Delaunay, Jeanne Lanvin, Nina Ricci and Madeleine Vionnet were all at the helm of the fashion industry. So why, in 2015, were only 14% of 50 major fashion brands run by women, According to a Business of Fashion survey? Is it because throughout history men have always been seen as the superior gender? Inequality in the fashion industry has fluctuated from time to time but it is baffling that men have and still are dominating an industry that relies so much on women.
Time of Change The 1910s were a time of change in wom-
en’s fashion around the world. Silhouettes changed from restricting corsets and crinolines to the draping of fabric on the body. Paul Poiret was at the helm of this change, he created corset-free fashion pieces that draped on the body. Madeleline Vionnet also endorsed this. It was the beginning of freedom in womens fashion.
Votes for Women In the early twentith century women had no
voice in national politics. Emmeline Pankhurst (pictured left) founded the ‘Women’s Social and Politcal Union’ in 1903 and the Daily Mail gave them the name as the ‘Suffragettes’ . They wanted the right for women to vote in the UK and were willing to do anything to achieve this. It took a few years for the Suffragettes to be heard, from 1912 they began to use more forceful and violent methods of campagning including law breaking which sent many to jail were they had hunger strikes. The First World War began in 1914 which caused the campagning to die down. However, finally in 1918 married women over 30 years old were allowed to vote in elections, ten years later this was emended to women over 21 years old. The determination and suffering of these women in the early twentith century began the revolution of women. Finally, women were allowed a voice in politcals which created a domino effects for the rest of the era. In the collage left I have featured powerful and influential women from that era. Emmeline Pankhurst and Marie Curie the first women who won the Nobel Prize for her pioneering research in radioactivity. I wanted to capture women and womens fashion in a collage to bring together everything 1910.
the beginning of the 1920s was a phase of recovery for most countries as the first world war had broken out in 1914 and lasted till 1918. It was a time of glamour and excess, the fashion industry was up and generating new fashion trends. during the war women had had to put themselves in the jobs that traditionally were known as ‘male’ jobs, including farming, machinerey and factory work, these women needed work clothes that they could move around in to do the jobs. THATS WHEN UNIFORM WEAR WAS CREATED FOR WOMEN. AFTER THE WAR THERE WAS AN UNWANT TO GET BACK IN TO OUTFITS THAT CONSISTED OF CORSETS AND CRINOLINES, WOMEN BECAME USED TO A MORE RELAXED STYLE OF DRESSING AND THIS WAS WHEN THE ‘FLAPPER STYLE’ CAME IN. hemlines shortened, dresses where straight and more of womens skin was on show. it was the first time women were able to move properly in their clothes, dancing became a huge part in the 1920s especially in the usa, so dresses needed to be shorter. after achieving the right to vote in the uk in 1918 women felt liberated. an effect of this was the shorter hair style trends of the 1920s, women got rid of their previously long, victorian locks and drastically cut it into a very short bob. traditionally, women had long hair and men had short but this change in hair style was the start of women doing whatever they want because they wanted to.
GABRIELLE COCO CHANEL She changed fashion forever. Chanel came alive in the the late 1920s. gabrielle chanel did not start her life as well as she ended it thats for sure. as a young girl her mother died which forced her father to put gabrielle and her two sisters julia and antoinette in an orphange. there she learnt how to make clothes and sew. thats were it all began. during my research i watched the film coco before chanel, this really showed me an insight into the life of gabrielle before she became ‘coco chanel’. in the film her character is shown to be very unique and ‘tomboyish’, she likes to wear mens clothes as she liked the freedom she felt wearing them, they did not restrict her like corsets did. this began her desire to design clothes for women who
were active, she wanted women to feel comfortable and free in the clothes she designed. this is where the tweed jackets and skirts came into it, women looked smart however, were able to go about their everyday comfortably. chanel really revolutionised womens fashion in the 1920s and kept doing so right up to the 80s. ‘it is wrong to think of chanel as a feminist. Chanel always believed that women dressed to please men...her relationships with men profoundly influenced the style she created’. (‘women of fashion’ by valerie steele) i found this quite interesting when i read this. it is true though, chanel was not exactly ahead of her time, she was very traditional in her views on gender and similar topics, however, the clothes she designed had a feminist approach, the freedom and comfort of womens fashion was enabled by chanel herself, she paved the way for new designers to think of what women want to and should wear. even though she can not be seen as a feminist i dedicate this page to chanel as she is in my opinion one of the most influential female designers ever to exist.
1930s
the was a time of the active women, from the previous more comfortable, free clothing of the 1920s women began to joined in with sports. womens sports clothes became briefer than ever. bathing suits had cutouts and were backless, and shorts began to be seen on tennis courts.
Esla schiaparelli
was one of the leading designers of the 1930s. HER STYLE WAS WAS MUCH MORE ARTSTIC THAN CHANELS’S TAILORED STYLE. SHE BROUGHT AN UNCONVENTIONAL TWIST TO CLOTHES, BY USING TWEED FOR EVENINGWEAR, AND WATERPROOF TAFFETA FOR RAINCOATS.
frida kahlo
through my research of women from history Frida kahlo stood out for me. i watched ‘frida’ which i learnt about the life of frida. i learnt that she was a women way before her time, an amazing artist who shared the most personal emotions through her work. she didn’t get enough credit because she was a women. her artwork was rejected many times because of this and in many situations she had to give her artwork a mans name in order to sell, however, this was changing and throughout her lifetime frida was praised and apprecaited for her artwork. the frida kahlo style is also iconic, the bushy monobrow, the crossover plaits and flowers. in her life kahlo suffered a miscarriage which was a very sensitive topic in the 1930s and she displayed her emotions of this through a very graphic painting which for the time was incredibly unconventional. i admorE KAHLO WORK AND LIFE I find her incredibly INSPIRATIONAL.
BALENCIAGA SHAPING FASHION
Cristobal Balenciaga is well known for shaping fashion in the 20th century. Even today he is a huge inspiration to designers around the world: BLAH, BLAH and BLAH. I had the opportunity to visit the highly anticipated Balenciaga - Shaping Fashion exhibition at the V&A museum in London which I thoroughly enjoyed. Going into the exhibition I had little knowledge of Balenciaga and his work. I knew of his unique, different style he is so well known for and had seen collections from recent shows. However, I did not know the making or history of Cristobal Balenciaga until I went to the exhibition. I really recommend a trip to see this for yourself... I read on The Telegraph review of the exhibition that ‘The V&A team worked with x-ray artist Nick Veasey to see the inner workings of Balenciaga’s complex couture gowns’. I was blown away by this, as you can really see the techniques Balenciaga used to construct his designs. I like how they have combined fashion and art in doing this. Although the Balenciaga - Shaping Fashion is shown in quite a small space, the curators have definitely made the most out of it. Set over two floors, there is lots to see, read and interact with; from some of Balenciaga’s first pieces to other designers pieces that he helped create and pieces that have been created due to his influence. Dotted around the exhibition were quotes from past and present designers which was really interesting to see how he was viewed in the industry. ‘He was known by his contemporaries as The Master’ said one post. Seeing pieces from 1930’s and on it is hard to believe that he created garments that are so of the now, they still run through and influence collections of other designers today, like the new designer Molly Goddard, her designs are influenced by Balenciaga’s ‘Baby Doll’ cocktail dress from 1958, where she has created similar but modernised party dresses to fit trends today. There were lots of pieces by other designers like Calvin Klein, Sybilla, Givenchy and Gareth Pugh put in the exhibition to show Balenciaga’s influence within the fashion industry which I found really interesting. I learnt much more about Cristóbal Balenciaga after visiting this exhibition. He was a very talented man who didn’t just design, he was skilled in all the processes; cutting, tailoring and dressmaking which was unusual of a designer of that time. One of the quotes on the walls wrote ‘Cristóbal Balenciaga, the father of contemporary fashion is dead, but his influence remains’ which after visiting the exhibition I think is so true, before I wouldn’t have known how much of an influence he was. He created a legacy which I’m sure will keep going within fashion in the future.
1940S.
It was war once again for the WORLD DURING THE beginning of the this time nearly half a million women served in the british armed forces; around 400,000 joined the us army, and several hundred was involved in voluntary services. womens roles during the war tended to be as support staff and some were spies however, they were not allowed to join the millitary, eventually, in 1944 they were allowed to fight. women wore trousers and overalls which meant they could work comfortably and effieciently. it was change from the glamour of the 1920s and 30s. the fashion industry went into slow down, no one was focusing on the latest fashion trends.
two years after the war, french haute couture designer Chrisitan Dior introduced the new look. the collection consisted of round or sloped shoulders; a tiny waist achieved by a short corset, padded and rounded hips; and a very full skirt with pleating. it was a step backwards into the old traditional ways women dressed, with the corsets and undergarments. Womens place in society especially in the 1950s was back in the kitchen to be the perfect housewife they were ‘meant’ to be. before and during the war there was a sense of liberation for women they were allowed to work in factories and farms and dress comfortably. the 1950’s society changed that, womens roles were now, looking after the children, cleaning the house and being a good wife while the man worked to pay the bills. Learning about the new look, it comes to my mind that maybe it was something good after a time of bad, the new look brings back femininiity, women had been working hard in jobs that traditionally they weren’t supposed to be doing. if i lived in that era i would have wanted to wear a dress like that because it makes you feel beautiful and woman-ly. dior succeeded re-establishing womens femininity through the new look however, it pushed women back down their importance in society, they were back to being restricted and uncomfortable.
christian dior ‘the new look’
the birth of the teenager
increased 1950s prosperity, and the rise of advertising and mass consumerism, helped to celebrate youth. from the late 1950s to 1960s brands started to design for the youth. Mary Quant was responsible for the mini skirt which revolutionised the way young women dressed.
through my research of women from history Frida kahlo stood out for me. i watched ‘frida’ which i learnt about the life of frida. i learnt that she was a women way before her time, an amazing artist who shared the most personal emotions through her work. she didn’t get enough credit because she was a women. her artwork was rejected many times because of this and in many situations she had to give her artwork a mans name in order to sell, however, this was changing and throughout her lifetime frida was praised and apprecaited for her artwork. the frida kahlo style is also iconic, the bushy monobrow, the crossover plaits and flowers. in her life kahlo suffered a miscarriage which was a very sensitive topic in the 1930s and she displayed her emotions of this through a very graphic painting which for the time was incredibly unconventional. i admorE KAHLO WORK AND LIFE I THINK SHE IS VERY INSPIRATIONAL.
through my research of women from history Frida kahlo stood out for me. i watched ‘frida’ which i learnt about the life of frida. i learnt that she was a women way before her time, an amazing artist who shared the most personal emotions through her work. she didn’t get enough credit because she was a women. her artwork was rejected many times because of this and in many situations she had to give her artwork a mans name in order to sell, however, this was changing and throughout her lifetime frida was praised and apprecaited for her artwork. the frida kahlo style is also iconic, the bushy monobrow, the crossover plaits and flowers. in her life kahlo suffered a miscarriage which was a very sensitive topic in the 1930s and she displayed her
The number of self-employed women has increased by 50% over the last decade. (the independent)
in 2015, only 14% of 50 major fashion brands run by women. (a Business of Fashion survey)
britain has the fifth largest gender pay gap in europe, there is 20% gap between male and female wages. (The Independent)
Of the 92 shows at Paris Fashion Week womenswear schedule, fewer than 30 had female creative directors. (south china morning post)
Maria Grazia Chiuri at
She became the first female creative director at Dior in 2016, Maria Grazia Chiuri has made a big impact in the fashion industry since then and she’s only curated four shows. I believe Chiuri is gently radicalising the house of Dior by taking a modern twist on what femininity means to the house, as it has always been known as a feminine brand. ‘The message, really, is that there is not one kind of women’ she said to Vogue Magazine during her Spring 2017 Ready-To-Wear show. Since Dior’s ‘New Look’ of 1947, the house has been renowned for creating incredibly feminine pieces, like the cinching of waists and enhancing the hips in tailored jackets and skirts. Chiuri is changing the idea that there is only one kind of female for Dior. There is now all styles of femininity for all kinds of women: from sport outfits to pretty tulle dresses. The Autumn/Winter 2017/2018 campaign embodies this, nine diverse models including committed feminist, Adwoa Aboah whose image you wouldn’t describe as feminine. However, this is what Chiuri is playing around with: different kinds of women, different kinds of feminity. High-end, luxury brands market targets have changed drastically since the 1900s. Previously, in the 1930s to 1950s high-end brands would have clients they dressed, these clients tended to be famous actresses like Ava Gardener who was a popular client for Balenciaga, or wealthy, aristocrats of around 50 to 65+.
Since the 1960s, brands have been designing for the millennials, the bloggers and social media stars who are around 20 years to 30 years old. Many luxury brands like Dior have taken into consideration the power of social media. Chiuri has definitely homed in on this. She has created two stunning, young, collections, keeping in mind the Dior traditions like the tailored blazers and suits. Chiuri has taken on the role of being the first female creative director at Dior well, she has used her power to highlight her own opinions on topics to do with women. In two of her recent shows she sent models down the catwalk wearing tees with ‘We should all be feminists’ and ‘Why have there been no great female artists?’ making bold feminist statements which is a first for the house of Dior. In an interview with Elle UK, Chiuri said ‘Fashion on the one hand is a beautiful dress, but if there is no message, it’s just a beautiful dress’. I think she is paving a way for designers to fearlessly show their views and opinions whether they are political, social or ethnical. These tees created huge influence on social media. Everyone wanted to wear that ‘We should all be feminists’ tee. I admire Chiuri’s direction at Dior. She has begun the ‘Dio(r)evolution’ gently radicalising the brand into becoming a young and fun brand sill with the elements of tradition, creating collections for all kinds of women.
‘Dior is about femininity. When I arrived here, everybody told me that. Okay, I said, we have to speak about femininity, but what does that mean today? I try to speak about women now, and for the future. Dior has to be about female empowerment. Only with flowers? It’s not enough. I know that there are a lot of nostalgic people that want a world that references the past and [Dior in] the 1950s, and I think the references of the past are beautiful, and I really appreciate our heritage. But if I’m a modern woman who wants a vintage dress I go to Didier Ludot and I buy an authentic Dior dress. If I go to the [Dior] store, I want something that speaks about the heritage, but in a modern way, for contemporary life. I know there are other points of view, and I respect those, but that’s my point of view.’ - maria grazia chiuri (vogue uk interview)
Now
isabella burzynski