FICTIONAL FASHIONISTA’S
BY OFELIA PACK
BASED ON A TRUE STORY.
Books. Literature. Love it or loathe it. Some find reading the most tedious pastime. Others, like myself, love the idea of indulging in a deep and meaningful novel. I remember reading my first collection of books aged 12; The Twilight Saga. Oh - And then re-reading them tirelessly 4 times over. How I thrived off of obsessing over Edward Cullen, and crying with frustration at Bella Swan and her irritating indecisive mind. I do also remember the detailed description of Bella Swan’s wedding dress by Stephanie Meyer, which was then designed by Carolina Herrera in the epic finale. For me, fashion stands out in literature, whether that be through teen fiction, romance novels or tragedies. It is used by writers as a tool to portray characterisation. Particularly for women, perhaps portraying them as strong, desirable and influential, or weak, pathetic, and downtrodden through their choice of dress. Fashion is everywhere. As is literature for that matter. You are unable to visualise a character without a description of their physical appearance, clothing being of huge importance. Through my specific prism of interest, and a combination of two of my favourite things, l hope to
explore how women are portrayed though their style. How fashion is imperative to the informing the reader on personalities and storylines. Across the wide spectrum of 100 years of fashion, I have chosen certain novels in particular eras to analyse the ever so complex authorial method of styling. The exploration of Fictional Fashionista’s? Sounds fabulous to me.
Louise Dahl-Wolfe - Exhibition review Walking through the door of the new Fashion and Textile Museum, I was drawn to a well spoken man’s delicate voice through to a corridor, hallway type room, painted in a deep, dark blue. In this room stood around 10 people, mostly over 40, apart from two younger women dressed impeccably chic, and myself and three of my friends – we also looked chic of course… perhaps more of a student chic though. I followed the voice of the mature gentleman to find a small man of around 70. He spoke every word as if it were gold dust, intriguing me like a David Attenborough would, or a Terry Wogan. Passion seeped from behind his words. He was more than just speaking, he was expressing. It was obvious that he felt great admiration for Louise Dahl-Wolfe, the American lady of whom this exhibition was in name of. The sweet gentleman continued, and I began to take in my surroundings. On the wall to my left were around fifteen crisp white photo frames, all which displayed a range of Harper’s Bazaar magazines from the 1940’s. The frames were simplistic as if not to distract the onlooker from the mere beauty and magnificence of her photographs. They were all striking images, each different from the other in more ways than one. Apart from the fact that they all showcased a beautiful model at the centre of the image. Inspecting each one, I became aware of the talent that this lady possessed. She was able to photograph women in a way that no one had before. The clothes that the women wore were captured effectively, and no cover was short of classic elegance. Some would say that she was ahead of the times; she created the image of an independent woman during the 20th century. Louise Dahl-Wolfe was iconic in the name of fashion. She became vital in the development of not only fashion photography, but also the art of both fashion and photography; it was a skill and required talent and meaning in order for it to be yielding. Dahl-Wolfe studied at the San Francisco Institute of Art. It was there in 1921 that she discovered the photographs of Anne Brigman, then a Pictorialist based in California, who’s works served as her main inspiration. Anne Brigman’s images depicted nude women in naturalistic contexts, which you can see was a definite incentive for Dahl-Wolfe. She is renowned for her exploration of nudity throughout drawings and photographs, therefore her interest in the nudity perhaps stemmed from Brigman. Drawing nudes in life drawing classes were said to have aided Dahl-Wolfe in her awareness of the differences in a woman and a man’s body, in terms of ‘form and movement’. She did not take up photography herself until the 1930’s; travel with the famous photographer Consuelo Kanga in Europe fuelling her interest in photography. After her first photograph, named ‘Tennessee Mountain Woman’ was published in Vanity Fair in 1933, she did the best thing that she could ever do and moved to the fashion capital of New York
City. Dahl-Wolfe opened her own photography studio and gained experience as a fashion photographer over a few years. Then, in 1936, she was hired by then editor of Harper’s Bazaar Carmel Snow – the most defining moment in her career as a fashion photographer. Her individuality and capability to capture the most natural of shots made her a phenomenon. Dahl-Wolfe developed and remained with the magazine until 1958, to the ripe age of 63. She then even accepted freelance from Vogue and Sports Illustrated, proving the everlasting impact that her passion of photography had on her life. She then finally retired in 1960, but her influence and valour remained and still does remain today. Soaking up all of the knowledge and flabbergasted as to why I had never come across this iconic name in fashion before, I came across what I would say is my favourite piece by Louise Dahl-Wolfe. It was a photograph of Swedish-born model Lisa Fonssagrives. To me, this image captures how beauty is simplistic. How a woman doesn’t have to pretend to be someone that she isn’t. Beauty is within. And every person is beautiful in their own way, whether that be physically or mentally. Shot in 1945, an onlooker with no knowledge on Dahl-Wolfe could assume that she aimed to portray Hollywood glamour; and they would be correct in that assumption. The fashion photographer was interested in the official studio portraits that were taken of the Hollywood film stars. They would use clever lighting and retouching to give the impression of beauty and perfection. Dahl-Wolfe, who was big on nature, decided to experiment with the ‘Hollywood Portrait’. She used natural lighting from outdoor locations, giving off the impression of a more natural Hollywood icon, perhaps portraying them as they had never been seen before. Perhaps this is why the image of Fonssagrives captivated me with its naturistic, honest approach of illustrating a woman. Even the styling of the supermodel is typical of Dahl-Wolfe’s works; the lack of underwear and night-gown style dress give the impression of nudity – a focus point of her photographs. The ability to change the vision of fashion photography was not a skill that all could master. Louise Dahl-Wolfe could. ‘She pioneered the active yet sophisticated image of the “New Woman” through her incorporation of art historical themes and concepts into her photographs’, revolutionising what it meant to be photographed, and the meaning behind just a dress or a model. This exhibition truly highlighted her undeniable talents as a photographer. The selected pieces were successful in portraying her career as a fashion photographer. The layout of the rooms and her photographs captured the naturistic beauty of her works. Pastel walls of yellow, peach and blue were the background to white photo frames, all home to portraits of ordinary people, Hollywood icons and Harper’s Bazaar. The Fashion and Textile Museum truly honoured her talents and indeed, in my opinion, celebrated her many achievements as not only a fashion photographer, but as a revolutionary icon within the fashion industry.
Yves Saint Lurent - Radical Designer review Having read multiple articles and web-pages on his life, I believe that Yves Saint Laurent was destined to be famous. His talent was undeniable from day one. By the age of 17, the Algerian born teenager was established as an artist. An artist that even Michel de Brunhoff – then director of French Vogue – was utterly sunned by. His mother had arranged the meeting between the two in 1936. During a time of economic downfall and great depression, Yves Saint Laurent’s’ drawings proved spectacular to the director of French Vogue. So much so that she published several of them immediately. His immense talents provided him with the chance of a life-time opportunity. Yves Saint Laurent enrolled at the Chambre Syndicate de la Couture immediately, whereby his designs quickly gained notice and he was set aside from his peers. Whilst there, de Brunhoff introduced the young man to Christian Dior – one of the hugest names in Fashion. This was the propeller which ultimately started Yves Saint Laurent’s career as an artist within fashion. The fact that he was noticed at such a young age proves he had his own ready-made stamp, and it was just a matter of time and experience as to when he would lay it down onto the fashion world. He was different to the rest, and that is what De Brunhoff and Christian saw in him – potential. Surprisingly, or perhaps not at all surprising, Yves Saint Laurent worked with Christian Dior up until his death in 1957. During these valuable years together and ‘under Dior’s tutelage, Saint Laurent’s style continued to mature.’ He learnt ‘the basis of [his] art’, therefore his time with Christian Dior was indeed vital in the growth and development of Yves Saint Laurent as a designer. It is interesting to consider the different pathway that he could have taken having not worked with Dior. Saint Laurent may not have taken the necessary steps to become the radical, and extremely established designer that he is known as today. Along the line of his destiny to become a great fashion designer, there was an issue with his job art the Christian Dior fashion house in 1960. After a battle with the company, Yves Saint Laurent sued the company, collecting a convenient £48,000 in compensation. With this money behind them and their drive and persistence, Saint Laurent and his life long partner and lover, Pierre Berge, opened the fashion house ‘Yves Saint Laurent’ as we know it today. With the rise of pop culture and a deep yearn-
ing for originality amongst fashion designers, the 1960’s was the perfect backdrop for their new venture. Yet again, Yves Saint Laurent had the needed support for himself and his new business. His destiny to become an artist had been fulfilled. It was just the beginning. Yves Saint Laurent made art and fashion collide. He made it clear he wished to knock down the boundaries and champion diversity in fashion. His muses were from different ethnic backgrounds and his clothes were not always particularly feminine. He pioneered many items which allow him to be identified as a radical designer. For example, his perhaps most iconic masterpiece would be the ‘Le Smoking’. The first tuxedo for women. Presented in the YSL “Pop Art” collection, its response was somewhat lukewarm and revolutionary. This was perhaps the bold alternative to the Little Black dress, or maybe even the development of this iconic look. With the invention of the contraceptive pill, the sixties slightly emancipated women from the ongoing patriarchal society, therefore Yves Saint Laurent captured this change in society by allowing women to make a fashion statement, shocking society but intriguing them moreover. A revolution had begun, and Yves Saint Laurent was responsible. This radical move popularised his brand. His name. Nan Kempner, a New York City socialite, was famously turned away by a restaurant in New York whilst wearing ‘Le Smoking’. To the shock of others, she removed the trousers and wore the jacket as a thigh skimming mini dress, then to be allowed in. This in itself portrays how the world was not yet ready for such a statement within the feminist movement. Nevertheless, Yves Saint Laurent was ahead of the times. Radical. To me that word does captivate the artist and fashion designer that Yves Saint Laurent was. His talents were not wasted, and his life was fulfilled. He made an impact on society during his time, and it is clear that his initial foundations and beliefs have influenced designers after him.