History of
Fashion New Look to Now
June Marsh
INTRODUCTION
Dior and the New Look “God help the buyers who bought before they saw Dior! This changes everything.” carmel snow,
Harper’s Bazaar
he light was thin and the air freezing in Paris on
A small crowd had gathered outside the
the morning of February 12, 1947. It was Europe’s
courtyard doors of 30 Avenue Montaigne; elegantly
coldest winter since 1870 and the city was still
dressed women in square-shouldered, knee-length
suffering from wartime shortages. There was little
fur coats and elaborate hats waited impatiently
fuel, electricity was rationed and the streets were
for the debut haute couture collection of the much
covered in snow.
talked-about, but little-known Christian Dior.
The Paris couture trade, which had dominated
Everything was completely new at the house
international fashion since the late 18th century, was in
of Dior; the hammering had only just finished as
a precarious state. French newspapers were on strike
the first guests arrived. Fashionable decorator Victor
and the majority of American buyers were on their way
Grandpierre had designed the interior in classic
home, not wishing to stay in Paris outside of the official
white and pearl grey. Tall windows were dressed
schedule and having already completed business with
flamboyantly with grey satin drapes and festooned
the established couture houses.
blinds. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high
This is the iconic New Look ensemble, a tailored suit with nipped-in waist and full skirt called the Bar suit.
opposite
30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris, the building where the House of Dior is still based.
right
7
T he R evival o f F rench couture
Diana Vreeland once declared, “If a woman
More than sixty years on, Harper’s Bazaar’s
came into a room wearing a Balenciaga dress no
extraordinary claim that “almost every woman,
other woman existed. He didn’t care a bit about
directly or indirectly, has worn a Balenciaga,”
youth. He didn’t care about bones or anything we
continues to be relevant today as we see his pure
admire today. He would often say women did not
lines and perfect proportions displayed on the
have to be perfect or beautiful to wear his clothes.
runways of contemporary designers.
When they wore his clothes they became beautiful.” Carmel Snow noted in Harpers Bazaar that “Balenciaga inspires us with all the masterly simplicity
b a l e n c i a g a ’ s e a r ly l i f e
of line which evolves so gradually, so surely, that
Cristóbal Balenciaga was born on 21 January
imperceptibly it penetrates the consciousness of
1895, in the medieval fishing village of Guetaria,
women of fashion, and designers, too. What
in the Basque province of Guipuzcoa, on Spain’s
Balenciaga is thinking today will – though you don’t
rather stormy Cantabrian coast. His father was
realise it – influence your choice in a years, perhaps
the captain of a small pleasure boat used during
three years’ time.”
the summer vacations for ferrying King Alfonso XIII
On the right in this photograph by Richard Avedon, we see a threequarter length Balenciaga coat with gathered elbowlength sleeves and flowing unpressed pleats..
20
On the left is a 1950s Balenciaga double-breasted suit, closely fitted in the front with a barrel back.
T he Revival of French c o u t u re
21
the swinging sixties
produced her first original designs. She named her short shift dress the mini after her favourite car; it became her trademark. She celebrated youth, fun and a vague bohemianism. Mary Quant’s Bazaar was still an upmarket experience, beyond the pockets of most young Londoners; but the emphasis Quant placed on the girl, rather than the woman, was a radical development that would reshape fashion for much of the coming decade. Within seven years Mary Quant’s business was worth a million pounds, which in the early sixties was staggering. In 1963 she opened a second branch of her shop in Knightsbridge, and launched her own lower-priced label, Ginger Group, to bring her designs to the mass market. Her distinctive daisy logo appeared on many new products including make-up, tights, shoes and underwear. In 1964 she went on a tour of the US, shortly after the Beatles, and secured a ten-year licensing agreement with J.C. Penney, the first major US retailer to recognise the importance of the mini. Ernestine Carter, one of the most influential fashion writers of the time, wrote of Quant in her Sunday Times column: “It is given to a fortunate few to be born at the right time, in the right place, with the right talents. In recent fashion there are three: Chanel, Dior and Mary Quant”. Some of Quant’s most popular designs were her experimental mixes such as sweater dresses with plastic collars, drop-waist dresses with box pleat skirts, knickerbockers and stretch stockings in a rainbow of colours and patterns. Other typical designs were knee-length white plastic lace-up boots, often called go-go boots, tight sweaters in bold stripes and short shiny plastic raincoats, zipped at the front. These clothes all became part of the ‘London Look’.
126
This is a colourful fabric designed in 1964 by Zandra Rhodes.
D I O R A N D T H E N E W L OO K
The garments above were designed by Ossie Clark and are typical of his romantic style.
the rca and the rise of
invigorating movement that waved goodbye to
the boutiques
Britain’s post-war austerity. At its head, the eminent
Britain’s art schools were flourishing and by the late
Professor Janey Ironside, a former fashion journalist,
fifties, many had set up pioneering fashion and
nurtured the talents of many iconic names in fashion:
textile departments and were producing a host of
Marion Foale & Sally Tuffin, Ossie Clark, Bill Gibb
talented young graduates who, encouraged by
and Zandra Rhodes, to name a few.
Mary Quant’s success, set up their own workrooms.
In response to the demand for more affordable,
The Royal College of Art had the largest and most
fast-moving and youthful fashions, boutiques were
sought-after fashion department, and was soon
springing up all over central London; many of the
recognised as the breeding ground for some of the
best were started by Royal College of Art graduates.
most exciting and innovative fashion talent in the
James Wedge, Marion Foale and Sally Tuffin all
country.
made names for themselves in the sixties. Wedge,
In the fifties and sixties the RCA was at the
originally a highly successful milliner working for
centre of the explosion of Pop Art culture, a vibrant,
couturier Ronald Paterson, was joint owner with
127
History of Fashion New Look to Now
june marsh
F
rom the glamour and quiet brilliance of Christian Dior’s New Look to the inventiveness of Rei Kawakubo to the uncompromising creativity of Alexander McQueen to the meticulous detail of the Mulleavy sisters (Rodarte), A History of Fashion: New Look to Now is a celebration of the life and times of the fashion geniuses whose rare and enduring creations have defined the past sixty years. This book traces the history of fashion design with its intriguing personalities and its international cast of players and puts them into the context of what was happening in the world outside fashion. Covering haute couture to the emergence of deluxe, boutique and ready-to-wear, A History of Fashion: New Look to Now illustrates the trends in fashion over the decades and shows the well worn truth that what goes around comes around.It covers not only the designers, but also the other forces in fashion such as the magazine editors, boutique owners, photographers and models. Lavishly illustrated with photographs, illustrations of the time and contemporary magazine campaigns as well as sketches, this book will provide industry professionals, students and enthusiasts alike with a clear and precise picture of the ever-changing world of fashion.
the author
s p e c i f i c at i o n s
June Marsh is a freelance journalist, stylist and lecturer who has written widely on fashion. She is the former Fashion Editor of the Daily Mail (London) and has contributed to several books including Denim: From Cowboy to Catwalk and The Ivy Look.
270 x 210 mm (8 ¼ x 10 ½ in) 288 pages with 230 illustrations Hardback with jacket Recommended retail price:£ 29.95 | € 39.95 | US$ 49.95 45,000 words ISBN 978-1-908126-21-4 September 2012
contents
Introduction: Dior and the New Look The Revival of French Couture Post-war Paris and the Business of Couture All You Need is Love You are What You Wear Modern Legends Back to the Future A Fashion Democracy Clicking Away
k e y f e at u r e s
• Covers the key designers from the post-war period of the New Look to the present • Includes not only the designers but other influential figures • Beautifully illustrated with photographs as well as sketches and media from the time
www.vivays-publishing.com