5 Designers and their work Flashcards
Historical influences
1
Q
About Paul Poiret (1879-1944)
A
- French fashion designer and master couturier
- most prolific for his work between 1900-1920
- major contribution: use of draping
- renowned for his use of: bright colours and exotic embellishments
- pioneered the use of photography for fashion marketing (modern technology at the time)
- transformed the spirit of Art Deco into avant-garde garments
2
Q
Design work (Paul Poiret)
A
- famous for his contentious kimono coat
- loose-fitting designs: freed women from restrictive underwear
- harem pantaloons (Turkish style trouser)
- lampshade tunics
- oriental-style tuban hats
3
Q
About Coco Chanel (1883-1971)
A
- French fashion designer and businesswoman
- moved away from corseted styles
- designed for more active lifestyles: clothing became more functional
- exploited the use of jersey fabrics (formerly used for underwear)
- used mainly neutral colours
- synonymous with the ‘Little Black Dress’ (LBD (1926)
- designed the Chanel suit (1954): using tweed sourced from Scotland, influenced by menswear
4
Q
Design work (Coco Chanel)
A
- more informal
- elegantly sporty
- introduced raised hems/pleats: greater ease of movement
- draping qualities of jersey suited her designs
- created graceful and well designed garments
- the LBD became an iconic wardrobe staple due to its simplicity
- Chanel suit: combined elegance, movement, minimalism and straight cuts to create a modern post-war style
5
Q
About Christian Dior (1905-1957)
A
- French fashion designer
- renowned for creating shapes and silhouettes
- influenced new designers throughout the 1950s
- introduced his ‘New Look’ collection (1947)
- revolutionised women’s dress with the New Look
- restored Paris as the centre of the fashion world after WW2
6
Q
Design work (Christian Dior)
A
- New Look: featured boned, bustier-styled bodices and flared skirts to create a curvaceous form
- New Look designs required new styles of underwear: e.g. corselettes - ‘waspies’
- times were frugal: the New Look was criticised due to the amount of fabric needed to make the designs
7
Q
About Mary Quant (1930-2023)
A
- Welsh fashion designer
- British fashion icon
- an instrumental figure in the 1960s, the London-based ‘Mod’ and youth fashion movements
- she opened her first shop, Bazaar, selling affordable clothes to teens (1955, King’s Road, London)
- known for fun and easy-to-wear fashions
- she was one of the designers credited with designing the miniskirt (1960s) and hot pants
- focused on household goods and make-up as well (1970s and 1980s)
8
Q
Design work (Mary Quant)
A
- encouraged young people to dress to please themselves
- made use of synthetics: Crimplene/PVC
- clothing: bright with block colours and simple shapes (e.g. tubular/slightly flared shift style)
- she designed the interior of the Mini car (1988)
- author of 5 books, including 2 autobiographies
9
Q
About Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008)
A
- French fashion designer
- head designer at the House of Dior, at the age of 21
- the straight line of his designs in his spring 1958 collection created a softer version of Dior’s New Look
- regarded as being among the principal fashion designers in the 20th century
- was able to adapt his style to reflect the changes in fashion
- introduced his iconic Mondrian shift dress in his A/W collection of 1965/66
- introduced the ‘Le Smoking’ tuxedo suit for women (1966)
10
Q
Design work (Yves Saint Laurent)
A
- gained international recognition with his ‘trapeze dress’
- one of the first fashion houses to open a boutique selling ready-to-wear fashion lines
- wanted women to look comfortable yet elegant
- inspired by a painting by Piet Mondrian: reflected the important influence art had on his work
- the androgynous look was modified to be more feminine
11
Q
About Pierre Cardin (1922-2020)
A
- Italian born French fashion designer
- founded his fashion house in 1950
- best known for his: futuristic/space age designs of the 1950s and 60s
- preferred geometric shapes/motifs: often ignoring the female form
- launched a ready-to-wear collection in 1959 for a French department store
- a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Prêt-à-Porter (1953-1993)
12
Q
Design work (Pierre Cardin)
A
- bubble dress: creating a unique silhouette (1954)
- used modern materials: e.g. knitted/heat-moulded synthetics/metallics/plastics
- progressed into unisex fashions: sometimes experimental, sometimes impractical
- his ready-to-wear collections became very popular as haute couture began to decline
- set the trend for ‘Mod Chic’ (1970s): by being the first to combine forms in a collection (e.g. mini and maxi skirts)
13
Q
About Vivienne Westwood (1941-2020)
A
- British fashion designer and businesswoman
- first came to public notice when she made clothes for her boutique, in partnership with Malcolm McLaren (King’s Road, 1970s)
- design work and clothing ranges were inspired by the shock value of punk
- in the 1980s she moved away from punk and became inspired by historical costume
- later collections were inspired by: ethnic patterns of native Americans/New York graffiti/Rococo gowns
- first introduced underwear as outwear in her A/W collection, 1982
- self-taught tailoring skills: allowed her to explore dynamic cuts/shapes, which she combined with her interest in British traditional clothing
- much of her design work was influenced by her many political causes
14
Q
Design work (Vivienne Westwood)
A
Styles:
- one of the engineers of the punk fashion phenomenon
- T-shirt slogans: publicising political causes such as Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament/climate change and civil rights groups
- products accessorised with spikes/chains/safety pins/ripped, distressed, embellished straps and buckles
- products often made in: red tartan/black leather and plastic
- used traditional fabrics (e.g. Scottish tweed)
Collections:
- Pirate collection A/W 1981: celebrated the romantic age of pirates and highwaymen
- ‘Mini-crini’ 1985: inspired by early Victorian crinoline skirts
- The Buffalo Girls/Nostalgia of Mud collection 1982: inspired by Peruvian women wearing bowler hats and full skirts
- A/W 1982: feminine designs - focusing on erotic feminine features
15
Q
About Alexander McQueen (1969-2000)
A
- British fashion designer
- known for his creativity/originality/immaculate tailoring
- considered to be one of the most influential designers of the 1990s and 2000s
- skilled Savile Row tailor
- chief designer at Givenchy (1996-2000): a period that included some iconic moments of his career
- known for his spectacular/theatrical fashion shows: often used extreme methods to showcase catwalk outfits
- ‘The Highland Rape’ collection 1995/96: inspired by Scottish culture from his own heritage’
- ‘bumsters’ design: first appeared in 1996
