Fashion Highlights 1 ~

The first couturier

Charles Fredrick Worth

Born 1825, Lincolnshire, England.

Importance: Established the rules and conversation of haute couture.

Died: 1895, Paris, France.

Charles Fredrick Worth was Englishman who, in the mid-ninetieth century, became the first arabiter of fashion in Paris. Worth’s garments were displayed at the Great Exhibition of 1851, held at the Crystal Place in London, England. Worth went on open the first haute couture salon on rue de la Paix, Paris, 1858.

 

Queen of the bias cut

Madeleine Vionnet

Born 1876, Chilleur- saux, bois, France

Importance: Offered new methods of garments constructions using fabric cuts on the bias.

Died: 1975, Paris, France.

Admired by her piers, re owned for the classic simplicity for designs  and heralded “’as designers’ designer”, Madeleine Vionnet has left a legacy that few designers can claim. Just after the turn of the twentieth century, she worked for Callot Soeurs and then the house of Deoucet, both in Paris. It was the latter that she introduced her famous “bias” cut, undoubtedly her greatest and most lasting contribution to couture. She did not open her own couture house until 1922.

“The dress must not hang on the body but follow its lines. It must accompany its wearer and when a women smiles, the dress must smile with her.”

 

Paul Poiret

Born: 1879, Paris, France.

Importance: freed women from the constraints of the corset.

Died: 1944, Paris France.

Paul Poiret brought an oriental splendor to Parisian Fashion with the introduction of harem trousers, pantaloon, wired lampshade tunics, and hemlines weighted down by tassels. Richly embroidered, glittering in brocade, and swathed in fur, poiret’s brightly colored garments with luxurious  oriental themes brought an element of fantasy and exotica to haute couture that has never seen before.

 

Jean Patou

Born: 1887, Normandy, France.

Importance: one of the first couturiers to establish a ready-to-wear line.

Died: 1936, Paris, France.

The first designer to use his monogram as design feature, Jean Patou began his fashion career in 1907 and established his couture house during the First World War. His clothing design was known for its originality and consistency in comfort, quality, and prestige. Like Chanel (his legendary rival), in the 1920s, he realized that women wanted to be emancipated from Edward frippery, and his collections included items such as sportswear, spectator clothes, and beachwear.

“The modern woman leads an active life, and the creator must therefore dress her accordingly.” 

 

Mariano Fortuny

Born: 1871, Granada, Spain.

Importance: revived an ancient from classical design.

Died: 1949, Venice, Italy.

Inspired by a love of the oriental and search of perfection, Mariano Fortuny revived ancient hand-pleating  echniques to create his first pleated “Delphos” gown in 1907. Created from the beautiful textile he produced, the dress reflected his classical elegance that was reminiscent of ancient times. Pleating and printing fabrics in 1909 and 1910, respectively, Fortuny became renowned for his unique garments of the utmost beauty.