Fashion and Art - Essay Example

? Art and Fashion al Affiliation Art and fashion have shared an intimate connection since the early twentieth century. As designers hooked up with artists, new developments were made, as new styles and clothing designs were introduced. Couture houses and salons in Paris controlled the global art and fashion scene. This however changed when the Second World War broke in Europe seriously damaging the art and fashion businesses. Many couture houses and salons in Paris closed, while the few that remained suffered from the departure of clients and scarcity of materials. Due to the pressure that Paris faced during this time, it lost its position as the world’s top fashion hub. In the meantime the United States shifted its reliance on France for clothing and fashion designs and developed its own industry using homegrown cotton. As a result of these efforts, the United Sates managed to become the top nation in fashion, a position it maintained until sometime after the Second World War. This changed in the 1940s when Paris began to recover its position as the world’s acclaimed fashion hub. By the 1950s Paris had almost regained back its position and by the 1970s, the nation had fully regained its international fashion acclamation. Today, both the United Sates and Paris continue to compete in the world’s fashion although Paris continues to outdo the United States. Keywords: Fashion, Art, Designers, United States, France, Paris, Clothing, Styles, Designs, Artists Origin of Art and Fashion The connection between art and fashion gained exceptional closeness in the 1920s (Suoh, 2002).In order to gain ideas and encouragement, designers hooked up with artists. As a result of new developments in art such as Art Deco, Futurism, and Surrealism, art and clothing were blended into fashion. Original artistic designs were brought to clothing, mainly due to the influence of Futurism and Surrealism, and cooperation with innovative artists. Suoh points out that “the decorative accessories and textiles of Art Deco emerged from this rich collaboration, which included the adaptation of a number of artistic techniques such as Oriental lacquering” (2002, p. 334). This prosperity however did not last long, since in 1929, the Great Depression hit damaging and in some cases, bringing an end to the prosperous collaboration. Wealthy customers of haute couture fashion suddenly lost their wealth, as homeless people crowded the streets. Some people in the middle class society managed to survive the Great Depression, but they preferred to do their sewing from home. As a result of the economic hardship, more natural forms of clothing and fashion replaced the ideal and strong silhouette that was popular in the 1920s (Suoh, 2002). For evening wear, the culture of long dresses was revived, while hair regained a soft curl and a more conventional feminine length. “The slim line of clothing remained, but the bosom was reasserted and the waistline was once again nipped into a standard position” (Suoh, 2002, p. 335). However, fashion for casual activities gradually gained importance, as people wore favored sports items and clothing and regular dresses with short skirts. Female and male designers acclaimed in the 1920s began to experiment and exploit new materials, while new designers expanded their clothing lines to include outfits for different occasions. These styles remained dominant until the beginning of the Second World War. Fashion and Art and the Second World War The Second World War which broke out in 1939 brought serious damage to art and fashion (Suoh, 2002). Many couture houses and salons in Paris closed, while the few that remained suffered from the departure of clients and scarcity of materials. The Germans intended to move the whole fashion industry from Paris to Vienna or Berlin. In Paris, the fashion industry suffered a lot of pressure, “and Lucien Lelong, the President of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, went to great pains to try to maintain the status quo of Parisian fashion under the Occupation” (Suoh, 2002, p. 336). However, his efforts did not salvage the situation since in 1940, a limitation of the amount of cloth to be used for manufacturing of clothing was imposed. As a result of this, most people opted to use their old clothes to create new fashions. Limitations on the amount of fabric for clothing manufacture were also imposed in England and the United States making the slim straight skirt and slim silhouette imperative in fashion (Suoh, 2002). Military fashion gradually developed from the world’s attention to the war and people in national defense and military service (Suoh, 2002). Suoh points out that “the look of the time embraced uniform-styled tailored suits and jackets with square, padded shoulders, a pronounced waist with a belt, and large versatile pockets” (2002, p. 336). Fabrics for making hats were not controlled and this led to a rise in hat designs, such as turbans and large as well as small hats. As Europe concentrated on the War, the United States developed its fashion industry making a mark in casual wear and readymade clothing American fashion designers gradually became creative consequently establishing an American style. Prior to war, America had relied on the Paris fashion industry, but lost contact during the war. This meant that Americans had to use their own creativity to maintain their fashion industry. The United States had its own home grown cotton, as well as fabric and fiber and machinery producers; therefore fabric and machines to weave fabrics and manufacture clothes were not a problem. According to Jones, “some talented European designers, tailors and manufacturers fled to the United States for safety, where they were employed at the higher end of the market in fashion-starved New York and Hollywood” (2005, p. 44). As a result of the presence of this pool of talent from Europe, great innovations were made in the American fashion and garment industries. Gradually, many European and American designers set up businesses in New York, “including Chicago-born Mainbocher, the first American to succeed as a Parisian Couturier” (Tierney, 2004, n.p.). Claire McCardell, who despite being born in America got her education in Paris, was among the individuals who managed to break into the New York and New Jersey fashion business (Marzec, 2004). America gradually became a heterogeneous producer of ready to wear clothing and French couture design. America’s fashion houses slowly got to overtake the dominance of Paris in the fashion industry. Peterson and Kellogg point out that “Claire McCardell and others had pioneered the American look, which focused on comfortable, stylish clothes that fit the everyday life of work and leisure” (2008, p. 15). After the Second World War, the reputation of Paris as the global fashion hub continued to collapse and mass manufactured readymade fashions became more popular (Tata McGraw Hill Publishers, 2010). Consequently, there was no gap between workers and high society that previously existed in the west. According to Tata McGraw Hill Publishers, “a new youth style emerged in the 1950s, changing the focus of fashion forever” (2010, p. 6.45). Gradually, artificial synthetic fibers were introduced, as well as non-wrinkle and light weight nylon, rayon, polyester, Dacron, and acetate (Carlisle, 2009). The outbreak of the Second World War also affected photography in the fashion industry (Steele, 2010). As attitude towards fashion became demoralized, there was lack of safe spots, models, and materials. Magazines turned to the publication of reports about the war, while fashion magazines emphasized on the role of women in the war and fashion was concentrated towards building morale. According to Steele, magazines “published war reports instead of society columns , and featured the tailored, plain and often drab clothing more suitable for a world subjected to daily reports of death and destruction” (2010, p. 302). Studio photography was almost discarded as it became more difficult to do it during the war. Consequently, Paris and London photographers such as Lee Miller and Cecil Beaton respectively had to use the method of direct documentary (Steele, 2010). On the other hand, fashion photography in America grew. New York managed to replace Paris in the area of fashion photography (Steele, 2010). After the war, the readymade clothing industry and fashion design America had received international acclamation. American fashion talents such as Claire McCardell and fashion photography talents such as Irving Penn and Richard Avedon emerged (Steele, 2010). Steele mentions that “both Avedon and Penn have each sustained careers over a period of five decades, a record of remarkable range and consistency” (2010, p. 302). For many years, America controlled the field of fashion photography. The Revival of Paris’s Fashion Industry after WWII In 1944, Paris was liberated by the Allied Forces (Suoh, 2002). Immediately after the liberation, the fashion industry in Paris began its recovery. According to Suoh, “haute couture started to show collections again, and new designers such as Jacques Fath and Pierre Balmain made their debut” (2002, p. 336). This was followed by a world exhibition of clothing collections around nine cities that took a year. Christian Dior also took part in reviving the French fashion industry when he launched his clothing collection known as ‘The New Look’ in 1947 (Suoh, 2002). Dior’s collection had a remarkable impact in fashion around the world, and as a result, haute couture was rejuvenated to heights never experienced before the war. According to Desser and Jowett, “Dior’s New Look established the aesthetic norms of haute couture into the mid-1950s while it heralded an enthusiastic revival of Paris as the center of the fashion industry” (2000, p. 160). The style of ‘The New Look’ fashion collection was sentimental and elegant; the bust was high and emphasized, shoulders rounded, waist pronounced, while the skirt was long cut and accessorized with a hat, gloves and high heeled shoes (Suoh, 2002). There was free use of material, and ‘New Look’ dresses benefited from this as they required dozens of it. Each season during the 1950s, Dior introduced a continuous sequence of new designs giving a more overwhelming impact on fashion worldwide (Suoh, 2002). Other great post-war designers who made huge contributions in reviving Parisian haute couture include Cristobal Balenciaga and Gabrielle Chanel (Suoh, 2002). Balenciaga had practical experience in dress making tactics, something that very few designers possessed. He was very keen to perfection and his dresses were extremely comfortable compared to other designs, due to the fact that no undergarments were required to shape the body. According to Suoh, “featuring creative silhouettes, a unique, extra space between the garment and body, and exquisite colors, his designs were so like artworks that Balenciaga became known as ‘The Master’ of haute couture” (2002, p. 510). Balenciaga certainly had good understanding of sculpture and tailor training (Bye, 2010). Different price designs of his work were copied by readymade clothing manufacturers of the time. Gabrielle Chanel who discontinued her businesses at the start of the Second World War made a comeback to the Paris fashion industry in 1954 through her artistic suit (Godart, 2012). She introduced fashionable women suits from her cardigan suit of the 1920s. Behnke mentions that “the Chanel suit was notable for its clean lines. Jackets were slightly boxy, and many had simple, round collars and no lapels” (2012, p. 15). In the 1960s, the Chanel suits gained worldwide recognition. Through the works of the mentioned fashion designers and many others, Paris slowly regained its position as the World’s fashion capital. Fashion photography on the other hand, was slowly revived as Paris regained it top position in the world of fashion. According to Steele, “in the 1970s,……French vogue took the creative lead in fashion photography in this decade and offered their two leading photographers , Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin, complete creative anatomy” (2010, p. p. 302). The Fashion Industries in the United States and France Today Throughout the years after the Second World War, the United States and France continued to compete in the global fashion industry. Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, who are two American artistic designers, emerged in the 1960s giving the American fashion international acclamation (Okonkwo, 2007). The designs of these two fashion icons were promoted by fashion magazines and this made them popular worldwide. According to Okonkwo, “The success of Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein encouraged other designers like Diane von Furstenberg and Parry Ellis to launch their fashion businesses in the 1970s” (2007, p. 43) and this led to huge competition between the Europe and American Fashion scene. The industry continued to grow throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and in the 2000s, it became cultured and highly developed. Despite the fact that American fashion is acknowledged internationally, France has always outdone America and American designers have always copied ideals from designers from Paris. According to Shrock, “important American fashion designers in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago closely followed the French fashion and included notables such as Madame Harris and Sons, James Gray and Company , Mrs. Cripp, Clark & McLoghan, and Madame Demorest” (2004, p. 80). Paris was already an established fashion hub way before the United States tried its hands in the fashion industry. The nation regained its hegemony in global fashion after the Second World War, despite lagging behind in the fashion and art scene for a number of years. Despite the fact that the fashion industries in nations neighboring France, such as England viewed fashion as a silly and irrelevant subject, the French government supported and has always supported the industry. Okonkwo (2007) points out that “the French government reinforced its support for the textile and fashion sectors through creating incentives and favorable policies” (p. 25). Today, the nation continues to dominate in the world’s fashion industry as it retains its image of glamour and elegance throughout the world. Reference List Behnke, Alison. (2012). The Little Black Dress and Zoot Suits: Depression and Wartime Fashions from 1930s to the 1950s. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books. Bye, Elizabeth. (2010). Fashion Design. Oxford: Berg Publishers. Carlisle, Rodney P. (2009). Handbook to Life in America, Volume 8. New York: Infobase Publishing. Desser, David & Jowett, Garth. (Eds.). (2000). Hollywood Goes Shopping. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Godart, Frederic. (2012). Unveiling Fashion: Business, Culture, and Identity in the Most Glamorous Industry. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Jones, Sue Jenkyn. (Eds.). (2005). Fashion Design. London: Laurence King Publishing. Marzec, Robert P. (Eds.). (2004). The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures: The Mid-Atlantic Region. Westport: Greenwood Press. Okonkwo, Uche. (2007). Luxury Fashion Branding: Trends, Tactics, Techniques. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Peterson, Amy T. & Kellogg, Ann T. (2008). The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing through American History 1900 to the Present. Westport: Greenwood Press. Steele, Valerie. (Eds.). (2010). The Berg Companion to Fashion. Oxford: Berg Publishers. Suoh, Tamami. (2002). Fashion: The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute: a History from the 18th to the 20th Century. Cologne: Taschen. Tata McGraw Hill Publishers. (2010). General Knowledge Digest. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill Education Private Limited. Tierney, Tom. (2004). American Fashion Designers Paper Dolls. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.   Read More