Art Analysis: Cutting Edge Couture

The 18th century, more precisely between 1715 and 1789, was a significant time period in the fashion sphere for women in France. The time period itself was a mark of great change for the history of France due to various political reasons as well as various art movements and often times fashion, despite being a branch of art, is overlooked by most viewers. However, fashion during this time excelled in France and was essentially the symbol of a new era in this domain; French fashion was now snowballing into something much greater that still echoes to this today. Ultimately, the goal of this essay is to describe women’s fashion during the period of 1715-1789 and the shifts it made through the analytical use of various sources including artwork, literature, museums’ online archives and internet sources.

Her chirography contains elongated movements that are slow and flowy. When she moves it has a conclusion point but is not in no particular rush to get there. When she interacts with her partner, the man is the driving force. For example, if there was a combination he would make the bigger, perciser movements while she would make daintier movements. The white is also part of her description. The dress is flowy and pure white which accents her character of peacefulness. The white also coordinates with her choreography of wispy movement and contrasts the earthy tones of the other dancers who are big and precise. The conclusion of her elements and movements lead to her embodying a more traditional love. To illiterate, she represents a calm, slow burning love that lasts longer than a passionate love. This is also shown through the stark differences and conflicting dance style of the red

There have been and still are hundreds of fashion designers in the world. But only a few of them have had any major impact on fashion industry today. And even fewer have revolutionised the fashion industry completely. One of these revolutionaries is the renowned Christian Dior. He reestablished Paris as the centre of the fashion world, and created his name as a symbol of elegance, quality, and modernity. I will be looking into how Dior’s context informed his practice, by using three of his most iconic and popular designs; The Bar Suit, Venus Dress and the Cygne Noir dress. And how these were a direct representation of 1945-1950 France.

Dinnigan possesses a common trademark of femininity, with dresses of chiffon, lace and tulle, eloquently tailored to perfection. Her designs regularly feature beading are constructed from the finest delicate sheer & lace fabrics. Silk organza and other lightweight silks are a favourite of Dinnigans. She manages to achieve all this with a suggestive rather than revealing style, which enables her garments to communicate a sensuality and individuality. Dinnigan depends heavily upon her own imagination, creating and materializing fashion in ways her imagination wants things to come to light.

B. Coco Chanel’s “The Little Black dress” is thought to be element to the world of women’s fashion.

As the robe simultaneously conceals and reveals, it blends nicely into the lower part of her torso. Her body is proportioned smoothly, with no areas of obvious fault or imperfection. I think having those sensual characteristics adds to her overall beauty.

In the romantic era the costuming had a large impact on performances. The costumes complimented the ballerinas.

The two works of art that I have chosen to analyze are 1) Jordan Casteel. Miles and JoJo. 2014. Oil on canvas, 54” x 72” and 2) Aaron Fowler. He Was. 2015. Mixed media, 134” x 165” x 108”. The themes that these works of art represent in regards to the exhibit are love, family, and pain. However, they also fall into other thematic categories. The main theme that seems to apply to both “Miles and JoJo” and “He Was” is Human Experience. Additionally, these arts differ in some ways.

Shepard Fairey’s piece titled Pay Up or Shut Up is a representation of the role that money or your role in society dictate the power of your speech. This piece of art by Fairey was released in May of 2015. It is a screen print on cream speckletone paper.

For example, the girl’s tartan skirt captivates the

The ballerinas in each portrait can be seen in traditional ballet garb known as the tutu. They have also been portrayed with the traditional ballet hairstyle, the ballerina bun. Another comparison between the two works of art is the rendering of the ballerina’s faces in profile. This rendering contributes to the depiction of the the ballerina ligne as well. “Dancer Posing for a Photographer” was created with oil on canvas while “Blue Dancers” was created with the use of pastels on paper.

Mary Katrantzou 's spring 2011 collection was one to be remembered. Her first inspiration for the collection was the highly stylised photography of Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin. She was looking at 1970s images of women in incredible interiors when she came up with the idea that the interiors were just as important as the models. "I want to put the room on the woman, rather than the woman in the room", Katrantzou said referring to the show. Katrantzou is a master of digital printing when it comes to her garments, and she used it to her advantage. The photographs printed onto the pieces were inspired by old issues of Architectural Digest and World of interiors. Photographs of the most expensive homes were recreated onto her pieces in a vivid and symmetrical way and the images seen depict a perspective and quality that make them appear real and inviting. She made her pieces as 3D as the room itself. She added accessories to the garments in the form of interior details, such as a neckline as a window frame, swaths of chiffon as curtains, lampshades with dangling crystal tassels and wall sconces reconfigured as necklaces.

Fashion has been around ever since ancient times, since the time of the Romans, it survived the world wars and is yet today a business with rapid changes. Fashion started off as an art form, a way for the riches to show their social status with unique and innovative designs that only they could afford. It was a way to separate the social classes of the society. In this paper I will include the creator of haute couture, and how the following designers developed couture, as well as having leading names in today’s ready-to-wear industry. The list is long, but I chose to focus on the three most important designers of the modern fashion industry.

Paul Poiret was born on April 20th, 1879 in Paris, France. His contributions to twentieth-century fashion has earned him the title in many people’s eyes as the “King of Fashion”, because he established the principle of modern dress and created the blueprint of the modern fashion industry. Poiret’s designs and ideas led the direction of modern design history. He was born into a working class family and his natural charisma eventually gained him entry into some of the most exclusive ateliers of the Belle Époque. Jacques Doucet, one of the capital’s most prominent couturiers, hired him after seeing promising sketches he had sold to other dressmakers. Furthermore, he was hired by the House of Worth and was put to work to create less

This essay will be considering the historical development of haute couture by analysing Charles Frederick Worth’s (father of haute couture) key factors in the success of haute Couture. I will then discuss Coco Chanel’s thriving impact on haute couture as well as ready-to-wear caused by the second world war. Saint Laurent’s drift to ready-to-wear and the high street fashion system will also be discussed in order to answer if haute couture is relevant in fashion today. The books I will be analysing and referencing are ‘A Cultural History of Fashion in the 20th Century’ by Bonnie English, ‘Couture’ by Ruth Lynam, ‘How Fashion Works’ by Gavin Waddell. Which will thoroughly breakdown the evolution and historical development of fashion by cultural, economic, environmental and social changes to finally come into a conclusion.