Haute Couture Influences Ready-to-wear

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.

In this essay I want to examine how the corset evolved from a staple of the British feminine wardrobe of the Nineteenth Century into a symbol of an outmoded tradition – only to later return as a statement of female liberation. I am going to look at different aspects of this development including technological advances, economic facts, external events, particularly the First World War and changes in social, political and aesthetic attitudes. I will also look briefly at the role of Chanel on the silhouette and how this impacted on the corset: focusing on the trend to towards ‘opulent androgyny’ in the 1920’s. Finally I will examine the resurgence of the corset

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

People often ask me, "When did you first become interested in Coco Chanel?" and if I'm honest, I was fascinated long before I started researching her biography more than a decade ago, all the way back to my earliest memories in childhood. For there on top of my mother's dressing table stood a bottle of Chanel No. 5, beyond my reach but not out of sight, and I knew from the moment I began to discern its mysterious letters and number that there was something magical to the black-and-white cipher. I'm not alone in that discovery -- Chanel has come to represent the essence of everywoman, whether in the scent of her perfume or her choice of bold red lipstick or the perfect little black dress -- but the story of Coco feels somehow entwined with

Coco Chanel was one of the most influential fashion designers of the Twentieth Century and she was the first significant female fashion designer. The fashion world was impacted by Chanel’s phoenix like return to fashion after her retirement in 1953. Chanel introduced men and women to practical yet elegant styles. Although Chanel has been deceased for forty-one years her undeniable influence on fashion and women’s roles in society will be remembered for generations to come. Coco Chanel was an iconic designer and continues to inspire men and women around the world.

The 1950s clothing contributed so much to modern-day fashion. The prettier the clothes are, the more beautiful the person is. The main theme for beauty in the 1950s was femininity and refinement. During the 1950s, the runway became an important way of showing fashion. The younger buyers bought the "beat look" with flat pedal pusher shoes and the pumpkin skirt. This shows that younger people in the 1950s bought these types of clothes. Chanel made a come back in the 1950s with her cardigan jacket suits. Chanel is still worn today in the world. Chanel makes the gilt chain quilted leather handbag in 1957. Also, she made the

This summer, to celebrate Carolina Herrera’s 35th anniversary in the fashion industry, SCAD FASH Museum has put on an exhibition of her work. Titled, “Refined Irreverence,” the exhibition is composed of both new and vintage pieces encompassing everything from her 1981 inaugural runway collection, day wear, bridal wear, and red-carpet gowns. Some of her new pieces on display were worn by celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Tina Fey, Lady Gaga, Lucy Liu, and Taylor Swift, Renee Zellweger. Herrera’s collections were inspirational and beautiful beyond belief.

She was the only fashion designer to ever be on Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. In the 1920s Gabrielle launched her first perfume ever called Chanel No. 5 which became a huge success, and still is. Also in the 1920s, Gabrielle started a new piece of clothing, which will change women’s outfits completely. It was the little black dress. Before she introduced this to everyone, black dresses were associated with funerals and deaths, not eveningwear. This was soon the end of corsets and thick clothing women had to wear out. Then in 1925 she created a more legendary piece the Chanel suit with a well-fitted skirt and jacket. It was called the “little boy look.” During the 50s, her spring collection received the Fashion Oscar at the 1957 Fashion Awards in Dallas. She was announced the most influential designer of the 20th

Coco Chanel, born Gabrielle Bonhuer Chanel, on August 19, 1883 in Saumur, France was an amazing woman who redefined fashion as we know it today. She was a clothing designer who revolutionized the fashion industry with her suits, little black dresses, and avant garde flare. Because of this quickly in her young life she became well know, and rose to be the fashion icon that she is today. From the timeless designs that are still popular to this day, and the sophisticated outfits that can be paired with great accessories Chanel has done it all. When it comes down to it though it was Coco Chanel’s philosophy that “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it’s not luxury” that lead to her success. (“Coco Chanel”)

Coco Chanel, born on August 19, 1883 in Saumur, France, influenced 1920s fashion greatly through her trademark pieces such as “little black dress” and jersey suits and many more. These key fashion pieces are still very popular in our current day time in women’s fashion. Before Chanel became well known, most women would wear corsets that would leave them feeling stiff to give them more of a hour glass look as well as skirts with long hems that would reach the floor. Chanel went past the social boundaries of most women, and created different and diverse pieces. She disregarded societies idea of

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

Evening couture dresses from Chanel evolved into an elongated feminine style.[1] Summer dresses had contrasting scintillating touches (e.g. rhinestone straps and silver eyelets).[1] Coco designed a line for petite women in 1937.[1] Throughout the 1930s, Elsa Schiaparelli was competing more strongly with the House of Chanel, but this was only a short term rivalry. Chanel premiered an exhibition of jewelry in 1932 dedicated to the diamond. Several of the pieces, including the "Comet" and "Fountain" necklaces were re-introduced by Chanel in 1993. When World War II began in 1939, Coco Chanel retired and moved into the Hôtel Ritz Paris with her new beau, Nazi officer Hans Gunther von Dincklage.[1][3][5] Only her parfums and accessories were sold in her existing boutiques.

Chanel was very confident. She broke all the current rules of fashion without doubting herself and believing she would make it. Chanel also had a set vision. She knew exactly what she wanted and made sure she got it. She was extremely determined. Coco Chanel was also very innovative. She always found new ways to take fashion to the next level. For example, she used men’s fabrics to make women’s clothing in a time period where women’s clothing was very conservative. These positive characteristics may have contributed to the fact that she did not have any failures.Putting all of these traits together helped Coco Chanel become as successful as she

Elie Saab developed an interest on fashion starting from early ages. Built his first atelier only at the age of 18. His passion for fashion and haute couture grew in the following years and has dedicated himself to his brand from design to brand and customer communications .According to him :“Couture was a creative engine for the entire brand, a marketing tool for foundation of an image on a profound long term level.”

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.