Red Carpet Fashion

I, Bailey Russell, participated in FCCLA’s Fashion Construction STAR Event. For this project I decided to make an evening gown. My inspiration came from the 1940s and the golden age of Hollywood. The dress is an emerald green full length velvet gown, with a short train. Unlike many students, I drafted my own pattern. This is something that made me stand out as a designer, as none of the other students I met did this. At national convention I presented my gown to a panel of judges, and made a gold rating. I put a lot of dedication in to this project and am proud of my achievements.

After that, the fashion designer came out with and did her hosting job with a very much demure look. She was wearing a knee-length fuchsia pink ombré gown made by Michael Cinco detailed with Swarovski crystals accessorized with Neil Lane

Diane von Furstenberg is one of the world’s most successful fashion designers of our time. Born in Belgium in 1946, she founded the Diane von Furstenberg company in 1972, when she first came to America with a suitcase full of jersey dresses. Two years later, in 1974, she created the famous wrap dress for the working woman that we all know today. The dress was made out of drip-dry jersey cotton, as Diane’s intent was to create something feminine that was also easy to care for. By the mid-1970s, the wrap dress had revolutionized American women’s apparel. It was extremely versatile as it could be worn both as a comfortable business dress and also as an evening gown. In just a two-year span, by 1976, there were over one million wrap dresses sold. During this time, the wrap dress became a symbol of of power and independence among an entire generation of women. Today, the original wrap dress is at home in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, ( Diane von Furstenberg had quickly become a powerful fashion icon as she directly related to the driven minds of the career-oriented woman.

My initial focus was the master of ceremony who was a Black-American. I saw that whenever he was welcoming guest, his interaction was socially stratified. First, whenever he greeted White people, he showed more interest and provided a strong grip. Some who appeared to have expensive apparel were treated with modesty and even led to their reserved seats while those who appeared to be casually dressed were casually greeted and asked to find a place to seat. In this scenario, I found two ethnographic characteristics in play. First, the event manager used social stratification as a mode to segregate guests. Those who were perceived to be wealthy had their seats reserved in front of the rest. These reserved seats had their names on them and marked as reserved. This showed that people who had amassed wealth received prestigious welcome and treatment. It was not clear to me whether the wealth status accorded to these individuals was based on achieved status or scribed status. However, to demystify this confusion, I engaged visitors participants present at the event to identify the social status of those classified as under high caliber guests. From the intonation of those I interviewed, I could tell that the concept of social stratification was

According to P. David Marshall author of, Celebrity Power; Fame in Contemporary Culture, “Celebrity status also confers on the person a certain discursive power: within society, the celebrity is a voice above others, a voice that is channeled into the media systems as being legitimately significant” (Marshall, 1997). Marshall also states the power of celebrity status appears in business, politics, and artistic communities, and operates as a way of providing distinctions and definitions of success within those domains (Marshall, 1997). A third example of dressing professionally would be a government leader who represents the United States of America. If President or Mrs. Obama dressed inappropriately at a state dinner this could offend other country leaders as well as make the United States look bad. When George W. Bush was in office he “announce(d) a White House dress code that will restore an appropriate atmosphere of formality and asexual deference to the memories and Presidential poltergeists that still wander these hallowed halls” (Bush, 2001). Bush also believed that the dress code will enable all persons to enjoyify their visits to The White House (Bush, 2001).

Fashion has been a prominent aspect of a woman’s life throughout time. Women of different times and cultures have turned the routine of picking out clothes and putting together different ensembles into a sort of art, or a way to express and promote themselves. Many women also see fashion as part of their identity, or a way to manipulate the way people see them. What a woman wears can drastically change the way society views her - it can increase her chances of getting a job, or make her gain respect (or rejection) from her peers (Sika n.p.).

Marilyn Monroe once said “Women's cloths should be tight enough to show that you're a woman, but also show that you're a lady.” Seeing women in the 50’s, many of them looked up at famous or well known models or actors such as Marilyn Monroe. We see hats and sunglasses, start to be involved in their attire. Jewelry and makeup start to blend with the fashion, We also see the pencil and poofy dresses being worn. Women that work in formal places where high heels and pant suits to look professional. Today we see some girls pay hundred of dollars on dresses, and in the 50’s women would pay anywhere from 99 cents to fifty dollar dresses (1950’s Fashion). Although we have seen how fashion was for women and teenagers one of the biggest changes in fashion was for the

The fashion industry is rapidly growing and constantly generating new fashion trends almost weekly. Fashion for some may seem ridiculous and unnecessary; but fashion is not just a meaningless usage of article of clothing or farcical materials sew together for coverage. There is more to fashion than meets the eyes, fashion is precious and significant. It is a reflection of self-image, it speak the ream about who we are and how we review ourselves. Not only is fashion the reflection of self-image but also the reflection of our history as Coco Channel have said, “Fashion is not something that exist in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” Fashion

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

* Get inspired by red carpet glamour. Awards show watchers know that celebrities bring their fashion "A" game when walking the red carpet and its one of the key reasons why we all tune in. Of all the red carpet looks to watch for, 53 percent of respondents believe Angelina Jolie will wow us this year and take home the "Best Dressed" title, with Emma Stone and Michelle Williams also in the running as potential fashion winners. After the show, look to the best dressed stars for fashion inspiration and brighten up the dreary winter by making red carpet trends part of your

The reason why some people want to be part of the London Fashion Week is because the catwalk theatre is a particularly visible realm where identities are created through visible performances, (Entwistle & Rocamora, 2006) people want to belong into a certain world thus one’s taste of fashion shows who you are. The elite have their own way of greeting as evident by the air kiss they give one another showing field’s habitus as the poor cannot get such a greeting thus a hierarchy is brought out as not all people get that kind of a greeting. There are boundaries during the London Fashion Week as there are gatekeepers that allow or deny entrance to the field; some are excluded from the show because of their low status. The field fashion is like doors which one unlocks in order to gain various accesses. To be in the show one must have a ticket and, one’s social capital determines one either to be in the exhibition hall or to be in the catwalk theatre. This is so because not everyone can gain access to the event unless there are belonging to the field; as when one is in the field there also gain a

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

Although celebrity culture is typically associated with actors and actress, consumers may also rely on the trustfulness and credibility of politicians and first wives when deciding fashion trends. In the 1960s, fashion icon Jackie Kennedy took over the fashion industry (Joel 1). She appealed to many stay-at-home women because she was commonly known to have a “sophisticated simplicity” (Joel 1) approach to fashion. Her successor, First Lady Michelle Obama has instantly become a fashion icon herself as well. She is commonly seen wearing American designers therefore pushing “the American fashion industry into the international spotlight” (Givhan 1). People are often so draw to her style because it gives a glance into her personal life. As Givhan states, “Obama’s clothes have connected with the public in contemporary terms, in the language of Hollywood’s glamour, Seventh Avenue’s bold entrepreneurship and the democracy of the mass market” (Givhan 1). In March 2009, Michelle Obama appeared on the cover of US Vogue which showcased her “dress, style, and poise” (Gibson 40). Brett Schenck, president of Hart Schaffner Marx states, “It’s usually the frenzy behind the first lady” (Jones), but in the some instances, President Obama has also made an impact on the fashion industry. In the summer of 2009, designer Donatella Versace created a runway show that was designed and dedicated to him. The clothes she created where inspired by President Obama because it showcased “a relaxed man

From pop star sensation to fashion icon, Lady Gaga has influenced pop culture in many ways. After her 2008 hit single “Just Dance” the singer quickly gained fame for her unique techno pop music. From there on she has acquired a huge following and quickly took over the world of pop music. The singer then used the newly popular twitter website to tweet to her fans. She encouraged them to love themselves, spread positivity to one another, and most importantly funded her Born This Way Foundation in hopes of helping bullied victims. Not only did she use her music and social media account to influence her fans, she also made a broad fashion statement to motivate her fans to be weird, different, and unique. Many people still remember her famous meat dress she walked the red carpet in, while others reminisce on all the outrageous outfits she’s worn over the years. Over the last nine years, this pop star diva continues to top the charts with her music, spreading kindness, and walking the streets wearing memorable outfits.

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.