Fashion Trends and Cultural Influences 1900-1929


Silhouettes


Influential Designers     Known as the Father of Couture, Worth worked in a fabric shop when he first came to Paris selling fabrics for mantles and cloaks.  He began designing dresses for his wife to wear as she modeled the cloaks.  Soon customers were requesting similar dresses be made for them.  His employer was unwilling to go into the dressmaking business, so eventually Worth left and started his own business.  The year was 1858.  He quickly was able to gain the patronage of a very influential woman in the court of Emperor Louis Napoleon III.  The Empress Eugenie admired a gown Worth had made, and the rest is history.
    Worth designed his garments so that each part would fit interchangeably with another.  For example, a sleeve could fit into many different bodices, and a bodice could fit into many skirts. 
Worth retired in the 1880s, but his sons continued the business.  The House of Worth declined in importance during the 1920s and 30s, and finally closed after W.W.II.  Many examples of Worth's work can be found at the Museum of the City of New York website.
      Poiret began his career in the House of Worth, working for Charles Worth’s sons.  However, they did not have similar design philosophies, so he left in 1906 to open his own design house.  From 1903 to W.W.I were the years of his greatest design influence.  His designs during this time helped to revolutionize the physical appearance of fashionable women.  He is known for his use of vivid colors and for his oriental influenced styles.      In 1912 he introduced the tunic and hobble skirt.  In 1913 he introduced harem trousers.  He was the first couturier to introduce his own line of perfume, called “Rosina” after one of his daughters.  He was also know for innovative marketing strategies; he was the first designer to have a fashion show outside of his couture house, and to travel with his models to other countries to show his designs.
    Chanel’s designs typify the style of the 1920s.  She began designing simple, classic wool jersey styles which fit the lifestyle of the time period.  Her designs were exquisitely simple, but with outstanding construction.  She is famous for her little black dresses, simple little suits, cardigan jackets, cloche hats, costume jewelry, and suntans.  She preferred neutral color schemes using black, navy and tan.  She was a leading designer through the 1930’s, but closed her house during W.W.II.  She reopened in 1954 and continued to design until her death in 1971.
 
 
      Vionnet became a part of haute couture in the early 1920s   and became one of the most popular designers of the 1930s. Vionnet design, 1939. Illustrated by S. Pierce, 1999.She concentrated on simple elegant styles.  Vionnet is most well-known as the originator of the bias cut.  Use of the bias direction of the fabric allowed greater stretch and drape of the fabric and allowed Vionnet to accentuate body curves in her long flowing designs.     Fortuny was a Spanish born artist who came to design both textiles and apparel. He was active as a designer from 1906 to 1941. His most noted design is the Delphos gown which was introduced in 1907.  It was made from crinkle pleated silk and was inspired by ancient Greek styles.  His pleated silk garments were stored twisted in small boxes, and had to be returned to his couture house in Venice to be cleaned.  The pleats could not withstand washing or dry-cleaning.  The method used to pleat the Greek inspired gowns is unknown.
    Fortuny was also inspired by renaissance and oriental (middle eastern) motifs and these can be found in his textile designs.  He dyed his own fabrics. His work still inspires designers such as Mary McFadden.
Fortuny biographical information


References

Tortora, P. and Eubanks, K. (1994).  Survey of Historic Costume, 2nd ed. New York:  Fairchild.

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Last Updated:  August 5, 1999
  Copyright Belinda T. Orzada, University of Delaware, 1998. All rights reserved.