Posts Tagged ‘Paris Fashion’

When people dress in the morning, they probably don’t think about the groundbreakers in fashion design who have influenced them, either directly or even subconsciously. But fashion would not be what it is today without these designers, tastemakers, and entrepreneurs. They’ve changed the way we think about clothes, the way we wear them, and the way we buy them.

Charles Frederick Worth. Considered the Father of Haute Couture, Worth was the first fashion designer to make a name for himself. Before he opened his Paris fashion house in 1858, fashion design and construction were handled by anonymous tailors and seamstresses. He was the first to display model dresses at fashion shows in which customers placed orders, rather than letting customers dictate the style of their garments. He is also credited as the first designer to put labels on his designs.

Levi Strauss. During the California Gold Rush, Strauss was a retail store owner. Gold prospectors at the time wore cotton pants that tended to rip easily, so Strauss and a tailor, Jacob Davis, created more durable pants that were reinforced by small metal rivets. Jeans were born, and the rest is fashion history.

Coco Chanel. She may be known for the “little black dress” and classic cut suits, but women can especially thank Chanel for making clothes comfortable. Opening her first shop in 1913, her menswear-inspired designs freed women from the constraining corsets and uncomfortable long dresses that were in vogue at the time, ushering in an era of modern, casual dress.

R.H. Macy. The founder of Macy’s department store drastically altered the way people bought clothes when the first Macy’s opened in 1958.. While consumers previously went to small, family-owned shops or general stores primarily if they needed new clothes, they went to department stores more often just to peruse the wide variety of merchandise. And if they happened to find clothing that appealed to them on display, they would then purchase it. For the first time, clothing became an impulse item.

Edith Head. From the late 40s to early 70s, eight-time Oscar winner Edith Head was the designer of choice for some of Hollywood’s most well-dressed leading ladies including Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. Largely because of her influence, audiences became captivated with the love affair between movie stars and fashion design – a fascination that exists to this day.

Eileen Ford. The founder of Ford Models was responsible for discovering pretty women like Cheryl Tiegs and Christie Brinkley and turning them into household names, thereby creating the concept of the “supermodel” in the 70s. Supermodels have come to define American beauty – the way we aspire to look and dress.

Richard Blackwell. When Mr. Blackwell first published his “Worst Dressed List” in 1960, he pretty much invented the notion of “what not to wear.” His biting remarks of stars’ fashion sense, or lack thereof, created a cottage industry of fashion criticism, eventually leading to today’s red carpet commentaries and post-awards fashion blogs.

Ralph Lauren. Fashion giant Ralph Lauren was a pioneer in turning a fashion design label into a lifestyle brand. Through aggressive advertising, he was not just selling clothes, he was selling an image: aristocratic, preppy, with a touch of the rugged West. He started a hunger for labels, as the public bought up anything with his polo player logo, especially his iconic short sleeve mesh shirt, introduced in 1972. And through numerous licensing agreements, consumers could own a little piece of luxury, even if it was just a pair of socks or a towel with a polo player on it.

Donald Fisher. With his wife Doris, Fisher opened a little store called Gap in 1969 that would grow to become an American institution. While Gap popularized khakis and casual Fridays, its legacy is much more far-reaching: Gap has become the epitome of the “mall store” concept, in which no matter what city consumers may be in, they have the comfort of knowing that the Gap store there is just like the one in their hometown. Practically every clothing retailer has followed this business model, resulting in a fashion landscape that is rather homogenous throughout the country.

Anna Wintour. Considered one of the most important, and intimidating, people in fashion today, the Vogue editor-in-chief since 1988 is known to set trends and anoint new designers. If Wintour puts a designer in her magazine, the implied endorsement can make his or her career. Because of her influence, John Galliano became the head designer of Dior, and Brooks Brothers collaborated with Thom Browne. Her clout in the current fashion scene is simply unrivaled.

Although this list of influential figures is short, the fashion school history annals could provide hundreds of additional names of people who have influenced the way we dress. Our hats are off to all of them.

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Author: Lily McCallister
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The realm of fashion design, by its sheer glamour and grace, has always been exciting and intriguing. When we talk of fashion design, it implies a form of art that incorporates the nuances of creating clothes and accessories.

The history of fashion design can be traced back to the beginning of the19th century when the designs were the product of the dresses worn in the royal courts. Eventually, Charles Frederick Worth, the first fashion designer, set up his first fashion house in Paris. His designs greatly influenced the people and they labeled them as the designs of the “House Of Worth.” As a result, a designer became synonymous with a particular brand.

Another important designer who made a significant contribution to the evolution of the fashion was Paul Poi Ret. He blended the classical style consisting of aesthetic dressing with Paris fashion. Other important designers of this age were Patou, Vionnet, Fortuny, Lanvin and Chanel.

Throughout the 20th century, Paris remained the world’s fashion hub, with countries such as the US and Britain openly aping the French designs. The post World War era saw the emergence of other countries as the centers of fashion and Paris ceased to be the sole influential factor. The rising British fashion industry brought a new range of street fashion focusing mainly on the young consumers.

Later, American designers such as Calvin Klein And Ralph Lauren came to the fore with their sportswear and made it a style statement. Today, fashion designs can be categorized into two main categories. The haute couture is designed for individual customers. The other category is the ready-to-wear collection. While the former is based on certain themes and is more for creating a style statement, the latter is meant for the masses.

The mid-90s saw the emergence of a new breed of designers who redefined traditional concepts. They looked at fashion from a new angle, creating their own new concepts.

Thus, the world of fashion design has witnessed a steady evolution over the years and has been the by-product of the sincere efforts of many of the top designers.

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Author: Jennifer Bailey
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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If you have a talent for fashion design, and if you have ever desired to be the next Vera Wang or Donna Karan, you need to begin with basic fashion design clothing. Fashion design clothing and other accessories are created with artistic expression and skillful implementation. Fashion design clothing manufacturers are typically self employed and work for individual clients. Most of the great couture designers started the path upway in that manner, and have worked their way up into retail markets with mass appeal.

The History Of Fashion Design Clothing

Before making the endeavor in a career you will need to start with a strong background of knowledge about fashion design clothing. The initial creator of fashion design is Charles Frederick Worth. Working as a humble draper at first, he eventually established a fashion house in the city of Paris. Separating Worth from the seamstresses who worked along side him, clients would dictate to the seamstresses what they desired, and Worth would dictate to the clients what he thought they should wear. The word couturier was created to best describe him. Sketch artists were hired to sketch the clothing so that clients would be able to pick and choose the clothing they liked. There was far less cost involved in provided a sketch, rather than making the garments and risk the client not liking it after all.

France and Europe allowed this trend to grow and spread. London became the next destination for high fashion and magazines began displaying and printing current styles. . Chain type department stores would send buyers to the Paris fashion shows where they would purchase one or more garments to reproduce and sell in their stores at much lower prices. At this time, fashion had not become two distinct styles, haute couture and ready to wear. Most of the time, fashion design clothing manufacturers provided both types of fashion clothing. It was only after World War II that the roles of the manufacturers became sharply divided.

The clothing industry began to envision two sides of the clothing industry, clothes off the rack for everyday use, and the high fashion clothing from the runway. Comingling of the two styles seemed to fade away, with most designers beginning to select designing for one or the other. Times are very different today, as many couture fashion clothing items find their way into department stores all over the world.

If you desire a career in design, many of the original ideals still remain the same; even though the actual role of the designer has changed tremendously. There are many schools of design that will introduce potential career candidates to different avenues of the fashion trade. During the training process, the career minded students will begin to differentiate the different lines of clothing and begin to choose their career path. In most cases, designers will need to pay their dues to the industry before they achieve their career goals in the style of Wang or Karan. Work hard in the hard fashion industry and the rewards will come.

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Author: Scott English
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The first fashion designer who was not merely a dressmaker was Charles Frederick Worth (1826-1895.) Before the former draper set up his couture fashion house in Paris, fashion creation and inspiration was handled by largely unknown people, and high fashion descended from style worn at royal courts. Worth’s success was such that he was able to dictate to his customers what they should wear, instead of following their lead as earlier dressmakers had done.

1900s
It was during this period that many design houses began to hire artist to sketch or paint designs for garments. The images alone could be presented to clients much more cheaply than by producing an actual sample garment in the workroom. If the client liked the design, they ordered it and the resulting garment made money for the house. Thus, the tradition of designers sketching out garments designs instead of presenting completed garments on models to customers began as an economy.

Around the start of the twentieth century fashion style magazines began to include photographs and became even more influential than in the past. In cities throughout the world these magazines were greatly sought-after and had a profound effect on public taste. The outfits worn by the fashionable women were strikingly similar to those worn in the heyday of the fashion pioneer Charles Worn, By the end of the nineteenth century, the horizons of the fashion industry had generally broadened, partly due to the more mobile and independent lifestyle many well-off women were beginning to adopt and the practical clothes demanded. The constant need for radical change, which is now essential for the survival of fashion within the present system, was still literally unthinkable.

1910′s
During the early years of the 1910s the fashionable silhouette became much more lithe, fluid and soft then in the 1900s. Paul Poiret also devised the first outfit which women could put on without the help of a maid. Simple felt hats, turbans, and clouds of tulle replaced the styles of headgear popular in the 1900s. It is also notable that the first real fashion shows were organized during this period in time, by the first female couturier, Jeanne Psquin.

Changes in dress during World War I were dictated more by necessity than fashion. As more and more women were forced to work, they demanded clothes that were better suited to their new activities. Social events had to be postponed in favor of more pressing engagements and the need to mourn the increasing numbers of dead, visits to the wounded and the general gravity of the time meant that darker colors became the norm. By 1915 fashionable skirts had risen above the ankle and then later to mid calf. The period between the two World Wars, often considered to be the Golden Age of French fashion, was one of great change and reformation. Carriages were replaced by cars, princes and princesses lost their crowns, and haute couture found new clients in the ranks of film actresses, American heiresses, and the wives and daughters of wealthy industrialists.

1920s
Soon after the First World War, a radical change came about in fashion. Bouffant coiffures gave way to short bobs, dresses with long trains gave way to above-the-knee pinafores. Corsets were abandoned and women borrowed their clothes from the male wardrobe and chose to dress like boys. Although, at first, many couturiers were reluctant to adopt the new androgynous style, they embraced them wholeheartly from around 1925. A bustless, waistless silhouette emerged and aggressive dressing-down was mitigated by feather boas, embroidery, and showy accessories.

1930s
In the 1930s, as the public began to feel the effects of the Great Depression, many designers found that crises are not the time for experimentation. Fashion became more compromising, aspiring to preserve feminism’s victories while rediscovering a subtle and reassuring elegance and sophistication. Women’s fashions moved away from the brash, daring style of the Twenties towards a more romantic, feminine silhouette. The waist was restored to its proper position, hemlines dropped, there was renewed appreciation of the bust, and backless evening gowns and soft, slim-fitting day dresses became popular. The female body was remolded to a more neo-classical shape and slim, toned, and athletic bodies came into vogue. The fashion for outdoor activities stimulated couturiers to manufacture what would nowadays be called sportswear. The term ” ready-to-wear” was not yet widely used, but the boutiques already described such clothes as being “for sport.”

Author: Jayme Marie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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