Cristobel Balenciaga: Balenciaga was a fashion anarchist
of his time. Having been forced out of Spain during the Spanish Civil war he
opened his couture house in Paris in 1937. He managed to stay in business during the
war but soured to fame in the Post war era.
Christian Dior Himself stated
that "Haute couture is like an orchestra, for which only Balenciaga is the
conductor. The rest of us are musicians, following the directions that he gives
us". His innovation of the female silhouette during the 1950s is amplified
by the awe of his peers. Balenciaga is responsible for the Balloon jacket, an
O-shaped silhouette which formed a cocoon around the upper body to make the
legs and neck appear longer on the figure. His genius also included the baby
doll dress and 'sack dress' of 1957, the
balloon skirt and his seamless use of kimono sleeves in coats. He manifested
the 'Bracelet sleeve' with a seven-eighth length that allowed woman to showcase
their jewellery at its finest. Considering the emphasis on the waistline at the
time and lack of one in his garments allows his influential position to speak
for itself.
Gabriel 'Coco' Chanel: Chanel's fame was unaffected during World War
II however their famous headquarters at 31 Rue de Cambon closed when Germany
invaded France. This left Chanel with the opportunity for a post war revival upon their return to the market. Chanel detested Dior's new look which brought back
the necessity for a corset which she had worked so hard to abolish in the 1930s. Chanel was provoked
in to action arguing 'There are too many men in this business, they don't know how
to make clothes for women. How can a woman wear a dress that's cut so she can't
lift up her arm to pick up the telephone?'.She was willing to fight to salvage the new woman she had
laboured as her own. This struggle brought about the invention of the Chanel
suit, an iconic piece of fashion history. Her winter 1954 collection saw her
rework the Chanel tweed in the form of a timeless female suit. The slim skirt
and collarless jacket oozed femininity, a gold chain was sewn in to the jacket
hem to create a fluid line from the shoulder. The uniform for the emerging
working woman was born.  |
| Chanel Suit 1958 |
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| Chanel Suit AW 2014 |
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