Vera Maxwell

Vera Maxwell

Vera Maxwell (1901-1995) was another American born fashion designer who initiated sportswear. Vera originally adopted her interest in fashion design whilst working as a model. Her fashion career began in the 30's and she quickly became famous for her innovative designs. In 1947 she founded her own company 'Vera Maxwell Originals', she became a huge success and her clothes were being sold all over America. In the 1940's Maxwell is known to have designed the first jumpsuit for women during war work. Maxwell is also renowned for her exquisite tailoring of suits and top coats that were characterised by colour and careful choice of fabrics. Vera's priorities were also practicality and all her garments were made to be fully functional. She offered craftsmanship and durability, her designs were versatile and importantly suitable for various weather conditions. Each detail in her work was consulted so that every pocket had its purpose. She also cleverly created a plastic lined pocket practical when traveling to store personal belongings such as a washcloth and toothbrush. Details like these would have proved effective and handy in a environment that was still unsettled and variable. Maxwell applied accurate thought to design resorted to valid solutions

Christian Dior

"Happiness is the secret to all beauty. There is no beauty without happiness"

Christian Dior

Christian Dior ( 1905-1957) was born in Granville, France. Dior was the founder of one of the worlds leading fashion houses and is also considered as one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. Christian always had a desire for fashion design and by the early 40's after serving the military Dior joined the fashion house of Lucien Lelong. As did majority of the fashion houses that pulled their business through the war, Christian along side is partners designed for the wives of Nazi officers and French collaborators so that they were able to save their trade in such circumstances. Soon after the World War II had ended Christian Dior opened his own fashion house and introduced his first collection with a completely 'new look'. He took a completely different approach to designs and set a shift in fashion. Soft shoulders, full skirts and pinched waists was a new and refreshing image. Dior was a perfectionist in his craftsmanship. His post war designs went that step further adapting even more volume and creating structure to the silhouette. Christian Dior was a master at creating shapes, a sculptor in his own right. 

Carry on...

The havoc had slowly began to settle, those that lost their loved ones began to grieve and those that didn't were ready to embrace and adjust their new life's. Families all over the world could finally share together a smile if evan for a second. The Forties are undoubtably some of the most immoral years that can never be justified but can be learnt from. Of course situations like these had affected all aspects of living. The chosen key designers of the forties show just how their environment and conditions lead them to design not for fashion sake but for circumstances.

Forties

One problem lead to the next and it seemed that in the world there was nothing but trouble. World War II had just broken out at the end of the thirties and the first half of the decade was spent in battle. There was no control or world order and people just remained to hope that things will be better. World War II had also pulled America out of the Great Depression as men had to go into battle which meant women were replacing the work force. Alongside the war other political issues were arising across the globe, the French were also bombing Vietnam, the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor, everyone had reason for battle, the decade was an angry political mess.

Soldiers preparing for battle in World War II

Hitler and his Nazi Army 

The french bombing in Vietnam 

Pearl Harbor attack 

Thousands of innocent people were killed and those that weren't were left homeless and had nothing to live for. The forties was a decade that changed the outcome to the rest of the 20th century, its bitterness toughened civilians and created a desperation for world peace.

Elsa Schiaparelli

"In difficult times fashion is always outrageous"

Elsa Schiaparelli

Elsa (1890-1973) was an italian fashion designer. Her design's exposed her character and she circulated her inspiration through her designs. A big fan of surrealism Elsa often took a direct approach when interpreting thoughts into designs. Being born into a wealthy family Elsa spent a lot of her life traveling where she absorbed information and ideas for her work. Her career shot of with her graphic knitwear collection in 1927 and by the 30's her collection 'Pour le sport' which consisted of bathing suits, ski wear and linen dresses was introduced to the scene. Elsa was very much influenced by circumstance's at that time so when her collection inspired by pre war designs got knocked by the 'New Look' Elsa found it hard to recover and adapt the latest trends which lead her to close down in 1954. Despite her Lapse Schiaparelli as a fashion designer made her mark. She was exciting and eccentric, she found inspiration in everything and found numerous ways to interpret them. Her creations for that time were completely vanguard, and her bright zips, and customised bee shaped buttons are all signature details of Elsa's work. She in comparison to the two previous designers was unfamiliar with sewing skills and relied on courtiers and seamstresses to materialise her designs. Elsa was not just a fashion designer but an artist with daring ambitions.

1937, white and red silk organza hand painted lobster by Salvador Dali

Jumper from knitted collection

Madeleine Vionnet

"When a woman smiles her dress should smile too"

Madeleine Vionnet

Madeleine Vionnet is known to the fashion world as the 'Queen of the bias cut', she was the first to introduce it to the scene after manipulating fabric on her miniature doll. Madeleine (1876-1975) was also french and like Madame Gres she founded her fashion house 'Vionnet' in 1912. Madeleine worked with a variety of fabrics such as chiffon, gabardine, satin and crepe de chine. These types of materials were a very unusual choice of fabric in the 20's and 30's and were rarely used to make clothing. She too had her own procedure in which she liked to work, unlike Gres Madeleine preferred to prepare her designs on miniature dolls before putting together the final garment on a life size model. Prices of such fabrics she liked to used were very dear at the time and despite being an expert she probably preferred to be safe than sorry. Vionnet dominated Haute Couture in the 1930's, her feminine and sensual gowns were worn by the greatest stars of that time. She had a reputation for innovating and setting trends. Madeleine was too an expert at understanding a female silhouette and had her own vision of how a perfect woman should be presented. Creating flow and motion to her creations made her garments also very comfortable. Vionnet was professional and successful and in the early 30's was at the peak of her career. She introduced the cowl and halter-neck, played around with positioning of zips as well and making pieces that were directly pulled over the head and hadn't required fastening at all. Her daring and curious character contributed technical knowledge to the fashion world. Unfortunately after 27 years of Vionnet Madeleine had no choice but to shut her business in 1939 due to the beginning of yet another World War. She was smart and her delicate and detailed work expresses femininity and graciousness. Some chosen images below show just that...

Evening dress, 1938

Madeleine working on her miniature doll

Madeleine Vionnet’s dress from 1938 is made from silk tulle, panne velvet and horsehair with a silver lamé underdress and Lesage embroidery.

Dresses by Vionnet using the bias cut method 

Madame Gres

Germaine Emilie Krebs

"I wanted to be a sculptor, for me its the same to work with fabric or stone."  

Madame Gres 

Germaine Emilie Krebs (1903-1993) was a French sculptress and the creator of her Fashion house 'Madame Gres' that she opened in Paris, 1942. After selling her Haute couture house in the eighties it was long before the business deteriorated. Gres had a specific way of working, she never had bothered with paper patters or toiles, instead preferred to directly cut straight into the fabric and patiently pin each pleat into place. Majority of her dresses consisted of endless meters of material some as long as 21 meters, Jersey silk was one of her preferred fabrics. In the 1930s however a lot of her inspiration and influences came from North Africa and egypt, it was then that she started cutting on the bias and draped her beautiful goddess like dresses that are an exact example of a timeless design. Being known as one of the best courtiers of the 20th century her inspiration had arisen from within herself, her designs were sensuous and classy, and she was modern designer in her own time. Six decades she dedicated to "work, work, work" and today her garments remain to inspire. She was a perfectionist and new well to work and compliment a women's body. Her craftsmanship remains undeniable and her minimalist style speaks for itself. 

                           

Draping a dress directly on a model

close up of pleated dress

1930's Dress