Introduction
Growing up in a small town in Colorado, meant not caring all that much how fashion forward your clothing was. I had no idea the names of any haute couture fashion designers and there definitely wasn’t Vogue magazines just lying around the house. My love for fashion came from my obsession with fit and comfort. I was a nightmare for my mom when it came to clothes shopping because my pickiness in combination with my mom’s realistic limits, considering her school teacher salary, was a frustrating experience. My line is still drawn at itchy tags, turtlenecks, scratchy sweaters, and sleeves that are too tight. My size has always limited my jeans and shoe selection. This frustration inspired me to learn more about the fashion industry so I can provide people like me who suffer from ill-fitting clothing, relief from the frustration of trying to find comfortable and well-fitting clothes outside the California Coast and New York City.
It is important to know who has made impacts before you, in your chosen industry, in order to better understand where you want to go. In school they say the reason for being taught history every year is because it often repeats itself and it is important to remember mistakes in order to prevent them from happening again and to remember triumphs as inspiration to build upon in the future. Fashion is often the best example of this. The current trends are the product of the designers that came before us in history. Fashion is most often a cycle of previous silhouettes and styles that are re-invented to fit modern standards and needs. It is important to know iconic designers’ work because without that knowledge it is impossible to understand why the fashion industry is the way it is today, how it works and how to make it better. Based on my research, great designers, the ones that are successful and remembered, are the ones that saw a need and filled it. That knowledge gives the encouragement that I can do the same thing and that they gave me an opportunity to build upon their achievements and make achievements of my own.
From a career standpoint, understanding the history of fashion can provide confidence and inspiration. Not all designers know or care about their peers or appreciate the accomplishments of those who pre-date them. Charles James for example, was one of these designers. While some believe this benefitted his creativity it also may have led to his obsession with the value of his work and the eventual decline of his success. My research on these five designers, Jean Patou, Jeanne Paquin, Pierre Balmain, Bonnie Cashin and Charles James; as well as the designers I have come to love this quarter, Madeline Vionnet and Claire McCardell; have given me a clear view of what I want my aesthetic and focus to be in the fashion industry. I want to improve fit for the average person because I believe everyone should have the opportunity to where clothes that make them feel good, rather than a cheap, mass-manufactured copy of some design from a runway in Paris. My research of all of these incredible designers has reaffirmed my passion.
Jean Patou, Bonnie Cashin, and Claire McCardell were pioneers in the fit and function of garments. They saw a need women had to break away from the super feminine, restricting and uncomfortable designs of the 19th century, especially as a part of the women’s rights movement throughout the 20th century. Jeanne Paquin, Pierre Balmain, Charles James and most of all Madeline Vionnet have encouraged the classic girly side of me as well as have shown me the importance of quality construction and design when it comes to the final fit of a garment being comfortable and flattering. All of these designers had struggles and setbacks in their life, whether at the beginning of their career, the end, or the whole way through. Knowing about their perseverance and conviction encourages me to push myself to do the same. I chose these designers because I had no idea who they were ten weeks ago. Today I can say I have a better understanding of how their accomplishments have positively affected my life.
What I have taken from this project and overall course, is that, the best way to be successful in the fashion industry is to understand the zeitgeist of your own time and what the future may bring. Using this information is inspiring because I know with it I can represent the change I want to see in the fashion industry. I look up to so many people in the fashion world, but I know there is still ways to do it better. I hope to be more responsible than many current apparel companies when it comes to plastic waste, fabrics dyes and other treatments that are no longer sustainable or healthy for the environment as well as many other problems in manufacturing. I see a need for better fit and quality, outside of haute couture and high fashion. I also know from my research to always be looking for new needs to fill as well as ways to invent and re-invent myself. As I have said, it is essential to know where you have come from, in order to understand where you need to go.
The video below is a video I made about the roaring twenties and how they inspired the feminist and fashion diva in me.
It is important to know who has made impacts before you, in your chosen industry, in order to better understand where you want to go. In school they say the reason for being taught history every year is because it often repeats itself and it is important to remember mistakes in order to prevent them from happening again and to remember triumphs as inspiration to build upon in the future. Fashion is often the best example of this. The current trends are the product of the designers that came before us in history. Fashion is most often a cycle of previous silhouettes and styles that are re-invented to fit modern standards and needs. It is important to know iconic designers’ work because without that knowledge it is impossible to understand why the fashion industry is the way it is today, how it works and how to make it better. Based on my research, great designers, the ones that are successful and remembered, are the ones that saw a need and filled it. That knowledge gives the encouragement that I can do the same thing and that they gave me an opportunity to build upon their achievements and make achievements of my own.
From a career standpoint, understanding the history of fashion can provide confidence and inspiration. Not all designers know or care about their peers or appreciate the accomplishments of those who pre-date them. Charles James for example, was one of these designers. While some believe this benefitted his creativity it also may have led to his obsession with the value of his work and the eventual decline of his success. My research on these five designers, Jean Patou, Jeanne Paquin, Pierre Balmain, Bonnie Cashin and Charles James; as well as the designers I have come to love this quarter, Madeline Vionnet and Claire McCardell; have given me a clear view of what I want my aesthetic and focus to be in the fashion industry. I want to improve fit for the average person because I believe everyone should have the opportunity to where clothes that make them feel good, rather than a cheap, mass-manufactured copy of some design from a runway in Paris. My research of all of these incredible designers has reaffirmed my passion.
Jean Patou, Bonnie Cashin, and Claire McCardell were pioneers in the fit and function of garments. They saw a need women had to break away from the super feminine, restricting and uncomfortable designs of the 19th century, especially as a part of the women’s rights movement throughout the 20th century. Jeanne Paquin, Pierre Balmain, Charles James and most of all Madeline Vionnet have encouraged the classic girly side of me as well as have shown me the importance of quality construction and design when it comes to the final fit of a garment being comfortable and flattering. All of these designers had struggles and setbacks in their life, whether at the beginning of their career, the end, or the whole way through. Knowing about their perseverance and conviction encourages me to push myself to do the same. I chose these designers because I had no idea who they were ten weeks ago. Today I can say I have a better understanding of how their accomplishments have positively affected my life.
What I have taken from this project and overall course, is that, the best way to be successful in the fashion industry is to understand the zeitgeist of your own time and what the future may bring. Using this information is inspiring because I know with it I can represent the change I want to see in the fashion industry. I look up to so many people in the fashion world, but I know there is still ways to do it better. I hope to be more responsible than many current apparel companies when it comes to plastic waste, fabrics dyes and other treatments that are no longer sustainable or healthy for the environment as well as many other problems in manufacturing. I see a need for better fit and quality, outside of haute couture and high fashion. I also know from my research to always be looking for new needs to fill as well as ways to invent and re-invent myself. As I have said, it is essential to know where you have come from, in order to understand where you need to go.
The video below is a video I made about the roaring twenties and how they inspired the feminist and fashion diva in me.