All Photos By Gail
Chloe is a French fashion house founded in 1952 by the Jewish Egyptian immigrant Gaby Aghion, who had a vision to offer luxury ready-to-wear. Karl Lagerfeld began designing for Chloe in 1966, and his creations from the 1970s were extremely influential.
Continue reading Eye On Design: Black and Gold Evening Ensemble By Karl Lagerfeld for Chloé
Photos By Gail
Christian Dior’s “New Look” was central to the postwar revival of the Paris couture system. In addition to selling individual couture dresses to private clients, Dior also sold licensed copies, like this one of his Columbine dress, which was produced in the US for American department stores. The number of such high-end reproductions was limited, but there were also mass-produced garments that catered to the desire for at least “a copy of a copy of a Dior.”
The Dress Pictured Here is a Licensed Copy of Dior’s Columbine Dress by I. Magnin and Lord & Taylor circa 1947. Photographed as Part of the Exhibit, Paris, Capital of Fashion at the Museum at FIT in Manhattan.
Photos By Gail
John Paul Gaultier was among the createurs who helped make French fashion so exciting in the 1980s. The way he played with conventions of sex and gender, in particular, has had a profound influence on fashion. For example, rather than using corsetry to reinforce conventional ideals of beauty, Gaultier has always emphasized that many body types, genders and ages can be attractive. This Orange Shirred Velvet Corset Dress, featuring Gaultier’s signature cone bra top (made famous by Madonna) is from his 1984 Fall collection. Continue reading Eye On Design: Orange Shirred Velvet Corset Dress By John Paul Gaultier
Photos By Gail
In recent years, Asian American designers, especially those of Chinese heritage, have emerged as a significant presence in New York’s fashion world, comparable to that of Jewish immigrants in the past. To be a member of the Chinese diaspora can be advantageous when much apparel is manufactured in China, and Chinese consumers are a growing force in the fashion world. In addition to his New York-based eponymous business, Alexander Wang was for a time a designer at Balenciaga in Paris. This sporty-chic Orange and Black cotton and synthetic-blend Mesh Knit Mini Dress is from Wang’s Spring 2015 collection.
Installation View
Photographed as Part of The Exhibit, Paris, Capital of Fashion, On View at The Museum at FIT in Manhattan Through January 4th, 2020.
Installation View (Photos By Gail)
The Nazi occupation of Paris lasted from June 14, 1940 to August 25, 1944. The Nazi authorities initially planned to move the entire Paris fashion industry to the German Reich. Lucian Lelong, then head of the Chambre Syndicale, convinced them that the haute couture could only exist, “in Paris or . . . not at all.” Among those who could legally purchase Paris couture during the Occupation were some 20,000 French women (who had special couture ration cards) about 200 Germans, and citizens of neutral countries, such as Spain and Switzerland.
Continue reading Eye On Design: Brocade Evening Coat By Jeanne-Marie Lanvin