Photos By Gail
Yves Saint Laurent’s fall 1965 collection was inspired by the paintings of Piet Mondrian. While it became one of Saint Laurent’s most famous collections, other designers had introduced similar designs before him. The Montreal Gazette claimed that color-blocked dresses by Michele Roiser had inspired Saint Laurent to “add a few black lines” to his own creations
YSL dress seen here with a color block design by Lousi Feraud (circa 1967) on the left.
All Photos By Gail
French fashion journalist and designer Michèle Rosier (1930-2017), the daughter of Elle Magazine editor Hélène Gordon-Lazareff, ran her own popular ready-to-wear label, V de V was short for Vêtements de Vacance or Vacation Clothes.
She specialized in stylish skiwear, exemplified by this boldly-printed nylon Ski Jacket (1966), and was nicknamed Queen of Vinyl for her pioneering use of that material
Photographed at the Exhibit Paris Refashioned: 1957-1968, Which Closed at the Museum at FIT on April 15th, 2017.
All Photos By Gail
For reasons that take too long to talk about, I’m late to the game with my post on the exhibit Paris Refashioned: 1957-1968, which closed on April 15th, 2017. But why waste a collection of lovely photos when I could still post them here, in hope that they will entice you to attend the museum’s next exhibit, while you learn more about the history of French fashion!
Installation View
I was fortunate to visit the exhibit one frigid Saturday afternoon in February, when there were very few other attendees and the feelings of nostalgia were great, as it reminded me of shopping with my mother when I was a little girl back in the 1960s.
Installation View with Pantsuits
Paris Refashioned, 1957-1968 highlighted one of the most groundbreaking time periods in fashion history. While many books and exhibitions about this era position London as the center of innovative, youth-oriented design, this limited perspective overlooks the significant role that Paris continued to play in the fashion industry. Paris Refashioned, 1957-1968 examined the combined influence of French haute couture, ready-to-wear, and popular culture during this era, with particular emphasis on how fashion was perceived and promoted by the American fashion press. All objects on view were selected from The Museum at FIT’s permanent collection of more than 50,000 objects.
Please enjoy some of our favorite designs from the show!
Evening Suit By Coco Chanel in Gold Silk Satin Brocade, 1960
Christian Dior Ready-to-Wear Hostess Gown, Printed Ivory Silk Satin, 1957
Emanuel Ungaro Couture Dress, Red Double-knit Wool, Polyurethane and PVC, 1967
Left Foreground: Emanuel Ungaro Couture Coat. Blue and Grey Printed Wool Fabric By Sonia Knapp, 1968
Far Left: Jeanne Lanvin (aka Jules-Francois Crahay) Couture Evening Ensemble Dress and Hood in Fuschia Silk Chifon and Rhinestones, 1964-65
Left: Pierre Cardin Ready-to-Wear Coat and Pinafore Dress and Belt in Burgundy Leather, 1967
Arlette Nastat Ready-to-Wear Dress in Black and Pink Linen, 1966
Look for more individual pieces from the exhibit to be featured in Wednesday’s weekly Eye On Design column in upcoming weeks!
André Courrèges Couture Dress in Black Chiffon, Tan Silk and Black Vinyl, 1968
Photo By Gail
Here’s another sweet shot from my trip to Palm Springs last Christmas. There’s a Saks Fifth Avenue at a swanky outdoor mall located in the adjacent town of Palm Desert, and I snagged a serious cache of blog fodder from their many eye catching in-store displays. This very fetching pink-haired mannequin is pimping “Little Somethings for the Ladies”. . . whatever they may be.
All Photos By Gail
Bergdorf Goodman was an early supporter of CD Greene and first featured his designs in its store windows in June 1990.
Tina Turner Wearing CD Greene’s Design On Stage
In 1996, Greene was commissioned to create Tina Turner’s wardrobe for her Wildest Dreams tour. For this mini dress, he selected a sheer white net and Swarovski crystals to contrast with Turner’s skin, so that she she would stand out onstage
Photographed at the Black Fashion Designers Exhibit at the Museum at FIT in Manhattan. This Exhibit is Free to the Public and Runs Through May 16th, 2017.
Installation View
All Photos By Gail
In 1974, Billy Shire was working on a Studded Denim Jacket to advertise his studding business, and decided to enter it into the Levi’s Denim Art Contest. His entry, Welfare (1975), which won the competition, is embellished with eleven pounds of rivets, rhinestone rim sets and oversize upholstery tacks typically used on leather and furniture.
It also incorporates an ashtray and a hotel desk bell, which chimes while the jacket is being worn.
Installation View with Jacket on Far Right
Shire has created stage costumes and street wear for Elton John, as well as members of the bands Chicago and The Doobie Brothers
Theses Photographs were Taken at the Exhibit, Counter-Couture: Handmade Fashion in an American Counterculture on Display Through August 20th, 2017 at the Museum of Arts and Design, Located at 2 Columbus Circle (at 58th Street and 8th Avenue), in NYC.
All Photos By Gail
This dress, part of Dutch designer Iris van Herpin’s Autumn 2102 haute couture collection, was 3D printed using a process called Stereolithography. It was built layer by layer in a vessel of liquid polymer. The polymer hardens when struck by a laser beam. This technique allows for more texture and transparency than selective laser sintering. Graphic and organic elements come together to evoke dimensional lacework.
Fabricated from ark orange epoxy by Materialise, hand-sanded and hand-sprayed with a technical transparent resin, this is the second 3D printed dress by van Herpin to be featured as part of this blog’s Eye On Design series.
Photographed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art as Part of the Manus X Machina Fashion Exhibit, which has Now Closed.
