Tag Archives: rudi gernreich

Design and Innovation

Eye On Design: Monokini Topless Swimsuit By Rudi Gernreich

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rudy gernreich monokini photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

The Monokini (1964) was Rudi Gernreich’s swimsuit of the future. The topless design was controversial, making it difficult to find a model willing to be photographed wearing it. Ultimately, only one image of the suit (taken from behind) was published, in Look magazine. At the urging of look editor, Suzanne Kirtland, a wider selection of images appeared in Women’s Wear Daily and later, in Life, where many American readers took note.
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Design and Innovation

Eye On Design: Pink and Black Sequined Mini Dress By Stephen Sprouse

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Sequined Mini Dress By Stephen Sprouse Photo By Gail Worley
Photos By Gail

This Pink and Black Sequined Mini Dress (autumn / winter 1983 – 84) is characteristic of paradoxical charm of the work of Stephen Sprouse (1953 – 2004). He often sited the cutout, mini-skirted styles that designers like Andre Courreges and Rudi Gernreich introduced in the 1960s, yet he reartciluated these silhouettes within the distinct cultural context of 1980s New York. From his debut collection, he established a unique look, artfully integrating pop culture and street style into youthful fashions executed in luxurious materials. Continue reading Eye On Design: Pink and Black Sequined Mini Dress By Stephen Sprouse →

Design and Innovation

Eye On Design: Unisex Jumpsuit By Rudi Gernreich

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Unisex Jumpsuit
All Photos By Gail

In 1970, Life magazine invited Rudi Gernreich (1922 – 1985) to envision what people would wear a decade in the future. He extended his prediction to the year 2000, illustrating men and women in matching ensembles with heads either shaved or wigged. Unlike other contemporaneous unisex styles, Gernreich’s designs did not use menswear as a baseline for women’s garments. “Women will wear pants and men will wear skits interchangeably,” he predicted. “The aesthetics of fashion are going to involve the body itself. We will train the body to grown beautifully rather than cover it to produce beauty.”
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