She's a rainbow.

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Fri, 10 May 2013 21:18:32 +1000

I wondered why I couldn’t go the whole way doing what I should anymore. This made me sad and...

Wed, 08 May 2013 19:07:54 +1000

I wondered why I couldn’t go the whole way doing what I should anymore. This made me sad and tired. Then I wondered why I couldn’t go the whole way doing what I shouldn’t, and this made me even sadder and more tired.

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Wed, 08 May 2013 19:07:00 +1000

You want to jump and dance but you sat on your hands. And lost your only chance. Go back to your...

Wed, 08 May 2013 18:57:31 +1000

You want to jump and dance but you sat on your hands.

And lost your only chance.

Go back to your hometown, get your feet on the ground.

And stop fucking around.

“A couturier dresses human beings, not dreams.” Madeleine...

Tue, 07 May 2013 20:39:33 +1000

“A couturier dresses human beings, not dreams.”

Madeleine Vionnet. She referred to herself as a dressmaker, not a designer. Today she is known as an icon: visionary in her thinking and approach to dressmaking.

She opened her house in Paris in 1912, though with the beginning of World War I in 1914, she was forced to close. When she reopened, women were looking for simple, functional garments. They didn’t need all the “frills” you would find with other couturiers. The Purism movement reflected this, renouncing a decorative approach to art and focusing on the architecture of geometry. With this and the possibilities presented with new textile technologies, the way was paved for Vionnet.

“I never came across any fabric that disobeyed me”. She recognised the ability of fabrics such as silk; velvet; lame; and chiffon, in terms of fluidity and contouring with the body. Her influence is seen in every slinky, body-skimming dress today. She acknowledged and utilised the pliable potential of the bias cut. She didn’t invent it, it was previously used, but only in small pieces such as cap sleeves. The dresses she created using the bias were easy to get in and out of and comfortable to wear, as they could be slipped on over the head. This freed women from fastenings, such as zippers and hooks & eyes. The liberation was also evident in the complete rejection of corsets, praising (as opposed to constraining) the female form: “A woman’s muscles are the best corset one could imagine”. She abandoned anything in dressmaking that distorted or stiffened the body or the fabric, such as padding and interfacing. Her other notable contributions to fashion are styles such as the cowl-neck, the halter and the handkerchief dress. The recent trend of skirts with a hem high in the front and low in the back isn’t so recent. Vionnet is credited with producing the very first gown to have this style of hem- and around a hundred years ago.

Vionnet never sketched her ideas onto paper: “To me, the idea of a dress is mental.” She worked by draping and pinning dresses onto small wooden dolls. Her designs were created from 3 basic shapes: the rectangle; circle; and square. She was greatly influenced by the Japanese Kimono, which she borrowed geometric elements from. Her garments were complex constructions, incorporating intricate twisting, knotting and pleating. Her construction methods and techniques were completely different to any other couturier of her time. One example of her technique is the way she would manipulate fabric, twisting it to replace the need for darts. This was structurally and aesthetically effective, removing the excess fabric for both fit and decoration. Christian Dior said of her: “No one has ever carried the art of dressmaking further than Vionnet.”

Her other influences were Greek sculptures, statues and vases and the “beautifully clothed” women depicted in them. Greek costumes and the way they were made remained her strongest inspiration. “I like to look at old costumes and fashions of times gone by, because of what they say about their times.” One of her muses was modern dancer Isadora Duncan, who was often draped in Greek costumes. She admired her stress of improvisation and the human form. Vionnet’s pieces were proudly displayed by iconic women such as actress Jean Harlow and dancer Josephine Baker.

She defied copying, taking a stand against knock-offs of her garments. Some of her dresses only made sense when worn on the body and required instructions to wear. Her ads carried warnings of legal action against unauthorised reproduction. In 1922 she founded the Association pour la Defense des Arts Plastiques et Appliques, an anti-piracy organisation for the protection of couture designs as artistic creations.

Vionnet’s influence on contemporary fashion designers is particularly evident in the designs of Issey Miyake; Alaia; Marchesa; and Comme des Garcons. John Galliano in particular used her bias cut slip dress many a time during his reign at Dior: “Her tailoring has inspired generations of designers.”

“Dressing up. People just don’t do it anymore. We have to change that.”

John Galliano. If you know one thing about his work it is his apparent ability to cross-reference: transforming historical references in a modern context.

Galliano worked as a dresser in the early ‘80s at the National Theatre in London. This contributed to his love of costume. While he was trying to make a name for himself as a designer, he almost went bankrupt a number of times. His talent managed to prevail through difficult times and he emerged with success. He fled to Paris after London: he believes that no one in London understood his approach and there was a stronger “fashion community” in Paris. He was appointed head designer at Dior in 1996- his most noted stunt in fashion- where he remained for over a decade. Princess Diana wore the first piece designed by him for Dior, a lacy blue slip dress. Gwen Stefani and Nicole Kidman were also early fans.

“The idea of cultures colliding is something that continues to inform the way I work, research and create.” Galliano was born and his early schooling occurred in Spain. His mother dressed him in elaborate outfits and his two sisters were always immaculately dressed up. The colourful background- smells of herbs and sights of woven fabrics at the markets- made a profound impression on him and he developed a love of culture and textiles. Greek costume was also a great influence on Galliano’s work. He drew inspiration from the Merveilleuses of Paris whose dress was based on Greek costume, for example several yards of fine, almost transparent fabric (which was dampened before wearing so it clung to the body and enhanced the “naked” look). Galliano would get his team backstage to rub the models before they went onto the catwalk, to ensure the slinky dresses they were wearing moulded to the body like a second skin. He was interested in mysterious and sexually ambiguous women such as Lolita, Pocahontas, Anastasia and Cleopatra.

During his time at Dior, he was known for taking themes and silhouettes from the past and making them contemporary and edgy. He did this with such juxtaposition (for example traditional elegance crossed with grunge street culture) that his pieces were so extravagant but at the same time they were engineered and tailored with complex detail. He adamantly researched libraries, museums and archives, in particular of Christian Dior. “I always look at old masters to see how they put things together.”

Christian Dior was attacked for confining women with the corset in his couture designs after World War II. In 1997, under Dior’s label, Galliano marked its return. According to the UK’s The Independent: “Models were close to passing out backstage and many could barely walk in their fishtail skirts.” His stunning pieces offered nothing comfortable for modern women, unless you were willing to be constricted. His strive for dressing up was taken too far, dressing dreams as opposed to human beings. With this, his “old master” Vionnet would not have been impressed.

What Galliano took from Vionnet was a distinguished knowledge of cut and construction. He rediscovered her bias cut technique in 1993, which he refined and revived for his times. More than any other contemporary designer he is responsible for the sexy clothing many women wear, due to his use of slinky bias cut slips and sheer fabrics such as organdy and chiffon silks. It is evident that while many parallels can be drawn between Vionnet’s work and Galliano’s work, due to her influence, there are many contrasts. This includes the desire at some point to artificially bind women’s natural curves and to dress historical characters rather than real, modern women.

John Galliano is one of the most influential designers of 21st century. This is largely due to his eccentricity and his ability to experiment with it in fashion.

Images: Vionnet 1-3; Galliano 4-6. References, in respective order:

http://s113.photobucket.com/user/alisondahl/media/madelinevionnetgown.jpg.html?t=1305061665

http://fashionlabellust.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/designer-i-admire-madeleine-vionnet.html

http://samuraiknitter.blogspot.com.au/2009/05/madeline-vionnet.html

http://theartoffashionblog.blogspot.com.au/2010/11/tribute.html

http://www.vogue.in/sites/default/files/fashion_shows/Big/3352/JohnGallianofinale.jpg?1299672097

http://www4.pictures.stylebistro.com/it/Christian+Dior+Spring+2010+Details+mCfVxlww-9Tl.jpg

Resources:

Vionnet | Vionnet. 2013. Vionnet | Vionnet. [ONLINE] Available at: http://vionnet.com/about. [Accessed 27 March 2013].

Vionnet - Voguepedia. 2013. Vionnet - Voguepedia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Vionnet. [Accessed 27 March 2013].

Threads Magazine. 2013. Threads Magazine. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.bettykirke.com/articles/threads/threads.html. [Accessed 27 March 2013].

France Magazine 90: Evénement. 2013. France Magazine 90: Evénement. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.francemagazine.org/articles/issue90/article250.asp?issue_id=90&article_id=250. [Accessed 25 April 2013].

Christine Rochet-Jacob: Mad about Madeleine…. 2013. Christine Rochet-Jacob: Mad about Madeleine…. [ONLINE] Available at: http://christinerochetjacob.blogspot.com.au/2009/11/mad-about-madeleine.html. [Accessed 02 May 2013].

Madeleine Vionnet – Sculptural Modeling | Coletterie. 2013. Madeleine Vionnet – Sculptural Modeling | Coletterie. [ONLINE] Available at: http://coletterie.com/fashion_history/madeleine-vionnet-sculptural-modeling. [Accessed 04 May 2013].

Madeleine Vionnet Fashion And Style. 2013. Madeleine Vionnet Fashion And Style. [ONLINE] Available at: http://essortment.com/madeleine-vionnet-fashion-style-44485.html. [Accessed 04 May 2013].

Madeleine Vionnet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2013. Madeleine Vionnet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Vionnet. [Accessed 04 May 2013].

Fashion, Art And Beyond: Fashion In Flashback : Understanding John Galliano !!. 2013. Fashion, Art And Beyond: Fashion In Flashback : Understanding John Galliano !!. [ONLINE] Available at: http://fashionfifthavenue.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/fashion-in-flashback-john-gallianos.html. [Accessed 25 April 2013].

Galliano marks corset’s return - News - The Independent . 2013. Galliano marks corset’s return - News - The Independent . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/galliano-marks-corsets-return-1249701.html. [Accessed 25 April 2013].

BBC - British Style Genius - Rebel Style - The Silhouettes of Galliano. 2013. BBC - British Style Genius - Rebel Style - The Silhouettes of Galliano. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/britishstylegenius/content/21850.shtml. [Accessed 25 April 2013].

‘I pinch myself every day’ - Telegraph . 2013. ‘I pinch myself every day’ - Telegraph . [ONLINE] Available at: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG3358535/I-pinch-myself-every-day.html. [Accessed 02 May 2013].

John Galliano - A Vision of Debauchery. 2013. John Galliano - A Vision of Debauchery. [ONLINE] Available at: http://fashiondesigners.about.com/od/Popular_Fashion_Designers/a/John-Galliano-A-Vision-Of-Debauchery.htm. [Accessed 02 May 2013].

John Galliano - Biography on Bio.. 2013. John Galliano - Biography on Bio.. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/john-galliano.html. [Accessed 02 May 2013].

Review/Fashion; The Galliano Influence: Clothes That Amaze - New York Times. 2013. Review/Fashion; The Galliano Influence: Clothes That Amaze - New York Times. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/14/style/review-fashion-the-galliano-influence-clothes-that-amaze.html. [Accessed 02 May 2013].

John Galliano - Paris - John Galliano is a most influential fashion designers. 2013. John Galliano - Paris - John Galliano is a most influential fashion designers. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.paris.com/paris_landmarks/shops/john_galliano. [Accessed 02 May 2013].

John Galliano - Clothing and Fashion. 2013. John Galliano - Clothing and Fashion. [ONLINE] Available at: http://angelasancartier.net/john-galliano. [Accessed 02 May 2013].

John Galliano - Voguepedia. 2013. John Galliano - Voguepedia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/John_Galliano. [Accessed 04 May 2013].

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Tue, 07 May 2013 19:12:55 +1000

Feel much better on hashish or ephedrine.Feel much better when I’m smoking a lot.Feel much...

Sat, 04 May 2013 15:23:00 +1000

Feel much better on hashish or ephedrine.
Feel much better when I’m smoking a lot.
Feel much better on acid or mescaline.

Feel much better on meths or on windowlene.
Feel much better when I’ve had my line.
Feel much better on amil or ketamine.

Feel much better on night nurse, amphetimine.
Prozac is better, viagra I got.
Feel much better paracetamol and codeine.

With wine gums and diesel, pot noodle or fries.
I’d rather die from emphysema than learn to just get by.

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Thu, 02 May 2013 14:54:21 +1000

While researching for my subject “Studio” in...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:15:00 +1000

While researching for my subject “Studio” in Fashion, I collected these parodies of Dali’s Persistence of Memory.

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Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:05:29 +1000

Silk dress by Madeleine Vionnet, Fall/Winter 1929/30. This...

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 17:55:00 +1100

Silk dress by Madeleine Vionnet, Fall/Winter 1929/30.

This exact style of dress is something that I would love to, and definitely could, wear to a wedding. In 2013. It shows just how influential she still is.

Day after day, it reappears. Night after night, my heartbeat shows the fear. Ghosts appear and fade...

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 17:42:55 +1100

Day after day, it reappears.

Night after night, my heartbeat shows the fear.

Ghosts appear and fade away. Come back another day.

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Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:51:58 +1100

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Sat, 16 Mar 2013 19:21:37 +1100

In Fashion History we had to do a bit of research on Elsa...

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:25:00 +1100

In Fashion History we had to do a bit of research on Elsa Schiaparelli’s Lobster Dress. It was a collaboration between her and Surrealist painter (and my favourite artist) Salvador Dali, in 1937. He painted a huge image of a lobster down the front of the long, elegant dress. It was worn by Wallis Simpson, who soon after married Prince Edward (the Duke of Windsor) and photographed for Vogue magazine. She was a fan of Elsa Schiaparelli but (assumingly) not of Salvador Dali, who often used lobsters as a symbol for the vagina, or “vagina dentata” specifically, in his work.

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Sat, 09 Mar 2013 14:39:38 +1100

Picking up girls and diseases.

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:22:31 +1100

Picking up girls and diseases.

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Wed, 27 Feb 2013 20:24:00 +1100

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Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:59:00 +1100

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Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:59:36 +1100