Describe and Explain State of Fashion and Haute Couture in the 1960s Essay Example
Describe and Explain State of Fashion and Haute Couture in the 1960s
By the 1960s the ‘Golden Age of Couture’ was over, Christian Dior (1905-57) never lived to see the demise of haute couture and the rise of ready-to-wear fashion. Cristobel Balenciaga (1895-1972), however, did and he did not survive the transition, just one of the couturiers who, in failing to adapt to the new fashion atmosphere, therefore failed financially. During the 1950s the Parisian couturiers were the dictators of fashion, most notably Dior, who’s New Look, caused women across the globe to go to extreme lengths to acquire the look. Paris introduced the fashion through its couture shows and the styles trickled down society from designers licensing their names and retailers buying the copyright to manufacture the designs. The concluding style was of the young ‘lady’, young girls wished to be able to wear their mothers clothes, people were in a hurry to grow up and teenage and young adult fashion was limited. However, the 60s upturned this rather nostalgic fashion industry and the fashion houses of Paris faced the greatest challenge of their existence.
In the 60s Paris was losing influence as its conventional role as the dictator of style. The establishment was under attack in the second half of the 20th century and haute couture, as the embodiment of establishment and tradition, came under fire as well. Couture was becoming unpopular as people became increasingly interested in developing their own fashion and in street fashion. Kings Road in London was the trendy place to shop not Paris and for a few glorious years London enjoyed being the centre of fashion, people liked the independent boutiques were one could mix and match their own clothes. Self-expression was the new fashion and the boutiques of London were unhindered by a fashion couture industry and regulations of a couture institution, like that of the Chambre Syndical of Paris. The range of styles was much greater as any designer
By the 1960s the ‘Golden Age of Couture’ was over, Christian Dior (1905-57) never lived to see the demise of haute couture and the rise of ready-to-wear fashion. Cristobel Balenciaga (1895-1972), however, did and he did not survive the transition, just one of the couturiers who, in failing to adapt to the new fashion atmosphere, therefore failed financially. During the 1950s the Parisian couturiers were the dictators of fashion, most notably Dior, who’s New Look, caused women across the globe to go to extreme lengths to acquire the look. Paris introduced the fashion through its couture shows and the styles trickled down society from designers licensing their names and retailers buying the copyright to manufacture the designs. The concluding style was of the young ‘lady’, young girls wished to be able to wear their mothers clothes, people were in a hurry to grow up and teenage and young adult fashion was limited. However, the 60s upturned this rather nostalgic fashion industry and the fashion houses of Paris faced the greatest challenge of their existence.
In the 60s Paris was losing influence as its conventional role as the dictator of style. The establishment was under attack in the second half of the 20th century and haute couture, as the embodiment of establishment and tradition, came under fire as well. Couture was becoming unpopular as people became increasingly interested in developing their own fashion and in street fashion. Kings Road in London was the trendy place to shop not Paris and for a few glorious years London enjoyed being the centre of fashion, people liked the independent boutiques were one could mix and match their own clothes. Self-expression was the new fashion and the boutiques of London were unhindered by a fashion couture industry and regulations of a couture institution, like that of the Chambre Syndical of Paris. The range of styles was much greater as any designer