This is part 2 in my exploration of women dressing women. If you missed out the first.
Go look at it? I don’t know. I’m slowly getting over providing people with context.
LOL CAN YOU IMAGINE
The next Costume Institute exhibition at the MET is titled “Women Dressing Women” which looks to be an exploration of womenswear created by women over the course of history. I am featuring some moments and women who I think should be featured in this exhibit due to the indelible contribution to fashion. In the first part, spoke about Mrs Prada, Stella McCartney, Iris van Herpen, Rei Kawakubo and Dilara Findikoglu. Today we continue on the ever relevant journey of highlighting women who dress woman. Let’s GO.
Madeleine Vionet
The Bias Cut. Do I need to say more? Madeleine Vionet, a couturier who worked at multiple houses before starting her own house in 1912 after focusing on draping on live models and pioneering cutting fabric on the bias. Vionet was never trying to be the IT GIRL. She was constantly trying to craft quality clothing that was uniquely hers. What is also quite wild is that Vionet was future focused in terms of labour practices. She was one of the first to include paid maternity leave. She had a day care and a dining hall for all her workers PLUS A DOCTOR AND DENTIST for staff. She is also one of the first people to fight for copyright protections in fashion. ICON ALERT.
Interrupting Ocelot here:
Please forgive me for this crude explanation of the bias cut. It comes down to how fabric is made.
Yarn is held in tension across a loom longitudinally. That is the warp. The artisan would then weave fabric over and under the warp. That would be the weft (Please correct me if I am wrong)
Google BREAK
Okay. So think about it like this. If you cut your fabric in the direction of the warp, you would get less stretch because those were held in tension. If you cut in the line of the weft you get more stretch. It’s still stronger but you get it. If you cut in between the warp and the weft, you get even more stretch because the tension of the warp and weft are both broken (so to speak). This usually allows the fabric to hold the shape of what its draped on. This technique moved the direction of fashion away from the structure and restraint that were the status quo. The other person who helped this was a Nazi but you know, Thanks Madame Vionet!
Kiki Kianga Peterson
I went back to the episode that broke Next in Fashion because it’s the first thing that comes to mind. You have one of the women who defined streetwear in history, on a streetwear episode being told she isn’t good enough. We don’t have to talk about those clothes but brands like Pyer Moss, Off-White, Palace, Telfar, Supreme, and A Bathing Ape WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT FUBU. For Us, By Us. Kiki was the head of FUBU Ladies and would define a whole era of dress alongside so many icons of the time. I don’t need to explain why her work should be there. I will question its absence.
Simone Rocha
As far as nepo babies go, she really isn’t beating the allegations (with regards to the start of her business) What it has become, on the other hand, is not far from legendary. The Irish born designer has created this ultra-feminine aesthetic that inhabits this pastoral world draped in oddity. For me, she has built a strong business in the UK as a young designer on her own and has created a definitive aesthetic that everyone can catch (contrary to what the Late Louise Wilson at CSM said lol) I chose this look from the AW18 collection because it feels like the core look in terms of where she came from and where she went afterward. She’s brilliant. Thats all.
Ann Demuelemeester
YES I SPELT IT WITHOUT GOOGLING IT. CHECK MY CREDENTIALS (I have none so lol)
We need to talk Antwerp Six. This group of designers kinda rocked the fashion world and put Belgium on the map. Her darkly romantic world is almost instantly recognisable. The raw and explosive design akin to the Japanese anti-fashion movement that had started a few years prior has a cult following. It’s a name to recognise in the avant garde world. I chose this look from the SS92 Collection because it introduced the world to a core motif to the brand, feathers.
Carolina Herrera
I don’t think I can have a conversation about women dressing women without talking about Carolina Herrera. The Venezuelan born designer who lived a life of luxury really came into her own by channelling a classical kind of American Romanticism. I think the brand has created an image of class and beauty that has defined a generation of American women. You cannot deny her influence and her impact. I chose this look from her final AW18 show (before Wes Gordon took over) because to me, that is the quintessential Carolina Herrera woman.
More women. More power. This is for legends only.
Have a great day and be kind, rewind (or deck someone in the face)
Loves it,