The 1931 Paris Exposition Coloniale Internationale was designed to showcase the artistic and cultural achievements of France's colonial possessions, while also demonstrating the mutual benefits of the colonial relationship. At the time of the Exposition, France's expansive colonial empire was second in size only to Britain's; by the 1930s, France and its colonies occupied "9.3 percent of the inhabited landmasses of the world."1 With colonies in Africa, south Asia, Oceania, and the Caribbean, French political rule and cultural influence affected nearly every corner of the globe. Opening in May 1931, the Colonial Exposition brought the arts, architecture and people of France's colonies to Paris for a six-month stay. A correspondent for American Vogue visited the Exposition and described it as being akin to a trip around the world: "you are suddenly transplanted to far colonial lands--to jungles of Africa, to palaces of Angkor, into whole villages of Congo huts, to Chinese temples."2 The Exposition was widely covered in the international press and very popular; over 33 million visitors, from France and beyond, attended the Exposition.
Headwrap style hat 1930-33 Blanche and Simone Silk velvet FIDM Museum Purchase 2009.5.21
During the 1930s, Hollywood films were a major influence on fashion. Movie screens were "huge, luminous shop windows," offering viewers an opportunity to browse the latest creations from talented costume designers.1 Despite the Depression, films were an affordable form of entertainment; during the 1930s, many movie theatres showed a double-feature, cartoon and newsreel for only 10 cents.2 Recognizing that the public wanted to escape their problems, movie studios usually sidestepped the economic and social troubles of the decade, instead producing comedies, westerns and grandiose musicals. Designed by the likes of Adrian, Howard Greer and Edith Head, onscreen fashions inspired the fashion choices of both sophisticated urban women and midwestern farm girls. Believing that women filled the majority of theatre seats, Hollywood studios seized on fashion tie-ins as a means to promote their films.
Hat Movie Modes 1935-1941 Museum Purchase 2009.5.48AB
Day dress c. 1930 Gift of Steven Porterfield S2007.897.39
The charming idiosyncrasy of this dress always gets a smile. From a distance, it is simply a black day dress with a 1920s silhouette and bright red applied decoration. But take a closer look and you'll see that the red decorations are actually a series of plastic badges. Each badge features a hand-painted duck! In the close-up (below) of the sleeve cuff, the painted ducks (ostriches?) are clearly visible. Looking at the close-up also makes it clear that the painted badges are an integral part of the overall dress design. They weren't slapped on as an afterthought; the dress was thoughtfully designed to prominently showcase the hand-painted ducks. Other details, including the contrast piping at the cuffs and neckline and the metallic embroidery seen below, indicate that the dress was more than a throwaway novelty.
Evening gown Madeleine Vionnet c. 1936-1938 Museum Purchase, Funds provided by Mrs. Tonian Hohberg 2008.5.50AB
The first time I saw this Madeleine Vionnet halter evening gown, I had a hard time reconciling it with my knowledge of Vionnet's work. When I think of Vionnet, ingenious construction techniques are first in my mind, not applied decoration. Tucks, pleats, twists, innovative seaming and bias cut fabrics, often applied to gossamer weight chiffon, are both the technical foundations of her work and frequently the sole decorative elements. Don't get me wrong--I like a shiny sequin or glittery rhinestone as much as the next person. But I've always appreciated the deceptive simplicity of Vionnet's work and the way in which her unornamented designs force you to focus on the basic elements of her work: textile and construction.
Monkey fur inspires strong reactions. On my first encounter with a monkey fur coat, I was shocked by its smooth black locks, which were alarmingly similar to human hair. Among the FIDM Museum staff, we have differing reactions not only to monkey fur, but to fur in general. These differences in opinion arise during our frequent discussions about various aspects of fashion history, or when a new acquisition features fur elements. Despite any personal preferences, we all understand that fur has been an integral element of human dress for thousands of years and it is therefore important to both document and study examples of fur in fashion. Previously, we've written about our Ted Lapidus wolf and coyote fur coat and on issues arising from the use of feathers in fashion.
Monkey fur bolero c. 1938 Gift of Steven Porterfield S2008.897.1
Forget roses, forget chocolate! We've got a better gift for you this Valentine's Day--a selection of objects that address the theme of the day, love.
Paul Poiret evening gown from La Gazette du Bon Ton 1922, No. 22 FIDM Museum Special Collections
Published between 1912-1925, every issue of the French fashion periodical La Gazette du Bon Ton featured witty illustrations of the latest fashions. Penned by Georges Barbier, Erté, Paul Iribe, Georges Lepape and others, the illustrations placed the garments within an intriguing narrative. Was it a romantic mishap, or fashion rivalry that put the arrow through her heart? Additional illustrations from La Gazette du Bon Ton can be seen here.
A Paul Poiret c. 1911 tunic and the daily newspaper--what do they have in common? At first, the relationship between a haute couture creation and the local newspaper might seem almost non-existent, however, both are communicative devices that convey information to an observant reader. The text of the newspaper (either online or printed) is read to obtain the latest political news, sports scores, weather and cultural commentary. An outfit, whether haute couture or ready-to-wear, can be read for specific information about the wearer along with more general information regarding the place and time in which it is worn.
Clothing constructed from actual paper, sometimes even newsprint, is most often associated with the late 1960s paper dress trend and late 19th/early 20th century fancy dress costumes. This 1966-69 Wastebasket Boutique paper dress is printed with a collage of advertisements and phone book listings. To learn more about the history and context of late 60s paper dresses, read our Would you believe it's paper? blog post.
Paper dress Wastebasket Boutique 1966-1969 Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Alfred Himelson 97.350.1
Brocade T-Strap Evening Pump Woodward & Lothrop c. 1927 Silk brocade, leather, rhinestone and metal Gift of Vicky Stevenson S2008.948.2A/B
During the 1920s and into the 1930s, T-strap shoes were popular for both day and evening wear. This muli-colored, floral patterned silk brocade T-strap evening shoe dates from about 1927. Silk shoes were most commonly worn indoors, as the delicate fabric would have easily stained or torn when walking about on city streets. The insole is marked with a gold stamp reading “Woodward & Lothrop,” a now-defunct department store based in Washington D.C. With its gold and yellow rhinestone buckle and yellow accented floral pattern, this shoe would have perfectly complemented the short, slim, jewel-toned evening dresses of velvet or silk popular in the mid-1920s. Metallic accents, like the yellow-gold tone in the pattern and the rhinestone buckle, were popular in 1920s evening dress and accessories. The sturdy boulevard heel would have allowed the wearer of these shoes to easily dance the Charleston, one of the trademark dances of the 1920s.
In deciding which objects to showcase on our blog, I often scrutinize the cataloged and photographed objects in our collections management system. During a recent scroll through these images, I was struck by the number of sheer, transparent and see-through garments in our collection. Many of these revealing garments were created between 1965-2000, when a glimpse of the body itself, or the undergarments that shield the body from view, moved in and out of fashion. More intriguing than these relatively contemporary garments were the sheer dresses dating from the 1930s.
In contemporary fashion, the revelation of skin or undergarments has reached the point where it is remarkable only in certain circumstances, i.e. the workplace or other professional and/or formal situations. Outside of these specific situations, transparent, see-through or barely-there garments are simply another feature of the fashion landscape. But what about transparent or see-through dresses of other eras, specifically the 1930s?
Sheer day dress
1936-38
Gift of Anonymous Donor
2003.40.1
1936-38
