FIDM Museum Blog

Deconstruction in fashion

These days, it's fairly common to see garments incorporating raw edges, exposed seams and distressed textiles. Giving garments an unfinished appearance and hinting at the process of design and creation, this style is usually called deconstructionism. Initially intended to challenge widely held perceptions that garments must be flawlessly finished and enhance accepted definitions of beauty, these design elements have become so widely utilized that they've nearly lost the ability to shock and discomfort. Only extreme deconstruction can stop us in our tracks, such as the shredded and torn disarray of this Jean Paul Gaultier tank top. Though it appears to have been severely mistreated, this mesh tank was designed and manufactured to look tattered and torn.

Tank top
Jean Paul Gaultier
2002
Gift of Lee Sheppard
2003.38.1

Alexander McQueen, you will be missed.

All of us at the FIDM Museum were saddened and shocked to learn of Alexander McQueen's death. Such a tremendous loss of creative talent is difficult to comprehend. McQueen's aesthetic was provocative and never shy of pushing limits. Individual garments (recent examples include "armadillo" shoes and bone patterned suits) were provocative, as were the narratives that inspired each collection. In addition to his creative abilities, McQueen was a master of his craft, with many calling him the finest woman's tailor of his generation. For anyone who questions the impact of a provocative designer on everyday dress, take a look at the jeans you're probably wearing right now. If they're low-waisted, you have Alexander McQueen to thank, as he first introduced the low-cut "bumster" trouser in the mid-nineties.

Lanvin

As designer for Lanvin since 2002, Alber Elbaz has brought new life to what had become a house on the periphery of fashion. Founded in 1885 as a millinery shop, Lanvin flourished under the direction of its founder, Jeanne Lanvin. Lanvin excelled in the creation of elegant, sophisticated garments with a distinct silhouette and inventive surface decoration. After Lanvin's death in 1946, a series of designers headed the house, though none to such acclaim as Jeanne Lanvin herself. It was only with the hiring of Alber Elbaz that Lanvin began to return to a position of prominence. Though Elbaz's designs for Lanvin are lauded for their modernity, it is possible to find traces of Jeanne Lanvin's aesthetic running throughout his work.

Evening dress
Winter 2004
Alber Elbaz for Lanvin
Gift of Barbara Bundy
2006.37.8

The Couture Process

Our current exhibition, High Style: Betsy Bloomingdale and the Haute Couture, explores the world of haute couture through the experiences of Betsy Bloomingdale. To complement the ensembles on exhibition, FIDM Productions created a video documentary featuring extensive interview footage with Mrs. Bloomingdale. The documentary also features interviews with designers, including Marc Bohan, James Galanos, Hubert de Givenchy and others. Though we hope that all of you will have the opportunity to visit the exhibition, for those of you who live too far away, we're posting a section of the documentary today. The Couture Process focuses on the actual process of viewing and purchasing haute couture. The video is about 10 minutes long. Enjoy!

The Couture Process from FIDM Museum on Vimeo.

Orientalism in fashion

For Western artists and designers, one of the most enduringly popular points of inspiration is “The Orient,” resulting in a style called “Orientalism.” In historical terms, the Orient was a broad geographical designation describing the many nations and cultures of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. To the Western mind, these cultures represented, “romance, exotic beings, haunting memories and landscapes, remarkable experiences.”¹ Nations and cultures encompassed by this broad term may share some similarities, but each has distinct cultural and artistic traditions. Despite these differences, the Western mind has often grouped them into a unified whole. In design terms, this results in fantastic creations, the outcome of an exuberant and often naïve reinterpretation of non-Western cultures. Fashions inspired by Orientalism are often richly colored with intricate patterns or ornamental surface embellishments and present dramatic silhouettes.

“Nagasaki” Bodice (back view)
John Galliano for Christian Dior
Fall 2003 Ready-to-wear
FIDM Museum Purchase
2006.5.10

Opening this week!

High Style: Betsy Bloomingdale and the Haute Couture
October 21, 2009-December 13, 2009
Wednesday-Sunday 10am-4pm

Evening gown
Gianfranco Ferre for Christian Dior
1989-90
Gift of Mrs. Alfred Bloomingdale
2001.116.13

“High Style: Betsy Bloomingdale and the Haute Couture” celebrates a donation of over 100 Haute Couture garments given to the FIDM Museum at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising over thirty years by International Best Dressed Hall of Fame icon Betsy Bloomingdale. Mrs. Bloomingdale married Alfred P. Bloomingdale—an heir to Bloomingdale’s department stores and founder of Diners Club credit cards—and has lived in Los Angeles her entire life. She purchased French Haute Couture from 1961 to 1996. Her wardrobe includes designs by Marc Bohan and Gianfranco Ferré for Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Balmain, Yves Saint Laurent, André Courrèges, James Galanos, Adolfo, Oscar de la Renta and Valentino. This exhibition includes over 60 ensembles and describes the process of Haute Couture, showcases her favorite designers and examines her personal style and lifestyle. Supplementary exhibition materials include hand drawn croquis (colored sketches with attached fabric swatches), contemporary photographs of Mrs. Bloomingdale at many international events (including the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana), as well as magazine layouts illustrating garments she ordered. Accompanying the exhibition is a catalog and video documentary which includes interviews with Mrs. Bloomingdale, Hubert de Givenchy, James Galanos, Oscar de la Renta, Adolfo and Francois Lesage, among others.

Click here for our address and directions. Hope to see you there!

 

Detail of 2001.116.13

Fast fashion

Over the last few years, collaborations between clothing designers and mass-market retailers have become increasingly common. These fast fashion or capsule collections consist of a small group of designer items created for a specific retailer and are only available for a limited time. Capsule collections allow the average consumer to purchase a designer item at significant savings while allowing mass-market chains to increase their profile through targeted marketing campaigns. For new or unestablished designers, capsule collections help spread their name and design aesthetic, while well-known designers are able to bring their designs to a wider audience. Though these collaborations are now commonplace, one of the very first high/low collaborations was between Karl Lagerfeld and H&M, which launched in November 2004.

As the first such collaboration, Lagerfeld's capsule collection received a tremendous amount of attention from both consumers and the press. Carried in roughly half of the H&M stores, customers lined up for hours before stores opened in order to purchase one of the Lagerfeld designed items. The collection sold out within hours at many H&M stores and there were reports of customers actually grabbing garments out of the hands of sales clerks. The FIDM Museum black silk cocktail dress seen below is one of Lagerfeld's designs for H&M.

Cocktail dress
Karl Lagerfeld for H&M
Fall 2004
Museum Purchase
2004.5.47A-C

Do you want IT?

In 1998, Chanel launched an understated new handbag. Based on the upside-down torso of a woman, this aerodynamic bag was called 2005. The sleek, lightweight 2005 bag was created to carry the venerable design house into the new century. Prior to the 2005 bag, Chanel had primarily produced quilted leather handbags in a variety of sizes, always slung over the shoulder with the classic gold chain. The 2005 was a departure, consisting of a solid plastic understructure covered with neutral flannel and carried by an understated silver metal mesh chain. During the design phase, 2005 prototypes were carefully guarded to prevent counterfeiting. Chanel's designer Karl Lagerfeld said of the 2005, "It's totally new age...I have never seen anything like it."¹

2005 Bag
Chanel
1998
Gift of Barbara Bundy
2002.37.1

Alexander McQueen

Deliverance, Alexander McQueen's Spring/Summer 2004 fashion show was the hit of the season. Based on the 1969 film, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (starring Jane Fonda), Deliverance subverted the typical fashion show narrative by reversing the order of presentation; evening gowns kicked off the extravaganza while faux-homespun daywear and a tarnished evening gown concluded the show. This narrative mirrored the film, which documents a Depression-era dance marathon. In order to earn a cash prize the hopeful participants must dance for days with only brief breaks for food and short naps. Lack of sleep and food, paired with non-stop dancing, drives the dancers to the point of emotional and physical collapse and ends in tragedy. You can watch the trailer here.