Monica D. Murgia

Where art, creativity, and fashion meet

July 31st, 2012

Circular Fashion

During the past few weeks, I’ve been working on another writing project. I have to write a series of entries on American fashion in the 1940s. Needless to say, I’ve been having a blast. One thing I love about collaborating with others is that it exposes me to new things – new ways of thinking, different images, and endless possibilities. This week marks my first deadline for the project. And while I should just focus on completing my last article, I just couldn’t help but write this short post!

As I dug through primary sources (magazines and images of garments from the time period), I came across this evening dress by Cristobal Balenciaga. The train of the dress, when held out, has a circular shape.

Evening dress by Cristobal Balenciaga, c. 1967. Image courtesy of Metmuseum.org

Balenciaga (1895-1972) was a famed Spanish designer during his heyday, and he caught my attention in graduate school. I was mainly interested in him because of I was interested in exploring patriotism through fashion (an idea that merits another post). Yet his precision and mathematical construction of clothing won me over far more than ideas of heritage through dress.

My first though when seeing the black dress above was “Pierre Cardin”. Now, hear me out . . .

Balenciaga was influenced by religious garments. While part of this fascination was due to Spain being a Catholic country, Balenciaga was also focused on reducing garments to their purest, most essential state. This means reducing surface embellishments. With this goal, construction becomes extremely important. Many of Balenciaga’s designs are geometric, but still have a fluidity of movement. This makes the wearer look like a moving sculpture – one that changes shape with every gesture. Look at his famed wedding dress from 1967 for example:

Wedding dress by Cristobal Balenciaga, 1967. Image courtesy of Coletterie.

Wedding dress by Cristobal Balenciaga, 1967. Image courtesy of http://www.tendances-de-mode.com

Wedding dress by Cristobal Balenciaga, 1967. Image courtesy of Art Lobster.

Balenciaga staple since the 1960s, the nun-esque statement is has been cropping up occasionally since this one from 1967article-0-12169813000005DC-331_468x537

Wedding dress by Cristobal Balenciaga, 1967. Image courtesy of Little Augury

If you keep looking, you’ll notice the geometry in Balenciaga’s designs. After I looked at an endless stream of images, I kept noticing circular elements to his designs:

Oyster coat by Cristobal Balenciaga, early 1960s. Image courtesy of Soethby’s

Hat by Cristobal Balenciaga, c. 1955. Image courtesy of Metmuseum.org

Hat by Cristobal Balenciaga, c. 1960. Image courtesy of V&A Collections.

So why did I think Pierre Cardin? In my mind, Cardin is the master of introducing geometric forms into fashion. While he did so a bit later than Balenciaga, Cardin heavily used circular elements in his designs.

Pierre Cardin with some of his designs, c. 1969. Image courtesy of angelasancartier.net

Cardin was interested in creating “space age” designs. The use of hardware accessories and durable, industrial materials were characteristics of Cardin’s clothing. He created designs for both men and women, each looking like an androgynous uniform ready for the space age. Cardin himself spoke about his designs as futuristic:

The clothes that I prefer are those I invent for a life that doesn’t exist yet- the world of tomorrow.

Time is a cycle, anyway. What better way to represent it in fashion that with the use of a circle? Take a look:

Dress by Pierre Cardin, c.1969. Image courtesy of Mirelle

Cape by Pierre Cardin. Image courtesy of Christie’s.

Dress by Pierre Cardin, c. 1969. Image courtesy of Vogue.it

Either way, the similarities are clear to me. If the above images aren’t enough to convince you, look at this ensemble by Cardin from 1970. It’s eerily similar to Balenciaga’s wedding dress from 1967:

Dress and cape by Pierre Cardin, 1970. Image courtesy of Vogue.it

Wedding dress by Cristobal Balenciaga, 1967. Image courtesy of Little Augury

GHTime Code(s): nc nc nc nc

Tags: 1960s fashion, balenciaga, circles in fashion, circular fashion, cristobal balenciaga, geometry in fashion, Pierre Cardin
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April 25th, 2011

How to Speak Fashion: Part I

Looking through fashion periodicals and books is exhilarating. Finding that perfect accessory or dress is a magic moment. You see it, you read the text. You have to have it. Now, you are on a mission to make it yours. After a little internet research, you make a phone call. Maybe you call a friend to tell them about your newly coveted item. Perhaps you are researching something for a major presentation. Or you could just be calling Neiman Marcus to place an order. But the inevitable moment happens. Your elation turns to panic. How do you pronounce the designer???? Fumbling, your confidence goes down.

“Do I sound like a complete idiot???”; you think to yourself.

Guess what! You are not alone. I came across a book that had a pronunciation guide and wondered:

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE??? YOU COULD HAVE SAVED ME FROM A MILLION EMBARRASSING MOMENTS!!!!“

The next few posts will be dedicated on how to pronounce those beautiful, and tricky, French designer names. Also included are brief snippets about the designers/design houses to help you feel polished and confident when talking about your latest fashion obsession.

Albouy (al-boo-EE):

Gerard Albouy (1912 1985) often known by the name Ouy, was a French milliner . Between 1938 and 1964 he operated a Parisian hat shop called Albouy that was known for its decorative baroque-style hats.

: Albouy design by Pierre Simon, 1945

: Albouy sketch by Pierre Simon, 1945

Albouy, 1949.

Balenciaga (bal-len-see-AH-ga):

Fashion house, established by Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972). Balenciaga was Spanish, and opened up several ateliers in Madrid, San Sebastian, and the Basque region (c.1919) before moving on to Paris in 1937. The move was prompted by the Spanish Civil War. Balenciaga created immaculately constructed clothing that was as feminine as it was avant-guard.

: Cristobal Balenciaga

Balenciaga, 1941.

Balenciaga. Illustration by Guy Demachy, 1948.

: Balenciaga flamenco inspired evening dress, 1951.

Currently, there is a Balenciaga retrospective at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. A must see! Click here for details: Balenciaga and Spain

Nicolas Ghesquière (guess-key-AIR) is the current designer for Balenciaga. He has been the lead designer since 1997. Ghesquière enjoys referencing the legacy of the house by visiting the archives frequently.

: Nicholas Ghesquiere

: Original 1967 Balenciaga Design (left) and Ghesquiere’s Contemporary Rendition (right)

Balmain (bahl-MAN):

Fashion house created by Pierre Balmain (1914-1982). Balmain trained with couturiers (coo-tour-e-yay) Molyneux and Lelong before going solo in 1945. During WWII, Balmain was noted for his long, bell-shaped skirts. He continued to make elegant evening clothes.

: Balmain at WorkEvening Dress, detail, by Pierre Balmain. 1946.

: Evening Dress by Pierre Balmain. 1957

: Dress Detail, 1957

Christophe Decarnin (1964) was the chief designer for Balmain until this this month. Decarnin announced his departure from Balmain on April 6, 2011. Stay tuned to hear who is next . . .

Christophe Decarnin

: Balmain illustration by Rene Gruau, 1946.

Bruyere (bru-YEHR):

Established by Marie-Louise Bruyere in 1928. Bruyere worked at Callot Soeurs (Kah-low SOOR) and Lanvin (Lawn- VAN) before opening her own salon on the Place Vendome (plas van-DOM).

Bruyere created haute couture (oat koo-toor) collections until the 1950s, after which the label switched to ready-to-wear.

Bruyere, 1939.

Bruyere, 1945.

Bruyere. Illustration by Rene Gruau, 1945.

Bruyere. Illustration by André Delfau, 1947.

Callot Soeurs (Kah-low SOOR)

Couture house from 1895-1937, launched by 4 sisters. Hallmarks of garments produced by Callot Soeurs are lace, embroideries, and delicate handwork. The sisters were Japanese enthusiasts, and often incorporated oriental motifs and themes into their collections.

Callot Soeurs. Wedding Dress, 1916.

Comtess de Zogheb in Callot Soeurs, 1923.

Callot Soeurs, 1938.

Jean Desses (zhawn dess-SEZ)

Jean Desses (1906-1970) was Greek (real name was Jean Dimitre Verginie). He studied law before turning to fashion design in the 1930s. In 1936, he founded his own salon. Desses created gowns for European royalty and wealthy clients. He was fascinated with draping, and often made gowns that referenced classical Greek sculptures. He also favored an architectural silhouette for his garments.