Fashion : Historical Perspective - Research Paper Example

Fashion Research Assignment 1. Introduction: Fashion has always been an important aspect of human beings. It has been changing every now and then. Clothing is not only used to cover us but also to symbolize our status and standards. “Fashion, to me, is based on the concept of being comfortable in your own skin. It’s an art form, the coming together of brilliant minds, beautiful fabrics, textures, thoughts, designs and colours to create beauty. As an art form, it is to be appreciated, coveted, and if possible, emulated. But like all art forms, it is also to be absorbed discerningly, and with various degrees of maturity. So if anything, fashion is art to me.”( Devandran, 2012) Fashion dates back to the Egyptians to Romans to Medieval/ Byzantine to Renaissance and so on. Let’s discuss a few of them. “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” -Coco Chanel “Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.” -Oscar Wilde Teens find brands to be something that will make them look “classy” as many teens say today at school. Teisha-Vonique Hood from SMU stated that when people associate themselves with a particular brand or branded image, they immediately assume a new identity that is in some sense, confined to the societal points of that brand. They classify themselves through the brands they wear and it makes them feel like they fit in. There is always that new shirt or those new jeans or just some new trend that happens to begin. (Angelbabesshru, 2012) 2. Makeup of the Egyptians Usage of cosmetics has always been there since ancient times. It is very evident from the inscriptions and the wall paintings of the Egypt that how much they emphasized on the use of makeup, dressing and taking good care of their body. “Both men and women used a variety of different cosmetics at least as early as 4000 years ago as evidenced by their art works, excavated tombs and writings. Ancient texts contain directions for making different preparations for the face, hair and body including “cures” for baldness. As early as 2000 B.C.E., they appeared to have used processes involving wet chemistry to formulate their cosmetics. In the fourteenth century B.C.E., Egyptians also sought to change the body itself to meet the standards of the day. They considered a long, oval shaped head attractive, and used boards and clothes to bind the heads of the young children when the bones were still soft enough to mould. Makeup was kept in containers made of reed, stone, wood and ceramic. Cosmetic ingredients were mixed on bronze plates; pigments were stored in alabaster jars or reed containers and powders mixed with animal fats or oils when it was time to apply them. Perfume jars and mirrors with elaborated handles of animals, flowers and people have also been found in Egyptian tombs…Both men and women used rough, lipstick and nail colourings. They moisturize their skins with substances made from almond, palm, sesame, and olive oils. Oil of fenugreek, a plant that was widely available, was applied to freckled and wrinkled skin. Women used various preparations on their skin. These included facial masks containing egg white, face creams, unguents often perfumed, and cream just for the hands. They used pumice stones to smooth rough skin and remove unwanted hair. Eye-makeup was especially elaborate and was designed to create a look like that of the Egyptian sun god, Re. During damp weather, shadow powder was applied to the eye with pencils made from wood or ivory. Coloured liquid protected the eye-lids during hot, sunny days. Women frequently wore green shadow made from powdered malachite on the eye-lids, outlined with dark grey lead ore and designed with “wings” at the corner. Eyeliner, mascara and eyebrow darkener was made from kohl, a mixture of powdered antimony, carbon and oxide of copper. Dark lines of the colours stated at the outer corner of the eye and the eye brows then met in front of the ear-lobes. Kohl was a major cosmetic item and small kohl pots were made in various shapes, such as monkeys (which the ancient Egyptians kept as pets). Kohl pots were made from limestone and other stones which were then painted and/or glazed. A final touch to their makeup, women used a mixture of red ochre and oil to tint the lips and cheeks. Sometimes, they painted their lips with a bluish-black colour. Theyachieved a frosted look on their skin by using a face paint to which pulverized ant eggs had been added. Gold paint was sometimes applied to the nipples. Some women also outlined the veins of their temples and breasts with a blue paint.”(Sherrow, 2001, pp. 104) 3. Pleating techniques of the Greeks: The timeless folds of an ancient tunic, the drape of a voluptuous 18th-century dress, the high-tech pleats of Issey Miyake: The countless ways in which garments fold is the subject of a major exhibition on display in the host city of the 2004 Olympics. "Ptychoseis — Folds and Pleats: Drapery from Ancient Greek Dress to 21st Century Fashion," at the Benaki Museum's new wing, runs to Oct. 18. It is the first exhibition of its kind in Greece, a country that is slowly opening up to the idea of fashion as a mirror of history and society. Stemming from the ancient Greek verb "ptysso," meaning to fold, the show is an aesthetic journey through the centuries, focusing on marble folds (the pleats of antiquity), folds of the world (a look at how various cultures incorporated pleats and drapes), and folds in fashion: pleating techniques developed by fashion designers in both haute couture and ready-to-wear. (Kiss, 2004) “Greeks wore a short a diaper and a sheet for clothing. People generally didn't wear underwear. Through the use of pins, buttons, shoulder harness, and waist cinches the Greeks were able to produce a variety of clothing from what were otherwise pieces of draped cloth. Garments were often held in place with porpai, dress pins that were sometimes razor sharp and made of gold. Designers such Fortuny, Yves saint Laurent and Madame Grez were much inspired by Greek clothes.” (Hays, 2008). 4. Chanel’s inspiration from the Byzantine Era Karl Lagerfeld almost hosted this year's Paris-Byzance-themed Chanel Pre-Fall 2011 show in Istanbul, but instead settled on transforming the house's Rue Cambon couture salons in Paris with pillows and stained glass tables to put the focus on the clothes and for something more intimate. The theme was inspired by Gabrielle Chanel's Byzantine cross-adorned cuffs and the Byzantine empress Theodora: "Theodora was a circus artist who became empress, like Chanel, who was a little singer and became a fashion empress." He continued: “I like the idea of these two strong women,” before adding with a wink: “You know, there’s Chanel everywhere . . . I take a little idea and I make a collection.” (Fashionologie, 2012) Here presented is Chanel’s description of her dresses presented in a fashion show. Pages: 80-81 Designer: Gabrielle Chanel Type: Evening Dress (worn by Gabrielle Chanel) Date: Ca. 1930 Materials: White silk with all over white sequin embroidery, Francois Lesage with gold seed beads, faux pearls, coloured glass and coral. Technique:While historical to its references to medieval, Byzantine, Renaissance, and Indian Mughal periods, Chanel’s costume jewellery was modern because it negated prior notions of good taste.Lagerfeld’s trompe l’oeil jewellery is a humorous extension of Chanel’s advocacy of fake jewellery. The necklace is a hater that sustains the weight of the dress while allowing for a plunging back. Without it, the front of the dress, despite its covered up would risk slippage and jeopardize the wearer’s modesty. Referrence: American Vogue (1983, p. 154). (Bolton, Koda, Bolton, Garelick, 2006, pp. 204) For Chanel’s Métiers D’Art Collection Karl Largerfeld and Chanel’s global creative director of make-up Peter Philips took inspiration from Coco Chanel’s favourite artistic period, the Byzantine era. "Karl showed me a sketch of the direction he wanted to take for 'the look'; he then showed me the world famous mosaic portrait (found in the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna) of Theodora (AD500-548) which gave me a point of reference: the red line that she wore in the arch of her eyebrows," Philips reveals.( Hall, 2011 ) 5. Mary mcfadden’s use of Ancient Historic Reference: Mary McFadden: A Lifetime of Design, Collecting and Adventure puts McFadden’s accomplishments in fashion and far beyond into perspective. She can be viewed within a lineage of globetrotting, art-loving risk-takers who flirted with danger to live on a different plane. If self-help writers are correct and we can create our own realities, then McFadden’s excavations of her past should be considered a roadmap illuminating the tracks of a woman who took the reins of her life and never let go.(Marzo, 2012) A woman who shares her living space with a Mexican Huastec figure dated to 900 CE, Russian icons, Indian and Syrian gold and bronze objects, ancient Chinese vessels, Noguchi sculpture, paintings by Morris Louis and Franz Kline, and a cache of other precious artworks is a woman to take seriously, particularly when she has spent decades travelling the globe to acquire them. Mary McFadden: A Lifetime of Design, Collecting and Adventure – spectacularly illustrates her career as designer, writer, art historian, art collector and, perhaps foremost, adventure-seeker. (Marzo, 2012) “McFadden’s designs combine the tangible splendor of Chinese pongee silk, Javanese batiks, Egyptian linen and other luxurious fabrics with mesmerising treatments: intricate beadwork done in India, hand-painted quilted jackets, macramé belts, and her signature neo-classical marii pleating.” (Marzo, 2012) Marzo, 2012 further states that “Throughout her career, she has favoured basic but graceful toga-style silhouettes decorated with enlarged adaptations of timeless imagery: African, Etruscan, Byzantine, Celtic, pre-Columbian, Asian, Renaissance, etc. Reflecting her “synchronic” system, the pleated tunics refer to the classical (Greece), historical (Fortuny) and the modern (McFadden). The fabric columns and bold accessories ennoble women of all sizes, with diminutive, theatrically coiffed McFadden making the perfect model for the mystique they impart.” 4. Reference Images Makeup of the Egyptians: The picture on the right side is a wall painting of the Egyptian era. The women are using and applying cosmetics and colours in order to make them pretty and up-to-the-mark. Pleating techniques of the Greeks: The ancient Greek pleats in the frock are shown on the left. The apparel shows the excellence, beauty and intricacy of the designer’s inspiration from the Greek era. A gown of white silk jersey by Madame Gres, 1958 6. Chanel’s inspiration from the Byzantine Era: BYZANTINE BELLES Silhouette: Long + languid / A-line / Hourglass Color: Robin’s egg blue / Cream / Chartreuse / Teal / Gold / Beige / Sandy pink Key Items: Caftans / Ballerina dresses / Embellished lace gowns Materials: Chantilly lace / Brocade / Tulle / Chiffon / Silk crepe Print + Pattern: Faded tile motif Details + Trim: Beading / Embroidery / Jewel Embellishments / plunging necklines / Piecing / Peplums / Caftan sleeves The above image is Chanel’s inspiration from the Byzantine Era. The fashion, intricacy, decency and the image shown reflects the Byzantine era. 7. Mary mcfadden’s use of Ancient Historic Reference: The piece of cloth isrichly embroideredpieces such as the gowns from her “Medici” collection. Early on, I considered researching McFadden’s embroidery methods, on the ancient Persian Zardozi technique. It is from a curated collection which included selections from McFadden’s personal textile collection Mary McFadden’s Goddesses exhibition in BakalarGallery 8. References Kiss, E. (2004) The art of the fold, from designers ancient and modern. [online] Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/03/style/03iht-fgreece_ed3_.html [Accessed 17 November 2012] FASHIONOLOGIE (2012) Chanel Brings Byzantine to Paris with Pre-Fall 2011 Collection [online] Available at: http://www.fashionologie.com/Runway-Backstage-Photos-Chanel-Pre-Fall-2011-Paris-Byzance-Collection-12471936 [Accessed 16 November 2012] Bolton.A., Koda.H., Bolton.A., Garelick.R. “Chanel: Exposición , The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York”, (2006), pp. 204. Print. HALL. A. (2011) Byzantine beauty. Five steps to Chanel’s latest look. [online] Available at: http://www.vogue.com.au/beauty/news/byzantine+beauty+five+steps+to+chanels+latest+look,13525 [Accessed 18 November 2012] Jefferson. T (2012) Fashion Through Time [online] Available at: http://www.ooshirts.com/guides/Fashion-Through-Time.html [Accessed 18 November 2012] Sherrow. V. , “For Appearance' Sake: The Historical Encyclopedia of Good Looks, Beauty, and Grooming. ” (2001), pp. 104, Print. Marzo. C., (2012) Fashion’s Archeologist Excavates Her Past: Mary McFadden: A Lifetime of Design, Collecting and Adventure by Mary McFadden with essays by Ellen Fisher. [online] Available at: http://www.studio-international.co.uk/books/mary-mcfadden-2012.asp [Accessed 17 November 2012] kwintessential.co.uk (2010) Ancient Egyptian Cosmetics. [online] Available at http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/egypt/ancient-egyptian-cosmetics/3185 [Accessed 16 November 2012] Beautifulwithbrains (2010) Beauty History: Cosmetics in Ancient Egypt.[online] Available at: http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2010/02/02/beauty-history-cosmetics-in-ancient-egypt/ [Acessed 17 November 2012] Hays.J (2008) Ancient Greek Clothes, Beauty, Hairstyles and Hygiene. [online] Available at: http://factsanddetails.com/world.php?itemid=2020&catid=56&subcatid=367 [Accessed 16 November 2012] 2011. Web http://underthegables.blogspot.com/2011/09/if-i-could-i-would.html Saab.E. (2012) COUTURE F/W 2012, ELIE SAAB, WOMEN. [online] Available at: http://blog.stylesight.com/runway/elie-saab-3 [Accessed 15 November 2012] Karajamienorton (2012) Veronica Etro and Chanel. [online] Available at: http://fromcavementocouture.wordpress.com/2012/09/29/bedazzling-byzantium-chanel-and-veronica-etro/ [Accessed 17 November 2012] Kariotis.Y. (2012) Literature Review of the Traditional Greek Wedding Dowery (Inspired by Mary McFadden's 2009 Goddesses Exhibition at MassArt. [online] Available at: https://campus.digication.com/YotaKariotis/Literature_Review [Accessed 18 November, 2012] Devandran.A. (2012) What is fashion to me?: Finding your unique perspective. [online] Available at: http://www.blog-trends.com/2012/05/what-is-fashion-to-me-finding-your-unique-perspective/ [Accessed 17 November 2012] Angelbabesshru (2012) Teenage and Fashion. [online] Available at: http://www.studymode.com/essays/Teenage-And-Fashion-1131576.html [Accesssed 15 November 2012] Read More