The Development of the Paris Haute Couture - Essay Example

? THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARIS HAUTE COUTURE and Question 3 How did Paris regain its positionas the world center for haute couture fashion after World War II? Discuss this in relation to the rising profile of art and fashion in America in the 1950s. Introduction The fashion industry originates from the nineteenth century when globalization was taking place in the world. This industry deals with social commodities such as shoes, clothes, and hair style. The French fashion industry came into being in the fifteenth century. During this period, art was the major economic activity that earned the citizens of the country income. The industry comprised of numerous fashions such as the haute couture and the classy impression. The upper class citizens of the country came up with the haute couture in 1860, a fashion which would differentiate them from the lower class in the society1. The fashion became popular in France, but it disappeared during the Second World War. The Second World War led to the fall of the haute couture because Germans occupied Paris, the city that bore the fashion (Valerie 2009). The upper class in the French society struggled to recover the status of the fashion in Paris after the war. The fashion has since grown to the extent of being exported and earning the country foreign exchange. Origin of the houte culture The haute couture was developed in 1858 by Charles Fredrick Worth who was born in Lincolnshire. Fredrick travelled to Paris in 1858 with the intention of introducing new techniques of sewing clothes in the city. The founder who targeted women in the upper class in the society built the first houte culture shop in Rue de la paix in the city (Schwartz 2011). Charles sewed dresses for women using the most expensive fabric in the country at that time. Women came to the shop to order for dresses according to the design that they preferred. Fredrick then measured the bodies of the women so that he could determine the size and shape of the dresses. In the course of the business, Worth became a designer. The designer formulated dress designs, and labeled them with the worlds, “Worth 7 Rue de la paix2.” The label contributed to the spread of the fashion not only in France, but the whole of Europe. In 1868, Fredrick developed the Chamber Syndicale De La Couture, an association that was in charge of registering and satisfying new haute couture houses. The Spread of Haute Culture in Europe The slave trade that took place along the Atlantic contributed to the spread of haute couture to the whole of Europe. Women who earned high income at that time travelled along the roads that were built by slaves to Paris where they bought the expensive designs made by Fredrick. The travelers who came from far regions spent their nights at the Hotel De La Paix where they were served with haute cuisine. This means that even the hotel and the haute food contributed to the development of the fashion. The women who bought the haute fashion dresses mainly used the clothing for special occasions such as horse racing and beauty pageants (Dejean 2005). Researcher found out that the number of models in France increased drastically when the haute couture was developed in Paris. The spread of haute couture led to the upcoming of new designers before the Second World War. The designers include Coco, Vionnet, Banciaga, Fortuny, and Poiret among others. These designers developed the haute couture further, and this led to the increased popularity of the fashion in Europe, Italy, and America (Ruppery, & Jana 2009). Fortuny developed a technique of pleating silk in a column-like silhouette. Banciaga who worked in a fabric firm developed silk gazar, which he used to make voluminous coats and dresses. Poiret, on the other hand, developed new designs, and he expanded the fashion to perfume and beauty products apart from dresses3. The increase in the number of silhouette sewers in the couture industry verifies the spread of the culture. In 1910, for example, the number of sewers in the industry had risen to 350,000; while artisans were 150,000 (Rachel 2011). The number of sewers increased to 400,000 by 1940 when war began in Europe. Development of Designs The haute couture silhouette dresses were well-organized during the period from 1900 to 1920. The dresses had a clear waistline, which made them look organized and attractive to upper class women. The dresses were worn with hats, and this was known as the Edwardian style. In 1914 during the First World War, the designs changed from structured to free flowing (Norman 2009). The free flowing dresses allowed women to engage in the war because they could move faster and freely. The dresses were described as being shapeless with flat busts. The period between 1920 and 1940 welcomed the further development of the free flowing masculine dresses. The design was developed because women preferred the free flowing silhouettes more than the structured dresses. The dresses became shorter than before such that they exposed limbs. Women applied make-up after wearing the dresses, and then they went out to night clubs to drink and smoke with their husbands4. This is because the flat bust design would disguise the gender identity of the women. The design of the dresses became even more masculine when rumors of the Second World War spread in Europe. After the Second World War, women preferred the structured silhouettes of 1910 because they were confident that no other war would arise in Europe (Norman 2009). Figure 1 the Edwardian structured dress designs of 1900 to 1920 Source: (http://www.tufts.edu/~mlee21/1900s.html) Figure 2 the free flowing masculine design of the 1920s Source: (http://www.tufts.edu/~mlee21/1920s.html) The Decline of the Haute Culture in the Second World War The Second World War, which began in the 1940s, led to the decline of the haute couture designs. France was engaged in war with Germany and other European countries during the war. The export and import of commodities ceased during this time because there was no harmony between Europe, America, and China. The French government withdrew resources from production of luxury goods such as the haute couture dresses5. Money was used to purchase war equipments while wool, nylon, and silk, were used to make uniform for those who took part in the war (Lemire 2010). The state also rationed luxury goods to ensure that citizens purchased only the basic commodities. This is because there was no clear forecast about the period when the war would end. Numerous haute couture shops were closed for lack of materials and customers to purchase the products leaving only sixty houses in the industry. The Germans who occupied Paris commanded fashion houses that failed to cooperate with them to close their businesses. Hitler, the then leader of Germany commanded his followers to transfer the production of haute fashion dresses from Paris to Germany (Mancoff 2012). However, this move was opposed by the designers; Lucieng Lelong convinced the German leader that the transfer of machinery was impossible. Lucieng used comparative advantage of production of silhouettes in France as the main point to prevent the transfer of machines and fabrics to Berlin. Lucieng was the president of the Chamber Syndicale during this time, and it is his power that saved the business from being transferred from France to Germany. The American fashion came into being in Paris during the German occupation. The fashion mainly consisted of sportswear; this is because the American designers would not afford expensive fabrics like those in Paris to make fine haute dresses. The sportswear consisted of light clothing, and it became popular in France and the whole of Europe (Foster 2011). The Rebirth of Haute Couture in Paris after World War 11 After the war, Christian Dior was the first designer to bring back the haute couture in Paris6. The designer wore her feminine structured and luxurious silhouette, which attracted other designers to restructure their fashion in the industry. Dior worked in partnership with Boussac who had financed him to advertise the new feminist design (Schwartz 2011). Women purchased the new silhouettes in large quantities as they settled from the war with their families. The main reason for the high demand was the need to attract the men who had come back from the war front after years of fighting. America and Canada also settled, and the customers who used to purchase the French haute silhouettes began purchasing the products afresh. The customers purchased large quantities of the fabrics leading to the earning of foreign exchange in France. By 1960, at least every woman in France had purchased at least one haute design silhouette7. The new look consisted of full skirts, which had a clear waistline and bust that gave women their feminine look. The major developments in the design were the bust and hips (Christina 2012). The designers also developed pencil skirts after the full skirts to satisfy the market demand for a feministic new look. Figure 3 the feminist dress design of 1958 after the Second World War Source: (http://glamourdaze.com/history-of-womens-fashion) The Growth of the Industry from Producer to Consumer-Based During the early 1970s, the haute couture industry developed from producer to consumer-based8. The producer-based industry was the one where the designers made all decision ranging from what to produce, the design, and the time to manufacture the silhouette design. The consumer-based industry became one where consumers participated in the production of new designs. This means that consumers also determined when and how the new fashions would be manufactured9. This development of the industry was triggered by the growth of the American art. The American designers allowed consumers to dictate the design and material used to make dresses, sports, and evening wears10. The French haute designers adopted the consumer-based technique of production because of the competition from the American fashion industry (Rachel 2011). Modern World Haute Culture The couture has made major developments in the twenty first century. The haute fashion has created a larger international market, which earns France foreign exchange. The new markets include Russia, Brazil, The Middle East, and China11. The increase in the popularity of the couture in the international market arises from the uniqueness of the designs. Grazia Chiuri a modern designer of haute fashion argues that the silhouettes customize the image of a person (Christina 2012). The customization means that the fashion is unique from one person to another unlike others where numerous customers purchase products that were alike in all aspects. This adds customer value to the goods, and it creates loyalty to the products despite their high price. The current designers of the industry make clothes that are used for casual wear rather than special occasions. This contributes to the increase in sales in the industry because consumers purchase large quantities of the products for daily wear. Designers maintain the confidentiality of the customers; this is a development because in the nineteenth century, consumers of the haute fashion were widely recognized in France12. The designers travel to the locations of their clients to take orders, which specify the material to be used in the production, the body size of the customer, and the design (Dejean 2005). This flexibility of the industry leads to high sales and profits for the designers. Figure 4 modern day designs developed for beauty contests. Source: (http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/486542/20130704/elie-saab-designer-gowns-paris-couture-2013.htm) There are less than twenty original haute stores in Paris today. The decrease in the number of shops arises from the formulation of stringent rules in the industry. The Chamber Syndicale requires producers to create designs in factories that employ at least twenty workers13. The chamber also requires the designers to present at least twenty five new collections in January and July of every year. These rules are so stringent that only few designers can afford to meet the requirements, considering the unpredictable business cycle of modern economies. Brika and Etsy are some of the modern day haute designer firms (Rachel 2011). Conclusion The haute couture refers to the fashion of sewing feminine clothes that was developed in Paris by Fredrick Worth. The sewing is done manually using complex techniques and silhouettes. The haute couture developed in France, and it became a major income earner of the country because of exports. The success of the haute couture did not last until the Second World War began in 1940. The popularity of the couture declined because the government shifted resources to war, and it rationed the amount of luxury goods that the citizens purchased. At that time the designs were masculine free flowing dresses that helped women to undertake heavy duties during the war. The end of the war gave birth to the new look that was introduced by Dior. Since then, the haute couture has developed into an international market, which comprises of unique designs that satisfy customers. The fashion is a major foreign exchange earner of France because it sells products in America, Brazil, China, and Russia among others. Bibliography Christina Passarielo. “The return of haute couture.” The wall street journal. Last modified April 26, 2012. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303513404577352171109436112 DeJean, Joan. The essence of style: how the French invented high fashion, fine food, chic cafe?s, style, sophistication, and glamour. New York: Free Press, 2005. Foster, Hall. Art since 1900: modernism, antimodernism, postmodernism. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2011. Lemire, Beverly. The force of fashion in politics and society: Global perspectives from early modern to contemporary times. Farnham: Ashgate, 2010. Mancoff, Debra. Fashion in Impressionist Paris. London: Merrell Publisher, 2012. Norman Parkinson. “Toujours couture.” Vanity fair. Last modified September 30, 2009. http://www.vanityfair.com/style/features/2009/09/couture200909 Rachel ward. “The decline of the haute couture:is it immortal?” fashion and power. Last modified March 21, 2011. http://fashionandpower.blogspot.com/2011/03/decline-of-haute-couture-power-house-is.html Ruppert, Mary, and Jana Hawley. Technology and creativity fashion design in the 21st century. Columbia: University of Missouri—Columbia, 2009. Schwartz, Vanessa. Modern France a Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Steele, valerie. Paris fashion. New York: Oxford university press, 2009. Troy, Nancy. Couture culture: a study in modern art and fashion. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2003. Read More