Modernist and Postmodernist Fashion Designers - Essay Example

Modernist and Postmodernist Fashion Designers Introduction Modernism and Postmodernism. Modernism and Postmodernism are two coinages that appearto be intertwined. There seems to be no easy way to describe postmodernism, for example, without first discussing modernism, the movement from which postmodernism seems to have emerged. Neither is it complete to describe modernism without linking it up with postmodernism, which can be described as an offshoot of modernism. Both movements or ideologies affected human sense of fashion and hence fashion designs that were accepted as vogue during each of these periods (Burke, 2005; Witcombe, 2000; Klages, 2003). The word 'modern' from which 'modernism' seems to be coined, generically refer to anything that is contemporaneous; in this sense, all art can be said to be modern as at when it was made. However, as an art historical term, modernism refers to a period dating from around the 1860s through the 1970s and is therefore used to identify the style, ideology and forms of art produced during this period (Witcombe, 2000). According to Klages (2003), modernism can be described as the movement in visual arts, music, literature, fashion and drama, which rejected the old Victorian standards of how art should be made, consumed, and what it should mean. Klages argue that when viewed from a literacy perspective, modernism can be envisioned as characterised by: i. an emphasis on impressionism and subjectivity in writing (and in visual arts as well); an emphasis on how seeing (or reading or perception itself) takes place, rather than on what is perceived. An example of this would be stream-of-consciousness writing. ii. a movement away from the apparent objectivity provided by omniscient third-person narrators, fixed narrative points of view, and clear-cut moral positions. Faulkner's multiply-narrated stories are an example of this aspect of modernism. iii. a blurring of distinctions between genres, so that poetry seems more documentary (as in T.S. Eliot or ee cummings) and prose seems more poetic (as in Woolf or Joyce). iv. an emphasis on fragmented forms, discontinuous narratives, and random-seeming collages of different materials. v. a tendency toward reflexivity, or self-consciousness, about the production of the work of art, so that each piece calls attention to its own status as a production, as something constructed and consumed in particular ways. vi. a rejection of elaborate formal aesthetics in favour of minimalist designs (as in the poetry of William Carlos Williams) and a rejection, in large part, of formal aesthetic theories, in favour of spontaneity and discovery in creation. vii. A rejection of the distinction between "high" and "low" or popular culture, both in choice of materials used to produce art and in methods of displaying, distributing, and consuming art (Klages, 2003). During the later half of the 20th century, it became gradually apparent to many that the worldview fostered through Modernism is flawed, corrupt, and oppressive. A couple of events, including both World Wars, further heightened this perception. The perceived failure of modernism, as a movement and ideology, gave birth to the new period now referred to as Postmodernism, an ideology that has only emerged as an area of academic study since the mid-1980s (Klages, 2003). However, the term postmodernism is used in a number of confusing of ways; there is a problem with assigning a definite or useful definition to the term, most definitions are hopelessly vague and often inconsistent with each other. For some, postmodernism means anti-modern while for others it is merely a revision of modernist premises (Burke, 2005; Witcombe, 2000). The stance of those who see postmodernism as anti-modernism is a basic rejection of the major tenets of modernism; that is, a rejection of the doctrine of the supremacy of reason, the notion of truth, the belief in the perfectibility of man, and the idea that we could create a better, if not perfect, society. This stance has been labelled 'deconstructive postmodernism.' An alternative understanding, which seeks to revise the premises of Modernism, has been termed constructive postmodernism (Witcombe, 2000). Deconstructive postmodernism is said to be anti-modernism because it appears to destroy the ingredients that are vital to a worldview such as God, self, purpose, meaning, a real world, and truth and the basic assumptions that sustain such perspectives. It "deconstructs" the ideas and values of Modernism to reveal what composes them and shows that such modernist ideas as "equality" and "liberty" are not "natural" to humankind or "true" to human nature but are ideals, intellectual constructions. However, some see deconstructive postmodernism as nihilistic (i.e. the view that all values are baseless, that nothing is knowable or can be communicated, and that life itself is meaningless). Constructive postmodernism, on the other hand, does not reject Modernism, rather, it seeks to revise its premises and traditional concepts, though, like deconstructive postmodernism, it also attempts to erase all boundaries, to undermine legitimacy, and to dislodge the logic of the modernist state. Constructive postmodernism claims to offer a new unity of scientific, ethical, aesthetic, and religious intuitions. It does not reject science as such, but only that scientific approach in which only the data of the modern natural sciences are allowed to contribute to the construction of our worldview. In a way, it can be said that Constructive postmodernism desire a return to premodern notions of divinely wrought reality, of cosmic meaning, and an enchanted nature or that it seeks to recover truths and values from various forms of premodern thought and practice (Witcombe, 2000; Klages, 2003). Throughout these periods or movements (of modernism and postmodernism) from late in the nineteenth century through the early part of the twentieth and later half of the twentieth century, fashion design tracked and echoed trends of the moment. The developing aesthetic of modernism and postmodernism can be observed in the progression of fashion design from the heavily corseted S-curved silhouettes that reflected Art Nouveau interpretation of the female form early in the twentieth century to the first uncorseted, tubular, simplified silhouette that arrived before the First World War and continued into the 1920s, to the streamlined, body-hugging dresses of the 1930s and to the punk styles of the mid 1970s (Hay, 2000; Osborne, 1998). The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the trends in fashion designing during the periods of these two movements, in a view to observing the similarities and differences of these periods. This will be achieved by analysing a renowned modernist fashion designer and a postmodernist fashion designer. Modernist and Postmodernist Fashion Designers. Before an in depth discussion of modernist and postmodernist fashion designer, a look at what constitute fashion design is imperative. Fashion design, in the modern sense, can be described in two categories; Haute couture, and ready-to-wear. A fashion designer's Haute couture collection is not meant for mass production. In most cases, it is exclusively for private customers and is usually custom sized, cut and sewn. To qualify as an official "haute couture" house, a designer or company must belong to the Syndical Chamber for Haute Couture, a Paris-based body of designers governed by the French Department of Industry that includes American, Italian, Japanese, and other designers as well. Ready to wear collections, on the other hand, are not custom made; they are made in standard sizes which makes mass production possible. Although, ready to wear collections can also be categorised into two - designers/createur collections and Confection collections. Designer/createur collections have a high quality, a superb finish and a unique cut and design and thus are the most useful in setting trends compared to Haute Couture and Confection. Confection collections are designed by stylist and are mainly produced for the mass public without any intent of establishing any fashion trend (Joan, 2005; Valerie, 1988). Throughout the late nineteenth century through the early parts of the twentieth century, all high fashion originated in Paris. American and British fashion trends followed the trends in Paris; fashion magazine editors went to Paris fashion shows and even departmental stores sent buyers to Paris all with the intent of getting inspiration or copying from the French fashion trends. The modernist fashion designers reigned throughout this period and included designers like Charles Frederick Worth (1826-1895), Poiret and Lanvin in the 1915s, Patou and others. By the 1960s, the modernist fashion trend was losing steam as fashion designers gradually became the new Fashion icons, even though they in turn wore designs from the couturiers of the day. In the late sixties and mid seventies, the rise of British designers such as Mary Quant and Betsey Johnson signalled the end of not only French dominance in fashion but also the end of the modernist fashion trends. Taking their cue from street fashion, these designers catered to a younger consumer and offered retailers a new source of inspiration. Vivienne Westwood's street-inspired styles "created" the image of the postmodernist fashion trend, which is now generally considered as Punk. Later, New York designers including Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren raised American sportswear to the level of high fashion (Valerie, 1988; Joan, 2005). Modernist Fashion Designer The modernist fashion designer that will be analysed for this purpose is Thomas Burberry. Burberry is a U.K. based fashion designer that manufactures clothing and other apparel, usually in unique check pattern that has become something of its trademark. The company has branded stores and franchises around the world, and also sells through concessions in third party stores. It also runs a catalogue business and has a fragrance line. Burberry has also become a popular choice of the U.K. Chav class, specialising in hats, scarves, bags and many other clothing items. Burberry clothing was established in 1856 when Thomas Burberry, a 21 year old former draper apprentice, opened his first store in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Four years later, in 1870, the Burberry clothing had become well established and was focussed on developing outdoors attire. Burberry inventions in fashion designing began, when in 1880, Thomas Burberry invented gabardine fabric, which is hardwearing, water-resistant, yet breathable, in which the yarn is waterproofed before weaving. Patent for this invention was granted in 1888 and by 1891; Thomas Burberry opened an emporium in the Haymarket, London, which still stands today as the company's headquarters. Ten years afterwards, the company was commissioned by the War Office to design a new service uniform for British officers. The company also became the outfitters for Roald Amundsen's 1911 Antarctic expedition, which became the first to reach the South Pole, and then to Ernest Shackleton on his 1914 attempt to cross Antarctica. When war broke out in Europe that year, the company modified its military designs to suit the conditions of contemporary warfare encountered by British troops, and the trenchcoat was created (Burberry earns independence, 2000). In the aftermath of the war, the trenchcoats became popular amongst civilians and over the years, the design was worn by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther films and Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Later on in 1955, the company was bought by Great Universal Stores (GUS), owners of U.K. High street retailers Argos and Homebase. However, after a protracted period of relative slow decline, the company became labelled as an old fashioned raincoat manufacturer (Mark, 2005). The most renowned design of the Burberry clothing company was the red, white and black camel check known as the 'Nova'. The check was first used as a lining for the company's trenchcoat in 1924 and was not widely worn as an outer layer until in the late 1960s. Later on, the nova became almost synonymous with Burberry and was used for a number of items from umbrellas and scarves to luggage. It was later registered as a trademark. Post Modernist Fashion Designer. The post modernist fashion designer that will be considered for the purpose of this paper is the English fashion designer, Vivienne Westwood. Westwood, together with McLaren through whom she got connected with the Sex Pistols. These two figures revolutionised fashion and could be said to be responsible for the popularisation of post modernist punk styles and other new wave fashions. Vivienne Westwood was born as Vivienne Isabel Swire in Tintwistle, Cheshire in 1941. At the age of seventeen, her parents bought an office in the North of England. She studied at the Harrow school, of Art for one term and later went on to attend a teacher training college. Vivienne's first husband was Derek Westwood with him she had a child named Ben. Their marriage lasted three years before she met Malcolm McLaren, later known for being the manager for punk band The Sex Pistols. The two had a son named Joseph, and Westwood continued to teach until 1971, when Malcolm decided to open a shop, Let It Rock (also known as Sex, Too Fast To Live Too Young Too Die, Seditionaries) where Westwood began to sell her outrageous designs, she still owns the shop, and sells her Anglomania label from there, it is now known as World's End. During this period, Westwood, McLaren, and artist Jamie Reid were influenced by the Situationists (Wikipedia). The punk styles of Westwood and McLaren gained its famed notoriety when the Sex pistols wore clothes from their stores in their first gig. The 'punk style' included BDSM fashion, bondage gear, safety pins, razor blades, bicycle or lavatory chains on clothing and spiked dog collars that were used as jewellery, as well as outrageous make-up and hair. The effects of Westwood's design had far greater effect on the public after the inclusion of more traditional elements of British design, such as tartan fabric in addition to other more unusual elements of her style. Her design style had evolved so that her main interests included not only the youth and street culture but also tradition and technique. Her first runway show was the Pirate collection in London, in March 1981 (Bell-Price, 2006). Westwood incorporated historical factors into her collection by using historical seventeenth to eighteenth century original cutting principles and then modernising them. This collection was about 'gold and treasure, adventure and exploration'. Other influences in Westwood's work have included ethnic Peruvian influence, feminine figure, velvet and knitwear. A historical influence also, was always shown in her work. In December 2003, she and the Wedgwood pottery company launched a series of tea sets featuring her designs. Westwood's first major retrospection of her work was shown in 2004-2005 at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the National Gallery of Australia. The exhibition is made up of around 145 complete outfits, grouped into the themes, which have dominated her work from the early 1970s to the present day and were drawn from her own personal archive and the V&A's extensive collection. They range from early Punk garments to glamorous 'historical' evening gowns. In September 2005, Westwood joined forces with the British civil rights group Liberty and launched exclusive limited design T-shirts and baby wear bearing the slogan 'I am not a terrorist, please don't arrest me'. Her Autumn/Winter 2005/2006 collection draws inspiration from her archive, reinterpreting designs using Wolford's exclusive knitting technology, who she has worked in close collaboration with since 2003. Westwood accepted a DBE in the 2006 New Year's Honours List "for services to fashion", and has twice earned the award for British Designer of the Year (Wikipedia). References Bell-Price, Shannon (2006).Vivienne Westwood and the Postmodern Legacy of Punk Style. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 26th May 2006 from "Burberry earns independence", BBC News, 2000-11-30. Burke, Barry (2005). post-modernism and post-modernity. Last updated Jan. 2005, retrieved May 25th 2006 from DeJean, Joan (2005), The Essence of Style: How the French Invented High Fashion, Fine Food, Chic Cafes, Style, Sophistication, and Glamour, The Free Press. Hay, Susan (2006). Modernism in Fabric: Art and the Tirocchi Textiles. Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design. Retrieved 25th May 2006 from Klages, Mary (2003). Postmodernism. English Department, University of Colorado, Boulder. Retrieved 26th May 2006 from Osborne, Roy (1998). History of fashion in Europe: Modern Classicism (Modernism). Retrieved 26th May 2006 from Quigley, T.R. (2001). From Modernism to Postmodernism. Retrieved 25th May 2006 from Shaw, Madelyn (2005). American Fashion: The Tirocchi Sisters in Context. Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design. Retrieved 26th May 2006 from Steele, Valerie (1988), Paris Fashion: A Cultural History, Oxford University Press. Tran, Mark, "Warm winter hits Burberry's UK sales", The Guardian, 1st Dec. 200 Vivienne Westwood. Wikipedia The Online Encyclopaedia. Retrieved 26th May 2006 from Witcombe, Christopher L C E (2000). The Roots of Modernism. What is Art...What is an Artist Retrieved 25th May 2006 from Read More