History of Fashion 5th Lesson

Key Figures and Themes
- Focus on influential designers: Madeleine Vionnet, Jeanne Lanvin.

Definition: Orphism was an abstract, cubist influenced painting style.
Developed by: Robert and Sonia Delaunay around 1912.
Notable Work: Robert Delaunay's painting, Red Eiffel Tower (La tour rouge), created between 1911 and 1912, is housed in the Guggenheim Museum, New York.

Significant Works:
- Blanket (1911):
  - A patchwork of fabrics measuring 109 x 81 cm, exhibited in the MNAM, Centre Pompidou.
  - Inspiration claimed to be from peasant blankets in Russia.
  - Features an irregular grid of largely rectangular geometric forms similar to contemporary Cubist painting.
  - Sewn using traditional Slavic techniques.
  - This blanket influenced her and Robert’s future Simultanist paintings.
- Ballroom Bulle (Bal Bullier) (1913):
  - An oil on canvas piece located in the Centre Pompidou, Paris.
  - This dress was made for public wear to mirror her artwork.
  - Wore it to the dance hall with Robert, both adorned in vivid colors—transforming them into living, moving artworks.
  - Robert described the dress as making her ‘a living sculpture… a sculpture of living forms’.
  - Exhibited diverse works like bookbindings and home furnishings in Simultanist style in 1913.
- Robe simultanée (Simultaneous dress) (1913):
  - A colorful patchwork dress reflecting Simultanism.

Collaboration: Developed in collaboration between Sonia and Robert Delaunay.
Characteristics:
- Aimed to bridge visual arts and literature, fine and decorative arts.
- Intended to unify the art forms with the spectacles of modern urban life.
Sonia Delaunay's impact: After WWI, she became a successful clothing and interior design creator, with geometric patterns remaining a hallmark of her style.

Definition: Also known as “Style moderne”.
Period: Originated in the 1920s and evolved into a major style in Western Europe and the United States during the 1930s.
Origin of Name: Derived from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes held in Paris in 1925, where the style exhibited its major works.
Exemplar Works: Displayed significant works like Edgar Brandt's screen at the 1925 exhibition.

Split in Art Movements:
- The break between Art Deco supporters and avant-garde architecture advocates occurred in 1929, spurred by reactions to modernist designers like Charlotte Perriand and René Herbst.
- The Society of Decorative Artists (SAD) resisted avant-garde developments, leading to the formation of the Union of Modern Artists (UAM) in May 1929 by a group dissatisfied with SAD's conservatism, primarily interested in the tastes of an affluent elites.
- Key members of the UAM included Robert Mallet-Stevens, Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier, and Jean Puiforcat.
Significant Events:
- The Salon d'Automne of 1929 featured modernist architects and designers, starkly contrasting Art Deco styles.
- The group's first exhibition in 1930 emphasized modern art’s role in contemporary life.
- The UAM published a manifesto in 1934, opposing critiques of the modernist avant-garde, and was implicated deeply in the 1937 Paris Exposition, focusing on innovative sciences and techniques.
- Re-established post-WWII with the Formes Utiles exhibition in 1949, focusing on practical objects.
- UAM disbanded in 1958.

Madeleine Vionnet (1876 - 1975):
- Renowned for her innovative draping techniques.
- Notable works between 1920 and 1929 include various elegant dresses highlighted in La Gazette du Bon Ton.
Jeanne Lanvin (1867 - 1946):
- Featured models and designs in La Gazette du Bon Ton, showcasing exquisite styles for both adults and children in the 1920s.
- Notable dresses like ‘Robe de Style’ from 1924 to 1926 demonstrate a continuation of historical styles infused with modern elegance.

Fashion trends of the period incorporated various historical influences, including the Second Empire, Renaissance, and embroideries inspired by different cultures, showcasing a blend of the old and new.

Specific costumes for notable events, such as Chanel’s costumes for Jean Cocteau’s production of Antigone (1922) and the famous Le Train Bleu ballet (1924), highlight the fluid connection between fashion and performance art during this time.

Publications:
- Vogue's influence on the fashion landscape, including innovative ideas about pajama styles and evening wear.
Classic Items: Items such as the little black dress, brought to prominence by Chanel in 1926, signify both innovation and timelessness in fashion.

A detailed breakdown of costs associated with becoming fashionably dressed in 1926 indicated the significant financial investment tied to high fashion, underscoring the class dynamics at play within the fashion industry of the time.

The exploration of Art Déco alongside designers like Vionnet and Lanvin illustrates the intricate tapestry of art, design, and cultural context that shaped modern fashion through the early 20th century.
This enmeshment of art and commerce still resonates within contemporary design principles today.