Chic That Happened.: fashion history

15.4.12

First Fashion Designer: Charles Worth

I know I promised you all a post on Charles Worth about a week ago and I was finally able to get it done!

I was watching Fashion Star the other day, alright I confess it was the first time I'd ever watched it. I have to admit, I liked the system they have worked out- you can actually buy the winning pieces. I got to thinking on how anyone can be really be a fashion designer these days- hey, I'm not saying its easy, what I am saying is that anyone can call themselves a designer. Then, my curious mind got to racing and we all know how disastrous that can be. So I wondered, who was the first fashion designer?

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, Charles Worth.

Charles Frederick Worth was born in England in the year of 1826. At that time, most clothing- especially lavish dresses- were custom made and tailored. Though, the concept of pre-made clothes was around. Back to the point, Mr.Worth worked as an apprentice and clerk for two textile merchants in London. He relocated to Paris in 1845, where after some struggle he found work at Gagelin, a firm which sold textiles, shawls, and some pre-made clothing. After some time he opened his own dressmaking department there and in 1858 left to open his dressmaking shop.

Now, I found a lot of back and forth over which was truly the first fashion designer, Rose Bertin (Marie Antoinette's stylist and dressmaker) or Charles Worth. Rose Bertin created dressed for our dear fashion muse Marie Antoinette who donned them and after some weeks the designs were purchased by all the ladies-in-waiting and whoever else could afford them. However, Charles Worth operated his own fashion house and is appropriately titled "the father of haute couture", so in my opinion he was the first.

Back to the story, Mr.Worth found a lot of success as a dressmaker due to the Second Empire of France. Napoleon had established himself as emperor and married Empress Eugenie, bringing back the demand for luxury. Naturally, the Empress became a patron of Mr.Worth and that catapulted his career as a couturier.

He created one of a kind pieces and was known for having pre-made garments modeled by live models. Take a look at the artistry in his detailed work.

The House of Worth became very famous and lasted all the way until 1952, when Charles Worth's great-grandson retired. Nevertheless, I always find the lavish dressed from the late nineteenth-century so astonishing. There is so much detail in every fold, every tier of taffeta, every bead....there's a lot of inspiration to be taken from these eras.

If you'd like to read more about Mr.Worth and his couture designs, this article was very informative!

Image Sources:

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I think my next fashion history post will be on fascinators, so stay tuned!

With Happiness,

Angelic

21.3.12

blk

So as casual randomness would have it, the other day.....you know the one where I ran around my house doing wardrobe changes so you could understand my style.....well I was drinking blk water ( which, lets be honest, taste weird) and I got to thinking how the color black will always be classic. Its a color which can quite literally mean cool, chic, and rebellious all at the same time ( and really, its the only reason I bought blk water).

So, here's an ode to black. I want to discuss its history, its meaning, and the way it has been adopted by fashion.

Picture to prove....like my dirty windowsill?

So, we know that black was typically worn during mourning periods. This custom actually, really began during the Victorian era. Men mostly wore black, not for mourning, but for business attire. For women who did mourn, black crape fabric was most appropriate. It truly was Coco Chanel who revolutionzed the fashion world with her LBD. It was the first known black dress not made for a funeral. The color change was striking and bold, nothing the 20's wasn't. This was the time of flappers, bobs, and prohibiton, remember?

As time went by black became increasingly popular. Big movie stars like Jean Harlow and Mae West adopted it; Rogue rebels like James Dean and Marlon Brando wore it in the form of leather jackets. The American public was suddently influenced with celebrity and the rest is history as they say....

What I always find intesting, though, is going way back into history and really seeing what black was used for. I found some really cool articles, regarding this. Some facts I learned:

In Ancient Egypt, black was a color associacted with gardening.

In Japan and China, the color for mourning is actually white, so no bride would ever dare wear it for her wedding

In China, black represents water, a part of the natural world.

But maybe, I'm straying...overall black is a bold color and often you can't go wrong with it. I love how Cindy from COTTDS always puts it togther in that iconic "cool" way.