French History and Art by Kelly Li

Paris Fashion Week

kli134 — 2024-01-05 02:13:04 UTC

Paris Fashion Week is a series of designer presentations held semiannually in Paris, France, with spring/summer and autumn/winter events held each year. It is a part of the "Big 4" fashion weeks, the others being London, Milan, and New York.

French History

kli134 — 2024-01-05 02:43:38 UTC

Since when did France become a source of inspiration and influence for the global fashion industry?

With high-end design houses like Chanel and Dior, how did it begin to dominate and lead in the fashion industry?

Coco Chanel

kli134 — 2024-01-05 03:51:33 UTC

French fashion designer and businesswoman in the post-WWI era. She popularized a sporty, casual chic as the feminine standard of style. Some classic innovations she can be known for are the woman's suit, the quilted purse, costume jewelry, the “little black dress", and Chanel No.5.

French Movie - Coco before Chanel (2009)

Louis XIV

kli134 — 2024-01-05 04:10:19 UTC

In the late 17th century, Louis XIV believed that all classes of people should look at fashion as a means of personal expression and individualization.

He centered France in the textile trade business and made France a country known for its fashion industry. He successfully made France a leader in fashion.

Christian Dior

kli134 — 2024-01-05 05:22:13 UTC

French fashion designer (1905-1957). His creations dominated world fashion in the decade following World War II. His inspiration was nature - his garden at Milly-la-Forêt, his vines at La Colle Noire, or the lily-of-the-valley that brought him good luck. So his work was all about the flowers, going so far as to inspire him to dress women in blooms and petals cut in fabric.

His fashion house created beautiful flowing garments that enhanced a woman’s curvaceous form, a look that became famously known as the "New Look." His brand as now expanded and there are now over 200 boutiques all over the world.

Other fashion designers

kli134 — 2024-01-05 05:26:33 UTC

Yves Saint Laurent (YSL), Jeanne Lavin (Lanvin Parfums), Louis Vuitton (LVMH), Sonia Rykiel (Queen of Knits), Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier

Plus a bunch more underrated ones that are well known in the luxury-Haute couture industry

French Art and Architecture

kli134 — 2024-01-05 05:35:41 UTC

Just as much France is known for its high-end fashion, French art is just as praiseworthy with artists such as Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and so many more.

Gothic, Renaissance, Romanesque Rococo and Neoclassic influences can be seen in many churches and public buildings, mixed in with some modern architecture.

We have many fashion designers taking inspiration from iconic art pieces as the French art industry and fashion industry are heavily intertwined with each other. The photo displays one of the looks from YSL's series of dresses that paid tribute to various artists who inspired him during his career: Piet Mondrian, Matisse, Picasso, and Andy Warhol.

The Influence of Art on Fashion

kli134 — 2024-01-05 05:38:10 UTC

"Art and fashion share the same values, presented in different artistic forms, thus intimately linking the fields. They are two means of expression that allow to accompany the change in our society, over the centuries." - IFA

https://www.ifaparis.com/blog/fashion-industry-news/the-influence-of-art-on-fashion/

Dali x Elsa Schiaparelli's Lobster Dress

kli134 — 2024-01-05 05:43:14 UTC

Elsa Schiaparelli was a famous Italian designer, friends with many artists such as Andy Warhol, Picasso, Man Ray or the famous surrealist Salvador Dali.

Salvador Dali and Elsa Schiaparelli became a complementary duo in the world of fashion and art in the 1930s. Elsa contributed her skills as a stylist to Dali’s “Vêtements de Nuits et de Jour”, and Dali participated in the development of the famous “Robe Homard” (Lobster Dress).