The Toga

Perhaps more than any other garment, it is the toga which visually separates Western Civilization from the Classical. For those who think that fashion did not happen way back when, the great Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus might have thought this toga much too complicated.

- AP

Court Couture

Yesterday I mentioned the Heian period (AD 794 - 1185) - a time when the Imperial Court of Japan was at its height. All one has to do is read the Pillow Book or the Tale of Genji to get the aesthetic refinement of this distant period.

Other periods of stunning court fashion include the reigns of:
1. Amenhotep III
2. Elizabeth I
3. François I

And there are many, many more to speak of. But fashion of these periods is marked by strong dress codes that were enforced, at the very least, by the pleasure or displeasure of the ruling king/queen.

We live in a time when fashion is free, but seemingly not as fabulous. But that's a jaundiced view; fashion is merely the reflection of its time.

This entry begins a new study here at the Paris Copy: Court Couture. We'll explore some of these codes of dress, and how they were carried off by some of the most stylish men and women of their respective times.

- AP

Sphinx: Utterances B11-B13

B11. Color patterns from the Heian period still look best in silk.

B12. Paris is just warming up. But can she regain her fashion crown?

B13. The 1930's are here, again. But not in the same way. Look to Alix, Mainbocher for standards. The shapes, however, are completely now.

Vintage Couture: A Perfect Dress

The lines of this Balenciaga dress are very important. Notice how the fabric skims the body while retaining a definite shape.

- AP

Other Masters: Givenchy and Bohan

At times, it seems as if Western dress for women revolves around two items of clothing:

1. The Little Black Dress: worn as often as possible
2. The White Bridal Gown: worn sometimes only once, if at all

When badly made, either one of these can end up looking like the cookie-clutter clichés that often come to mind.

When well done, they can again set the standard for smart dressing. For further research, I'd suggest looking at the mid-1960's work of either Hubert de Givenchy or Marc Bohan for Dior. You will find a workmanship and understanding of female form that are key examples of the high standards of that time.

- AP

Spring Reading 2009

For readers who are either in their first year of design school (or just love fashion), here are two books to add your reading list:

- The Glass of Fashion by Cecil Beaton: makes navigating through vintage couture easier. It is a mid-XX Century observation.
- The Italian Look Reflected by Silvia Giacomoni: priceless. A kind of wandering through the Milan fashion scene when it was still a new rival to Paris - way back in the late 1970's - early 1980's.

I mention these two books because they document the transition of fashion from the cult of the designer to the cult of the label.

The question for this century is: where are we going next?

- AP

Balenciaga: House Reinvention

The current incarnation of the House of Balenciaga is a lesson in fashion mastery.

For those who are old enough to remember, Cristobal Balenciaga (1895 - 1972) was one of the last masters who learned the secrets of haute couture when there were far more practitioners than today. Key words for the Grand Master of Couture, aka "CB":

- clear lines: a CB silhouette stands apart from any setting
- color: not a mix-master like YSL, but very sure in the use of any color he used
- status: CB was from this last period where heiresses and countesses defined fashion. There is an aristocratic nature to his clothes. We won't go into the often ecclesiastical nature of CB's work for today.

I bring up this rich past because Nicholas
Ghesquière (aka "NG") in many ways follows the same spirit - but adapted for a world that is very different than the stiff social order of CB's day.

Of course there are other success stories among those at the older houses - and quite a few failures as well. But the Balenciaga story, for now, is one of those happy moments in fashion.

- AP

Carioca Fashion: Men

Rio is an interesting place for male fashion. Costumes that are made with care and precision are worn only for Carnival; everyday clothing sometimes lacks verve.

So here's to a Rio fashion scene that is 51% Carnival and 49% everyday. For clarification, the feathers are very Carnival. But the swimsuit - better known as the sunga - is classic everyday Carioca.

Chic Technique

Gentle Reader -

I mentioned some months ago that fashion really pushes forward when there is a recession. The recent run of shows have given us new shapes and colors - a new focus, really.

I am assuming of course that you've done your homework, reading and viewing the collections. For the lucky ones, you might be ordering some of the best designs.

The real star of these shows has been the brilliant display of technique. Some might say that the lines between couture and ready-to-wear are being blurred; perhaps.

Take note that what we might be seeing is a true "high fashion" - still limited, but slightly more accessible than haute couture.

- AP

Lasting Power

If the pyramids at Giza represent a certain permanence, then the coastline of Alexandria represents a certain impermanence. Fashion itself is notoriously impermanent, but if we remember that it's not the clothes themselves, but what they connote, then we realize that fashion is about being in the now, the moment. And that's all.