1920s Fashion Designers

Here are few of the more pivotal designers of the Lost Generation Era, the time between WWI and WWII was often called the ‘Golden Age of French Fashion’, and for good reason.
Many of the social and fashionable norms of the past were swept away for the revolutionary fashions of the futures to come. Duly noted this is not a biography on each designer, more like a brief synopsis of what they specifically contributed to Fashion in the 1920s.

Coco Chanel- Responsible for many current trends of the decade, and even more ground breaking trends of the century Chanel popularized the removable of the constricting corset in place for a softer and looser look created by using jersey, a fabric usually reserved men’s underwear. This style was very post-war and liberating for the new modern woman who have evolved beyond the corset.

Jean Patou-French born, Patou introduced sportswear for women in the 1920s known for his cubist sweaters and used of unique dying techniques differentiated his goods from the replicas of the era. He focused on clothes being functional, comfortable and fashionable (fashions pictured right).

Jeanne Lavin– popular fashions trends as written by Fitzgerald in the Great Gatsby were the made popular by Lavin that introduced heavily beaded pieces and delicate embroideries that became the decade’s signature style. On a larger scale these fashions were still available to the working class with increased production with larger scale factories. If it was not otherwise, then it probably wouldn’t of had the popularity as it did.

 

Madeline Vionnet– French designer known for introducing the bias cut into modern day fashion. The bias cut is when a fabric is folded at a 90 degree angle inward and cut along the diagonal which leads to more pull and stretch compared to cutting a fabric with the grain. Cutting on the bias has many benefits; Vionnet used bias cut in drape-y fabrics such as silks, crepes, and satins to exposure the natural curvature of the woman’s body (draping based on bias cut featured left).

 

Elsa Schiaparelli– Keen on Surrealism, Schiaparelli had a futuristic vision of fashion unseen by most at the time. She was open to many collaborations and new technologies of the time. Noted her peak was more 1930s era, rather than 1920s, though she was on the rise during this era, (Schiaparelli sketch featured left).