ART DECO IN MODERN FASHION

ART DECO - AN INTRODUCTION

An art movement involving a mix of modern decorative art styles, largely
of the 1920s and 1930s, whose main characteristics were derived from
various avant-garde painting styles of the early twentieth century. Art
deco works exhibit aspects of Cubism, RussianConstructivism and
Italian Futurism — with abstraction, distortion, and simplification,
particularly geometric shapes and highly intense colors — celebrating the
rise of commerce, technology, and speed.

The growing impact of the machine can be seen in repeating and

overlapping images from 1925; and in the 1930s, in streamlined forms
derived from the principles of aerodynamics.

The name came from the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts
Decoratifs Industriels et Modernes, held in Paris, which celebrated living in
the modern world.

It was popularly considered to be an elegant style of cool sophistication

in architecture and applied arts which range from luxurious objects made
from exotic material to mass produced, streamlined items available to a
growing middle class.

ART DECO FASHION

In the 1920s, not only were architecture and art influenced by Art Deco,
fashion was, too. Designers were inspired by the stage sets of the Ballet
Russes, fabric designs and costumes from Leon Bakst and creations by
the Wiener Werkstätte, just to name a few. Women's increased
participation in sports, along with the introduction of energetic dance
styles required a different type of dress, and technical advances resulted
in the availability of new fabrics. These factors played a role in a true
fashion revolution: fashion designers created new silhouettes and
innovative details, and used new colors and luxurious fabrics. At least as
important was the use of typical Art Deco patterns for textile
decoration. ART DECO FASHION DESIGN contains more than a 1,000
beautiful fashion plates, including designs from famous Art Deco
designers such as Paul Poiret, Charles Worth and Jean Patou.

The 1920s fashion demonstrates how closely its development was linked
to that of Art Deco; it explains how the arts and dress nourished each
other, one acting as an inspiration, the other as a medium. It also depicts
the complexity and diversity of 1920s fashion, which amounted to so
much more than the proverbial flapper's dress and the cloche hat.
This period was characterized by a unique collaboration between artists of
the avant-garde and fashion designers, who imbued fashion with their
respective skills and visions. The avant-garde saw in fashion a new and
exciting canvas on which to express their ideas; ballet, theatre, fashion
illustration and cinema also offered arenas for artistic expression which,
ultimately, would influence mainstream fashion.

The emancipation of women and the general liberalism were central to

the development of fashion design. The new casual look in fashion had
sharp contrast to the corset fashions popular in the previous decades.
With freedom of movement a priority, designers such as Jean Patou,
Madeleine Vionnet, Erte , Gabrielle Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli created the
first real style for the modern woman.

In the late 1920s, a new streamlined design aesthetic dubbed Moderne

(now known as Art Deco) combined Cubism’s geometric base with sinuous
embellishments. Once again, textile patterns and fashion design echoed
the trend. Shiny fabrics only enhanced the connection with the "speed" of
modern life–and art.

The dresses, coats, bathing suits, and evening wraps found in the Tirocchi
shop, when placed chronologically, chart for the observer not only the
changing silhouette of fashion, but reflect the fact that fashion was part of
an aesthetic that was part and parcel of its time. From the chemise and
cloche of the 1920s, echoing Cubist concerns, to the evening dresses of
the 1930s, with the body-skimming silhouettes and reflective surfaces,
each garment has a particular relationship to the art of its time.

The designers of these garments–and by extension Anna and Laura

Tirocchi and their clientele–were reflecting the developing aesthetic of the
early twentieth century and asking the question, "What does it mean to be
modern?" The Twentieth Century felt "new" to people. Advances in
technology increased the speed of life and the speed of change. Artists
and designers responded to this new age with their work. The Tirocchis
and their customers watched modern trends with interest, and did their
best to wrap themselves in clothes of a new age.

The Art Deco style was the genre during the 1920s and 1930s affecting
the decorative arts, fine arts and fashion .Throughout this period it was
moment for women's clothing fashions
Art Deco design was above all modern that exemplified the boundless
potential of a newly industrialized world. The characterizations of Art Deco
include the use of materials such as sharkskin, zebra skin, zigzag and
stepped forms, bold and sweeping curves, chevron patterns, and sunburst
motif. The sunburst motif was used in such varied contexts as a lady's
shoe. It was a mainstream in consumerism that was stressed in the great
fashion magazines as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar to advertise the
emergence of the New Woman in American society. Modern elements
included echoing machine and automobile patterns and shapes such as
stylized gears and wheels, or natural elements such as sunbursts and
flowers.

The corset was definitively eliminated making the flat and square dresses
of the 1920s an ideal canvas to display motifs of the Art Deco period.
Skirts were shortened and the female figure became formless and
androgynous (sexless) - the waistline dropped to the hips or simply
ceased to exist. In the 1930s the waistline moved to its natural position.
Nylon, satin, silk and crepe the most prevalent of materials used to make
fine figure defining dresses. Fabric was cut diagonally to take advantage
of its elasticity to show formation of what it covered. Skirts were made
longer while the legs were allowed to be seen via long slits in the dresses
and the shoulders were broadened by padded shoulder insert

The Art Deco of the 20s, with its geometric motifs and bright, bold colors
superlative represents the best and purest forms of the decorative art
period. Reaching its bold point between 1925 through 1935, the classical,
symmetrical, rectilinear style of Art Deco, drew inspiration from other art
movements such as Cubism, Futurism, and influence of the Bauhaus and
became the dominant art form of Paris between 1920 through 1930.
Tamara deLempicka was the artist who pursued the Arts Decoratifs style,
derived from the World's fair held in 1925, formerly titled the Exposition
Internationales des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes that
showcased French luxury good

Sexy, modern and unabashedly consumer-oriented was the new Art Deco
style. Motifs were borrowed from Japan, Africa, ancient Egtyptian and
Mayan cultures to create novel visual effects (Benton, 2003). French
pochoir prints from the glorious Art Deco era presented woman's fashion
designs in their most original era. The clothing was revolutionary from
designers such as Charles Worth, Jean Patou, Paul Poiret, Lucien Lelong
and Joseph Paquin

The jewelry from the era exploded with color, drama of form and
juxtaposition of texture and contour. Designs included buckles, clips,
belts, mirrors, pendants, cigarette cases, rings, chains, necklaces,
watchbands, brooches, studs and charms

ART DECO IN MODERN FASHION

Fashion Constantly Takes inspiration from art, era gone by etc.

Art Deco influences are finding their way into modern fashion. Not tied
entirely to the formal start and end of the Art Deco era, the influence
begins with earlier Art Nouveau and follows right through to the glamour
of 40s silver screen starlets.The geometric shapes, curved lines and exotic
influences that defined the era.

The Icons and Influences:

• Tamara de Lempicka
• 1940s Power dressing – Katherine Hepburn and Lauren Bacall
• The Chrysler Building
• Cubism

The Elements:

• Sophistication
• Glamorous dresses with geometric details
• Wide-leg pants
• Egyptian themed jewellery – scarab beetles, turquoise, coral
• Gold
• jewellery and accessories in quirky and exotic shapes; lucite and
bakelite; and 30s style hats