The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957Claire Wilcox In 1947, Christian Dior's "New Look" was greeted with both shock and delight, making headlines around the world. Accompanying the exhibition opening at the Victoria and Albert Museum in September 2007, this lavish book focuses on Parisian and British couture between 1947 and 1957, the decade Dior hailed as fashion's "golden age." The "New Look" symbolized a new femininity. The full skirts and hourglass silhouettes were considered highly decadent, synonymous with luxury and prosperity, in marked contrast to the austerity of the WWII years. Nevertheless, the "New Look" caught the public imagination and ushered in a period of remarkable creativity. The Golden Age of Couture features stunning gowns and exquisite tailoring from Dior as well as from such designers as Balenciaga, Balmain, and Givenchy, along with evocative photographs by the likes of Richard Avedon and Cecil Beaton. This beautifully designed book reveals the skill and craftsmanship of haute couture along with the inner workings of the exclusive design houses, and the inspiration behind some of the most famous styles of all time. |
Contents
List of Contributors | 6 |
The New Look Claire Wilcox | 60 |
5 | 113 |
Copyright | |
3 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
Advertisement Alison Settle Archive American atelier Autumn/Winter Bianchini Férier boutique buyers Cecil Beaton Chambre Syndicale Christian Dior clothes coat cocktail dress colours Condé Nast Publications cotton couture collection couture garments couture house couturier's created Cristóbal Balenciaga Digby Morton Dior's dress by Christian dressmakers Ducharne elegant embroidered embroidery ensemble exhibition fabric fashion house Fath's fibres France Golden Age gown Hardy Amies Harper's Bazaar haute couture Hubert de Givenchy industry interview jacket Jacques Fath Jean Dessès John Cavanagh Lachasse Lady Alexandra Lady Gladwyn Lanvin London couturiers Look luxury magazine materials modèle Molyneux Museum Nina Ricci Norman Hartnell Paris couture Parisian Pierre Balmain pleated Pope-Hennessy post-war première private clients ready-to-wear Richard Avedon satin Schiaparelli seamstresses Sekers silk sketches skirt studio style suit tailoring textile manufacturers traditional tweed V&A Archives velvet vendeuse Vogue British edition Vogue French edition wear women wool woollen workrooms worn York