Lecture Three

The Modern Movement and its impact on fashion

Art Nouveau 1890-1910

Cubism c.1909

Ballets Russes 1909 - 1929

The Modern Movement

Futurism 1909 – 1916

Dada 1916 – 1921

Art Deco 1910 – 1939

Constructivism 1917 – c.1930

The Bauhaus 1919 - 1933

Surrealism 1924 – 1929 and beyond

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Ballets Russes 1909 – 1929

Founded by Sergei Diaghilev – impresario: art exhibitions, opera, ballet etc.

Emphasis on colour and exoticism, rather than the romantic tradition

Star and lead dancer (also choreographer) Vaslav Nijinsky

Sets and costumes by Leon Bakst

Diaghilev expert at involving other great creatives at the time (Chanel designed costumes; Picasso, artwork for programmes; Cocteau wrote scenarios etc)

Last performance in 1929, Diaghilev died later that year.

Paul Poiret 1879 – 1944

Opened his own couture house in 1903

Rose to fame under the influence of the avant garde art of the time, as well as the Ballets Russes;

Emphasis on loose clothing, simple lines, strong colours, orientalism (collected ethnological textiles)

A heavy self-promoter, theatrical in spirit – he designed for impact

Designed the ‘hobble skirt’, ungainly but influential 1909-1914

Allegedly: freed women from corsets; first couturier to launch a perfume

Ballets Russes, Vaslav Nijinsky in Scheherazade, 1910, costumes by Leon Bakst

Designs influenced by Bakst and the Russian ballet, 1914 (‘Salome’ by Paul Poiret, on the left)

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Art Deco 1910 – 1939

Similar to Art Nouveau in that it is a highly decorative, international movement.

But line, pattern, shape and form are heavily stylised and sculptural;

Favoured motifs: fan motifs, geometric fan motifs, zig-zags, sunbursts.

Emphasis on exoticism, strong colours, sophisticated taste.

Brought glamour and opulence to architecture and interiors.

(The Discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 brought a craze for Egyptian-style designs and antique colours eg. gold, turquoise and so on)

Sonia Delaunay

Vibrant, artistic use of colour: paintings, graphics, stage designs, fashions

Coco Chanel

Introduced chic daywear, classic two-piece suits, flamboyant costume jewelry, ‘the little black dress’, and menswear for women (trousers, blazers, etc). Emphasis on youth and elegance. First couturier to place her name on a perfume (and designed the bottle).

Young Woman in Green, portrait by Tamara de Lempicka, 1927

Normandie, 1935

A. M. Cassandre

Left: Radiator grille, entrance lobby of Chanin building NYC 1929Right: ‘Sight’ and ‘Sound’ reliefs, Warner West End, Leicester Square, London 1938

Dressing gown made of a fabric designed by Sonia Delaunay, 1926

Gouache design on paper, 1935 – Sonia Delaunay

Sports coat and its material, 1926

By Sonia Delaunay

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Constructivism 1917 – c.19301917 Russian Revolution (October Revolution) – V.I.Lenin emerges as Leader.Constructivists: founders Vladimir Tatlin, Alexander Rodchenko, plus other

artists – El Lissitzky, Varvara Stepanova, Ljubov Popova and more.Rejected ‘Art for Art’s Sake’ and used their artistic skills to create products and

imagery for the good of society – thus building or ‘constructing’ the new Soviet future, while also redefining the role of the artist.

1917 – late 1920s: an intense period of prolific work for the avant garde artists.1924 – Lenin dies.By the 1930s, Socialist Realism was favoured; in 1932 Stalin outlawed abstract

art and design.

Varvara Stepanova 1894 – 1958 Sportswear design, textile (pattern) design, graphics, theatre design

Alexandra Exter 1882 – 1949 Painting, stage and costume design, also decorating ‘agit-trains’ with her pupils.Designed costumes for ‘Aelita’, first Russian science fiction film.

Below: Varvara Stepanova, Ljubov Popova

Right: Alexander Rodchenko

Poster by Rodchenko for the Leningrad State Publishers, 1925‘Lengiz – BOOKS – in all branches of knowledge’

Costume sketch No. 7, 1921 – Ljubov Popova

Designs for sportswear by Stepanova (left) and logo designs by Rodchenko (right), c.1917

The Female Pyramid

Photograph byAlexander Rodchenko,1936

Textile design, 1924 – Varvara Stepanova

Water sports, textile design, late 1920s

Tractors, textile design, 1930

Red Army soldiers help with the cotton harvest, textile design, 1932

Untitled fabric design, 1932/4

The Turkish Siberian Railway, textile design, 1930s

Poster for the film ‘Man with a Movie Camera’, 1929 – The Stenberg Brothers

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Surrealism 1924 – 1929 and beyond

Founded in Paris by Andre Breton; emerged from Dadaism.

Attracted to the theories of the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, and consequently the creative potential of dreams and the unconscious.

Diverse and often startling imagery due to unusual juxtapositioning of elements and collage; encompassed a wide range of media, from painting to photography to installations.

Has had a heavy impact on fashion and advertising ever since.

Elsa Schiaparelli 1890 – 1973

Combined Surrealism and Art Deco, glamour and fun, to produce highly distinctive fashion using themes such as ‘mad carnival’, ‘circus’, ‘pagan’ etc

‘For colours, she is the feminine Paul Poiret.’ (Harper’s Bazaar, 1934)

Collaborated with Surrealist artist Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau and others.

Added features: her trademark colour ‘shocking pink’, plus hats, embroidery.

Customers included many 1930s Hollywood actresses, as well as Mrs. Wallis Simpson (married Duke of Windsor, formerly Edward VIII)

Lobster telephone, Surrealist object, 1936 – Salvador Dali

Dali-inspired lobster on a white evening dress, c.1937 – Elsa Schiaparelli

Evening coat by Elsa Schiaparelli with embroidered illustration by Jean Cocteau, c.1937

Hen in Nest Hat, 1938 (illustration by Eric) – Vogue, New York, March 15, 1938

Men’s shoes, 1986 – Pierre Cardin