Final Project Part 1: Street Trends

ZOOT SUIT

Zoot Suits were a favorite fashion statement among Mexican-Americans, African-Americans, Italian-Americans, and Filipino-Americans in the 1940’s. The zoot suit was a male macho expression in the east side of L.A.and Watts back then. The shock of this fashion statement was devastating, and in 1943 the Zoot Suit Riots broke out in Los Angelas, involving a series of bloody brawls between U.S. Servicemen on leave and Mexican-American zoot-suiters in ethnic neighborhoods. Today’s Mexican-American lowrider car culture has helped to resurrect the zoot suit as a fashion statement.

TEDDY BOYS

In the 1950’s, teenage boys were modeling themselves on the cult heroes of Hollywood, like Marlon Brando in "The Wild Ones" and James Dean, "Rebel Without a Cause." The anti-social behavior that was depicted was later reflected with the British phenomenon of the Teddy Boys, who came upon the scene with drainpipe trousers, drape Edwardian jackets with velvet collars, slim jims, DA (Duck’s Arse) haircuts and sideburns. Although they were much a minority within British society, there was widespread influence on male teenagers with regard to fashion and appearance.

BEATNIKS

One can trace back the Beatnik history to 1950’s Soho, New York’s Greenwich Village, in the steamy coffee shops and poetry dens. During the 40’s and 50’s the Beat Movement, a literary and social movement, began to grow in response to post war culture and middle class values in America. The Beatniks were those involved in the Beat Movement, and this counterculture was anti-materialistic and focused on improving one’s inner self over one’s material standing in the world. Beatniks challenged conformism and brought more attention to the questioning of traditional values through forms of poetry, music, style, and drug usage, as well as less popular spiritual pursuits.

MODS

Mods were originally modernist and was a subculture that originated in the late 1950’s and peaked through the 1960’s. There were significant elements that were included in a Mod lifestyle: music, dancing, fashion (often tailor made suits), and motor scooters.

HIPPIES

The look of the 1960’s hippie was long hair, parted in the middle for both men and woman, men rarely shaved and tie-die shirts, kaftans and loads of beads, CND pendants and crystal amulets of different kinds. During the infamous "Summer of Love" in 1967, the proper hippy was born, and "Ban the Bomb" and protests for peace became a big part of the whole trend. Buddhism and the Hari Krishna movement is often described as being "hippy". John Lennon and Yoko Ono's infamous "Bed in for Peace" at the Amsterdam Hilton hotel in 1969 as a protest against the Vietnam War is probably the best example of typical hippy activism. Today’s "boho" look is a fashion trend which came from the 1960s hippy movement.

DISCO

In the 1970’s young couples in New York’s Spanish Harlem and Miami’s Little Havana created a new version of the cha cha cha and mambo. When “The Hustle” hit the charts in 1975, the movement in Latin neighborhoods caught on, and disco marked the return of partner dancing, with women furiously spinning to and from their leads. Fashion consisted of polyester suits, wide lapels, and printed shirts. One image forever burned in out psyches is John Travolta in “Stayin’ Alive” and “Saturday Night Fever”.

PUNK

Punk style was influenced by the punk rock music scene in the 1970’s and was an anti-establishment rock genre and movement mostly in the US, United Kingdom, and Australia. The Clash, The Ramones, and the Sex Pistols were the “Vanguard” of the movement. Deliberately offensive shirts were popular in the early punk scene, and other items were intentionally torn and destroyed. A big part of punk fashion history was influenced by the designs of Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLauren.

HIP HOP

Hip Hop started in the 1970’s in Brooklyn and the Bronx, in areas that were extremely poor at the time. Hip Hop grew out of the street party scene in MC’s and DJ’s, and many people attribute hip hop’s biggest influence to be Jamaican sounds of the early 1940’s. Afika Bambaata was the first man to call Hip Hop by that name, and as he was one of the most influential leaders in the scene, the name stuck. Grandmaster Flash was one of the more important early DJ’s, and Grand Wizard Theodore was the first to use the technique of scratching, which became a huge part of the Hip Hop sound.

Part 2: Street Trends on the High Fashion Runway

ZOOT SUIT

John Galliano, Spring 2002

Checkered Snake Skin Zoot Suit

2008 Paris / Milan Shows

Dior Homme Designers chose a wider silhouette like the zoot suits of the 30’s.

TEDDY BOY

Versace, Men’s Fall 2009

Comme Des Gacon Fall 2009

BEATNIK

United Bamboo, Fall 2006

Versace, 2008

MOD

Lacoste, Spring 2008

Kirrily Johnston

HIPPY

Matthew Willimason, Diane von Ferstenberg, and Anna Sui, Spring 2009

Diane von Ferstenberg, Spring 09

DISCO

Christopher Decarnin, Fall 2009

Alexander McQueen, Fall 2009

PUNK

Vivienne Westwood, Fall 2007

Charles Anastase, London Fashion Week, 2009

HIP HOP

Milan Fashion Week, 2009

Milan Fashion Week, 2008: Giuliano Fuiwara

Part 3: New Street Trends

1. GOTH

Alexander McQueen, Fall/Winter 2010

Much of the gothic fashion is reminiscent of the past, but the future can bring a gothic-cyber-punk style that is weird, but really fascinating. Philips design has prototyped these two garments as part of the SKIN Probe Research Project, which demonstrates how electronics can be incorporated into fabrics and clothes to express the emotions of the wearer. (Left)Body suit that reacts to being blown on by igniting a private constellation of tiny LEDs, (Right) “The Blushing Dress”, made of two layers, the first made up of biometric sensors that pick up the wearer’s emotions, then projecting them into the second outer layer as colors and lights.

2. EMO

Upcoming fashion ideas, especially shoe ideas, will bring new approach was to practical attire, which is similar to the Emo style of today.

Dada Footwear, Dada Code M

This shoe comes with an MP3 player, including a storage capacity of 100 songs, a six hour battery, and a wireless headset that works using Bluetooth.

Historical & Artistic Styles

Egyptian:

Historically, Egyptian dress for women, especially elite women, had slender contour to the body and were embellished around the neck and chest, as well as adorned headdress. It is amazing how this part of history and geography play a part in contemporary designs. Below are images from a Fashion Show in Beirut, 2003. Each of these designers were from areas in the Middle East, and their pieces seem to exhibit the Egyptian influences in terms of the slender figures and the jewels and embellishments around the face, neck, and chest. Very thin and light fabrics flow below the waist and go all the way down to the ankle, which is very similar to how the elite women of Egypt chose to dress thousands of years ago.

A fashion model displays outfit by Egyptian designer Hani el-Bihery….

A model displays an oufit by Lebanese designer Dany Atrash….

Byzantine:

The Pre-fall 2009 series of designs by Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld grasp the Byzantine era with both hands. The Byzantine era boasted ornamentation with mosaic and pixilated looks as well as fringes, jewels, and accessories. These contemporary designs by Chanel exhibit this influence on fashion. Below are two images from a show in Russia. The first one shows the tunic-like dress with elaborate fringe throughout and headdress adorned in jewels draped around the face and chin. Also layers of fabric with tights, etc., are additional traits of Byzantine fashion. The second image exhibits a strong Byzantine influence as well, I think.

Romantic:

The Romantic period is definitely showing in modern fashion of the times. The different “un-natural” waistlines, flowing fabrics, and long lengths, in addition to ballooning effects, were a part of the silhouette then, and the mood and feeling of how the people were portrayed in art gave an additional component to the way fashion was viewed at that time. In the images below, the Romantic period shines through with the different lengths and waistlines etc., as well as the way the models are photographed and captured.

Jesuspeiro Bridal Suite 2008….

Impressionism:

In the Impressionistic Era of fashion, the fullness in the skirt moved to the back of the body, and color and patterned textiles were light and frothy. Below are a couple of different designs showing influence from the Impressionist Era. Each of the designs show a modern twist to the bustle and a strong architectural neckline.

100% Cotton Babycord Skirt, Clothkits, London

Gauri & Nainika Karan, Victorian Inspired Dress

Surrealism:

Surrealism did not really have a specific identity; however, the ways in which a composition was constructed did have somewhat of a formula. Unrelated objects and symbols were placed in the same visual space and context, so that the observer’s mind could fabricate a meaning. In fashion, the formula was similar. Pairing materials and objects together in a garment and delving into the relationships that people had with their bodies was the objective. Below are some examples of Surrealistic influence on fashion today.

Red Rose Poodle Suit, by Gareth Pugh

Yang Du, Surrealistic Designer

Abstraction:

Abstractions captured more of the feel of the piece rather than figurative compositions. Artists tended to capture the essence of their subjects without creating recognizable objects. In fashion, especially in the 60’s and 70’s, garments and designs leaned toward exhibiting bold colors, geometric shape, and simple, unadorned silhouettes.

John Bates for Jean Varon, Autumn / Winter 1973

Origami Shoes, by Marloes ten Bhomer

Geneology of a Garment: The Corset

Ancient Times:

Some believe that in Ancient Israel, women went corseted. Treasures from four thousand years ago from the Minoan civilization in Crete suggest that even at that far distant date women were accustomed to mold their figures by the aid of some form of corsetry. The Minoans used corsets that were fitted and laced or used a smaller corselette that left the breasts exposed. However, its roots can be traced to drawings from the Neolithic era at an archeological sit in Norfolk, England. Nonetheless, the corset, a cinching garment, that encases the middle torso has been a fashion mainstay.

16^th Century:

During the 16th century, costumes were a symbol of wealth and rank, and the corset played a big part in a person's position in society. Ladies in waiting were instructed to wear a corset, cinching their waist to no bigger than thirteen inches. Corsets of the 16^th century were called “Stays” or “Bodies” (if the corset was constructed from one piece, usually opening in the back, it was called a “body”, and if the corset was constructed in two halves, it was called a “pair of bodies.” ) The term "body" would later refer to the Bodice.

1800’s:

By the 1800’s the corset had evolved and had a high-waisted bodice by the middle of the 1870’. The new corseted look had over the shoulder straps,was more lengthy, and was usually worn over a blouse. The supports were made out of whalebone, and the rigidness alarmed medical professionals of that time. The “spoon busk” was invented around 1873. It had a distinctive shape and was heralded as an important innovation, increased comfort, thus preserving health and reducing unsightly bulges and enhancing the figure.

1900’s:

When Queen Victoria died and was succeeded by her son Edward VII, it officially marked the end of the Victorian era and the beginning of the Edwardian era. From the January , 1901 issue of the Delineator, it discusses the new Marie Antoinette Dip, Juno Bust and how to lace a corset. Three strings are recommended to properly lace a corset. There was an idea in advertising that women had weak spines and that they needed corsetry to support their weight. This idea, as ridiculous as it sounds, probably originated in the 18th century when "stays" were made to support the lower back. However, the corsets of the new century were worn by all women of society. One would always want to be "straight laced." The tightest lacing and stiffest corsets were reserved for formal occasions, and on some occasions if a woman exerted herself, she might have fainted.

It seems that for the 1920’s – 1940’s most corsets and girdles were shades of peach and pink. In the mid-late 1930’s zippers started to appear in corsets, and by 1938, Nylon developed and underwire developed. By the 1960’s the corset brought the elastic strap and flexible underwire. More recently, our lungs and rib cages have been encouraged to develop into the shape that nature intended, allowing greater lung capacity and overall better health. Also to romance of the corset still lives on.