BA1 CLASS READNG FOR 10/10/13 - CHARLES WORTH AND HAUTE COUTURE

HISTORICAL & TECHNICAL (THE EASY BIT) - CHARLES FREDERICK WORTH 

Charles Frederick Worth is credited with founding and formalising the modern Haute-Couture industry, crystallising the role of the designer as an arbiter of style and raising the status of dressmaking from anonymous trade to artistic endeavour. His superior skills, business acumen and cultivated air of exclusivity afforded him a status hitherto unseen in the fashion industry. ...


Although by 1858 Paris had a well-developed fashion industry, its structure was markedly different to current models. The role of the Paris dressmaker was a lowly one, accorded by Trade Guild policies established as far back as 1675, and they exerted little or no influence over prevailing fashions. It was the 'marchandes demodes' (suppliers of trimmings) who were the source of sartorial authority. ...


It is to the Englishman Charles Frederick Worth that credit is given for delineating the structure of the Paris fashion industry. Having worked for the finest 
textile merchants in England and France, Worth had already developed a profound understanding of fashion commerce by the time he came to open his own business on Rue de la Paix, Paris, in 1858. From his outset he cultivated an exclusive image. In contrast to existing dressmakers he elevated his own status to that of an artist to whose judgement his customers were forced to defer. Coupled with his unparalleled dressmaking skills, this earned his creations the nomenclature 'Haute Couture' - literally, high dressmaking.


After initial resistance Worth's reputation and success were cemented when Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, admired one of his creations and instructed him to supply her with gowns. So impressed was she that by 1864 Worth had become responsible for all her state and evening wear. Considering that state balls were frequent, no gown could be worn twice and with most ladies wishing to emulate the princess, Worth could easily be asked to supply in excess of a thousand different gowns for a single event. Not only did this demonstrate his extraordinary popularity and efficiency, but also his incredibe powers of innovation. Worth's designs were characterised by his use of lavish materials, and his early gowns were distinguished by the use of the crinoline. Historical references are also evident in his designs and were likely influenced by time spent perusing the art galleries of London and Paris. 'Leg o' mutton' sleeves, his last great contribution to the fashion of the 19th century, were based on those worn in the Elizabethan era. (Mackenzie, 2009, pp.44-47).

SOCIAL & THEORETICAL (THE DIFFICULT BIT) - ELITISM & CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION

Elitism in fashion has always been linked closely with status and social class, with success, and with what was perceived to be impeccable taste made publicly visible through dress.  For centuries, royal courts used fashion as a means of publicising their superiority, strength and influence across Europe. Louis XIV, for example, demanded that his courtiers pay scrupulous attention to their grooming, and insisted on the conspicuous display of finery at all palace events. ...

In 'The Theory of the Leisure Class', originally published in 1899, he (Thornstein Veblen) maintains - making reference to Victorian female trappings - that 'the hindrances of women's dress .. is evidence of her economic dependence on a man, and is reflective of male pecuniary strength in society' (Veblen 1965). Veblen's argument suggests that individual or family status was the motivating factor for the uniformity of dress within Victorian society. (English, 2013, pp.5-6).

REFERENCES

English, B. (2013) A cultural history of fashion in the 20th and 21st centuries. 2nd edn. London: Bloomsbury.

Mackenzie, M. (2009) …Isms understanding fashion. New York: Universe.