BA1 CLASS READNG FOR 28/11/13 - MARY QUANT AND POSTMODERNISM 

HISTORICAL & TECHNICAL (THE EASY BIT) - POSTMODERNISM

Whereas Modernism was characterised by logic, simplicity, a break from history and functionality, the Postmodern age dispensed with linearity in favour of eclecticism, parody and cultural hybridity.

Postmodernism is a loosely defined concept that literally means 'after Modernism'. Theoretically, this denotes the rejection of grand narratives, social hierarchies, the distinction between low and high culture and autocratic institutions. Instead, the Postmodern age was one of pluralism and fragmentation. Fashion, particularly from the 1960s, clearly expressed these characteristics.

Fashion in the Postmodern age has become fast moving, heterogeneous, culturally non-specific, democratic and intertextual. No longer can we talk of one fashion, but instead have the choice of many. ...

The sheer proliferation of styles available to the Postmodern fashion consumer demonstrates the breaking down of old hierarchies, whereby fashion was autocratic and 'trickled down' to the masses from above. Fashion inspiration is now multifarious. A look can just as easily be inspired by street style, subcultures, musical genre, a historical era or, with the rapidity of contemporary globalisation, from cultures other than one's own. (Mackenzie, 2009, pp.122-123).

SOCIAL & THEORETICAL (THE DIFFICULT BIT) - BREAKING THE RULES

When Quant introduced the shortest skirt in history - the 'mini' - it systematically excluded older and larger women from being entirely fashionable. Youthfulness became the new feminine ideal in the 1960s, and the central market became the working girl rather than the socialite of the pre-war years. It was a revolutionary, yet logical, step to take. Significantly, it signalled a turning point in fashion: the principal focus was no longer on the well-heeled, middle-aged fashion buyer; instead, the market catered exclusively for the young, who had a more limited budget. Ready-to-wear had taken the reins from haute couture, heralding the death knell of the haute couture industry. Quant became the first 'designer' rather than 'couturier' to determine the new direction in fashion.

Quant used Western movies as as inspiration for her first collection, which was presented in London in 1961, and then parodied childlike garments such as knickerbockers, pinafores, playsuits accompanied by knee-high socks, berets and pigtails. The 'off-the-peg' clothes - which initially she made herself - displayed shapes that were simple and two-dimensional. She created a visual paradox by using evening fabric for daytime wear and vice versa, combining bright, jarring colours and conflicting patterns. ... Her philosophy towards dress has often been compared to that of Chanel: Chanel dressed the modern twentieth-century woman, and Quant supposedly dressed the girl. The both produced a holistic look with totally co-ordinated accessories. (English, 2013, pp.94-95).

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.