Elsy Jane

As promised, part 2 of 'A Guide to Fashion's most Influential Designers' ; designers who shaped today's industry and had say on what we wear today. Haven't seen Part 1? Check that out here.



John Galliano - After graduating from Central Saint Martin's, he first caught the fashion industries attention for his graduating collection 'Les Incroyables' . The master of intricate couture techniques and flamboyant outfits, Galiano started his own brand but soon came across money troubles and started designing for Givenchy in 1995, showcasing is rebellious talent. He became the first British designer to head a French Fashion House. He then moved to Dior but was dismissed after alleged anti-semetic remarks. He re-entered the fashion industry with Martin Margiela, which I wrote a post about here.

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Jean Paul Gaultier - The self-taught designer proves anything is possible, not just because you can have so much success by teaching yourself the skill set but because all his work is a juxtaposition- from men in corsets to metal and leather paired with chiffon. He works outsides fashions boundaries and challenges gender roles, with every collection becoming more eccentric than the last.

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Manolo Blahnik - A man known for reviving the stiletto in the time of platforms, the shoes "better than sex" (according to Madonna) focus on elongating the leg with a careful mix of style and function. His shoes are the major choice for designers with catwalk collections and in 2012 he won the Outstanding Achievement Award, it was well deserved as he did design thousands of artistic shoes single-handedly unlike many of his competitors. 

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Jacques Heim and Louis Reard - In 1946, Heim, a french designer created the 'atome' (atom for those of you who didn't take French) a two piece swim suit, t advertise his product he hired a sky writer to write "Atome - the world smallest swim suit" in the sky. Reard, a competitor submitted 3 weeks later the first bikini to the markets, (named Bikini after the Bikini Atolls in the Pacific Ocean I am told..for those who also didn't know what an atoll is, the Bikini Atoll is a collection of 23 small islands). The first swim suit to show a belly button... Reard once said that a two piece wasn't a real bikini "unless it could be pulled through a wedding ring". So far my favourite fashion story..

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Hubert de Givenchy - A master of fabrics and simplicity; his first collection included the Bettina Blouse, made from raw cotton that had previously never been used with finished designs. Best known for designing for Audrey Hepburn (above) personally and professionally, his garments can be seen in Breakfast at Tiffany's and Charade. A main innovation of Givenchy was the sack dress which had a less structured column silhouette rather than the typical hourglass of the time.

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Rudi Gernreich - His creations shocked the people of the time, especially his topless swimming costume, worn by Peggy Moffitt, a feminist statement, along with his no-bra bra which was developed to follow the natural shape of a breast. His creations in the 60's and 70's reflected the social revolution of the time with women's liberation. Not only did he give women a liberating wardrobe but created practical clothes which were often unisex. He also was the founder of the Mattachine Society, a Gay-rights organisation.

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I hope everyone had a merry Christmas, look out for Part 3.

Today's post is a look into some of the Fashion Industries most influential designers, who shaped today's fashion world, of course there are quite a few worthy of a place, and so this is Part 1 of a few more to come.

Azzedine Alaia - A major success in the 1980's in particular, Alaia focuses on the silhouette of a women- showcasing a defined waist in all his designs (He is after all the 'King of Cling') He doesn't advertise in magazines or partake in social media campaigns and once told Anna Wintour that she had no taste of lasting influence. However, giving his opinion on the revered Vogue editor isn't why he made it on today's blog post. It's because of his continuous priority to stay true to himself (Cliche, I know) and to not loose his values with aesthetic over profit. 'Clueless' fans: in the film from 1995, when Cher is held at gunpoint, she refuses to get down because she's wearing a "totally important designer" and it was in fact Alaïa.

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Gabrielle Chanel - Also know as Coco, Chanel is a designer on everyone's radar, whether it's for her famous little black dress, tweed suites, elegant pearls or array of life lessons scattered over pinterest boards and instagram bio's. She revolutionized women's clothing breaking away from the corsets of the time giving women a looser and freeing option. She became the first designer to design with jersey- a cheap material used for men's underwear at the time. In 1923 she released Chanel No.5, becoming the first designer to release a fragrance. Chanel, of course continues to be a successful brand, under the wing of Karl Lagerfield.

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Crisobal Balenciaga - The son of a seamstress, Balenciaga began working for a tailor at the age of 12 and with his talent noticed by a nobleman he was sent to Madrid to learn to produce patterns- skills that he would wow designers and customers alike in the years to come. The shapely simplicity of the dress and cape above created his reputation as an excellent courtier. He reinvented the silhouette of the 50's with broad shoulders and a less defined waist with tunic and chemise dresses. His modern vision was influential for the time and his visions remain so now.

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Christian Dior - When he launched his brand in 1947, he was showered with attention in the first year, his first collection 'the New Look' declined the regimented looks of the World brought back the nostalgic femininity of times before, with corsets and flowing skirts. This first collection was one of his happiest moments "I created flower women with gentle shoulders and generous bosoms, with tiny waists like stems and skirts belling out like petals."

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Pierre Balmain - Balmain originally trained as an architect, he believed that both architecture and fashion could go hand in hand to 'beautify the world' declaring couture as "the architecture of movement". Known best for his beautiful skirts often embellished with embroidered motifs such as leaves and cherries. His full skirt silhouette was know to be part of the 'post war luxuries' . Today the brand is taken over by Oliver Rousteing, a favourite of the Kardashians and other celebrities alike.

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Iris Van Herpen: a designer who challenges the future of fashion; being an early adopter of 3D designs, the dutch designer, who set up her label in 2007, creates the illusion that the future is now. "The essence of Van Herpen is to be expressing the character and emotions of a women and to extend the shape of the feminine body in detail....In all my work I try to make it clear that fashion is an artistic expression, showing and wearing art, and not just a functional of content or commercial tool"

Wilderness Embodied // Haute Couture 

Hybrid Holism // Haute Couture

Voltage // Haute Couture

Van Herpen Couture collections look to explore the human body, for Voltage, she experimented with the creation of lightning, portraying its tangible movement and power, where as her Hybrid Holism from Paris, 2012 focuses on the idea that all matter is in some sense is alive - an ancient belief. A collection weaved together by subtle materials and electricity. For Wilderness Embodied, the law of attraction was used to create a stunning collection inspired by the natural world, shown July 2013. Photo Credit for above.

  

Spring 2016 // Ready to Wear



Guests to her Spring 2016 show were greeted by "Game of Thrones" star Gwendoline Christie

  

Fall 2015 // Ready to Wear

So here was a quick overview of some of Iris Van Herpen's work, I hope you learnt something new. Herpen is defiantly a designer who incorporates bold performance, with a vast amount of textile skill, like Alexander McQueen. (She did intern with McQueen before starting her own label). I personally love her collections, what do you think?

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Seems odd to talk of the spring and summer of next year while I sit under a blanket, and it being dark outside - it's 4:30 pm.. but the S/S shows are over and the trends for the new year are already predicted and here are three things to know before the new season hits the highstreets.

Alexander McQueen

Details from Erdem's show

Valentino 

Prairie Dresses - The American dress is back; full skirts, pleats and flounces make up this traditional dress, seen year round at Valentino. But for S/S collections, Alexander McQueen, Erdem and Mother of Pearl all included Prairie dresses. 

Oscar de la Renta 

Balmain

Lanvin

Off the Shoulder - Artfully exposed shoulders are all over Oscar de la Renta's, Lanvin's, Balmain's and Erdem's collections. Less strappless dresses and more artistic designs create this perfect neckline is sure to be found in your summer wardrobes.

Prada

Loewe

Balmain

Big up Earrings - Bold statement earrings are a must this spring, from brightly coloured, to upcycled to jeweled, make sure your earrings are as big as Balmain's , Loewe's and Prada's looks.

So here are three trends bound to make it onto the high streets, but which will make it to your wardrobe?

Photo credit to indigital via Vogue

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It's been rumoured for a while now, however I always hoped it was just a rumour- Raf Simons will be leaving Christian Dior. After three years of working with the luxury brand, Simons won't be renewing his contract and instead will work on his other interests and his own brand. His show which he presented in Paris for S/S 2016 was his last show for the French fashion house, and we will now see more of his work with his own label.

His first show was back in 2012, since his first couture show he has earned himself universal critical acclaim; modernizing Dior and bringing new ambassadors such as Rihanna and Jennifer Lawrence.

Below is a quick guide to a few of his shows, in honor of him leaving.

Debut Show - April 2012

A show many will have stuck in their minds, not only for the couture, but also for the location. He presented the collection amidst walls of flowers, each room a different kind, like something out of Alice in Wonderland. The place looked (and smelt amazing). Then there was the clothes- this was Simons first couture collection he'd ever designed and his debut collection.

The collection kept it's traditional silhouettes, but Simons added his stamp too. The dress above was inspired by a painting which they worked hard on to transfer from canvas to material, the painting had also been transferred to coats. The elegant collection also included cigarette trousers paired with big dresses and strapless embroidered gowns with large pockets - architectural and feminine. 

Other Favourites with Raf Simons

Spring Summer 2014 - Floral print skirts and high-waisted tailored shorts floated down the middle of the decorated tent in Paris, black jackets were paired with bursts of colour and I think it was a collection that the world really saw Raf's visions more that Diors traditions, unlike his Jill Sanders collections, at Dior he had less space to express himself but this collection we saw more of him than ever before.

Autumn/Winter 2015 - 'A garden of earthly delights' was how Raf invisioned this couture collection, another one of my favourites. He mixed this idea of 'pretty' with something darker, I loved the flow of the dresses and scarf necklines the continual use of black with brighter, louder colours. 

The collection was exciting, each look was fresh and new but they all linked to each other, nothing was like anything you'd seen before and that to me is a step towards a perfect collection.

Last Collection - S/S 2016

He's going out on a high note if you're looking at Dior's latest collection, although not my favourite collection, the necklace/chockers (is that what they are?) were a really nice addition to the outfits. The scalloped organdie white two-pieces would be a perfect addition to any wardrobe, and anyone could learn from Simon's scientific layering with knitted jumpers.

As always, Simons accomplished his vision of creating a sense of purity; 'femininity, fragility and sensitivity' makes up his mission statement and I think he did all of these well, not only in this collection but all his collections.

For more on Raf Simons at Dior, I recommend the 'Dior and I' documentary, it's in french so English subtitles are recommended, just like 'McQueen and I' I loved the documentary and seeing the visions of Raf as well as the team that work at Dior, also I feel I know him and the brand more personally now.

After recapping all Raf Simon's achievements at Dior it leads to the question, who will be the next designer at Dior and will they live up to the great line of previous designers?

Photo Credit for all photos

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