Antonio Berardi

Published on March 9th, 2010.

I thought it was about time I wrote a post about one of my all time favourite designers Antonio Berardi.

Berardi was born in 1968 in Grantham, UK. His father came to England from Sicily in the 1950′s. He had an interest in fashion from a young age.

He had a job assisting at John Galliano’s while he tried to gain a place on the Fashion BA course at Central Saint Martins in London, he was finally accepted in 1990.

In 1994, he started his own label and showed his début collection in 1995. His début collection was bought buy by Liberty.

His collections have been very well received on the catwalks of  London and Milan. I love his designs because they are so unusual and fantastically constructed. Below are some of my favourite designs.

Berardi is a designer fascinated by technical achievement and his show stopping pieces-a coat decorated with dozens of tiny light bulbs that illuminate to form a crucifix-support his opinion that, in pursuit of glamour, nothing is impossible.

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Ballets Russes Fashion

Published on January 24th, 2010.

The Ballet Russes (French for The Russian Ballets) was a Ballet company that performed under the directorship of Sergei Diaghilev between 1909 and 1929. They performed in many countries around the world including England, USA and Spain.

I love the costumes used in the Ballet Russes. These costumes were designed by Russian artist Leon Bakst.

The unusual oriental style of these costumes had a huge impact on the world of fashion.

Orientalism was prevalent in Paris after the debut of the Ballet Russes in 1909. In 1911 Paul Poiret held a fancy dress ball, La I002e nuit, where he showed his collection inspired by the orient. The designs were adopted from the ethnic costumes of various eastern countries such as India and China. The party was such a success that Poiret became known as a forerunner in dramatic and exotic fashion design.

The Ballet Russes continues to influence fashion today. Karl Largerfeld recently designed a beautiful costume for the English National Ballet who marked the centenary of the founding of the legendary dance company.

Ballet Russes costume by Leon Bakst

Ballet Russes costume

Ballet Russes costume illustration

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Japonism

Published on December 2nd, 2009.

With the opening of Japan to international trade in 1854, European interest in Japan grew rapidly and ‘Japonism’ emerged as a trend in the early 1880′s, lasting until around 1920.

The Japanese kimono itself was worn as an exotic at home gown, and kimono fabrics were used in the making of Western dresses. Japanese motifs were also adapted and applied to European textiles.

Eventually the garment evolved into a more thoroughly Westernized, kimono-shaped at home gown. The word ‘kimono’ came to be used in a broader sense in the West, encompassing a variety of lounging robes.

Below are some beautiful examples of 19th century Japanese influenced fashion.

japonism

japonism

japonism

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Fashion in the 1920′s

Published on November 22nd, 2009.

I love this video of the 1920′s, it shows how much fashion and attitudes changed after the first World War.

This video looks back at women in the 1920′s. It’s hard to believe that the fun, spirited era was only 20 years after the harsh, serious Victorian period.

Check out the fantastic dancing.

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1940′s Fashion

Published on November 21st, 2009.

The Second World War had a huge impact on fashion. Many of the couture houses in Paris were forced to close.

Under the Occupation France struggled to keep its hold on the fashion industry. In 1940, ‘The Limitation of Supplies Order’ was enforced. This meant that the amount of cloth used in an item of clothing was regulated. A single coat could use no more then 4 meters of fabric.

The shortage of fabric during the war shaped the slim silhouette we recognize from the 1940′s.

It’s no surprise that fashion was highly influenced by military clothing, uniform-styled tailored suits and jackets with square, padded shoulders, a pronounced waist with a belt and large versatile pockets. Shoes were often with a wedge heel and made of cork because of the restrictions on leather.

After the war, in 1947 the Parisian couturier Cristian Dior launched a dramatic change of fashion known as the ‘New Look’ – tightly fitting corseted bodices and long full skirts.

The 1940′s look is still very popular today and can be found in vintage shops across the world. Below is Dita Von Teese in a modern take on the look.

Dita Von Teese in 1940 military influenced outfit

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