Lecture by Patricia Mears on the years between the two World Wars
Lecture by Patricia Mears, Deputy Director, The Museum at FIT. The years between the two World Wars were dominated by female couturiers and designers in two leading fashion centers: Paris and New York. Not only were women heading some of the most important fashion houses in the world, a number of them developed groundbreaking innovations in clothing construction that changed the course of modern dress. Interestingly, all of these creators embraced classicism as the primary aesthetic vehicle to advance their craft. Their modern interpretations of classicism not only defined the look of the 1930s, but those garments continue to influence fashion today. The work of couturieres in Paris such as Madeleine Vionnet, Alix Gres, Augusta Bernard, and Louise Boulanger, along with designers Elizabeth Hawes, Valentina, and Claire McCardell in New York, will be examined to illustrate their innovations and how they were linked to classicism. 6.30pm. Tickets: 10 dollars, 7 for members.