Fashion from the 1970S

Press Release A Matter of Taste – Fashion from the 1970s Exhibition at the Münchner Stadtmuseum January 25 – September 15, 2013 Looking back on the mishmash of styles that characterized the 70s, many people today would simply shake their heads and smile fondly. In the world of fashion, the 70s were a decade that spawned a whole host of original style experiments, including hippie flower power, blue jeans, the folklore look, the mini and maxi styles, platform shoes, hotpants, flares, polyester shirts, pinafore dresses, psychedelic floral prints, disco glam and punk/New Wave. Geometric patterns and garish colors such as orange, green, turquoise, yellow, pink and red were very much the order of the day. The straight lines and conformist look that had previously been the norm were out, replaced by a mishmash of different styles, post-modern included, all of them treated to a fresh twist. Fashion designers drew on a vast array of styles to come up with incongruous creations and outrageous com- binations that quickly found their way into the world of haute couture, while off-the-peg versions flew off the shelves in the boutiques. The 1970s haute couture pieces of international household names like Yves Saint Laurent, Emilio Pucci, Missoni, Ossi Clark, Jean Muir, Gina Fratini, Bill Gibb, Giorgio di Sant’Angelo, Zandra Rhodes, Roberta di Camerino, Biba, Stephen Burrows and Halston became highly coveted collectors’ items as designer labels experienced an unprecedented surge in popularity. In Munich, fashion designers such as Heinz Schulze-Varell, Winfried Knoll, Werner Wunderlich, Rena Lange, Heinz Oestergaard, Max Dietl, Willy Flingelli, Willi Bogner and Lavicka cemented the Bavarian capital’s reputation as an international fashion metropolis. In the 70s, the clothes you wore were an expression of your individuality. People copied, mixed and matched and invented a profusion of clothing styles that reflected their own personal sensibilit- ies and allowed them to express their emotional, philosophical and social view of the world. It was during this decade that people first enjoyed the freedom to come up with a look that reflected their own personal tastes. This led people to experiment with the idea that fashions need not be con- fined to specific age groups, so that it became harder and harder to distinguish between the styles worn by young and old – the forever young syndrome undoubtedly has its roots in the 1970s. Jeans, which came to be known as the "blue gold", were worn by young and old alike. And as uni- sex fashions grew in popularity, they were just as likely to be seen hugging a woman’s bottom as a man’s. These trends have continued right through to the present day. The exhibition will offer visitors a colorful and unique insight into international fashion labels and the Munich fashion scene. Featuring original clothing and accessories for ladies, men and children, it is divided into a number of different themed sections that convey the diversity, originality and of- ten contradictory nature of 70s fashion. A collection of trendy poster adverts, cool music posters, stylish art work, elegant fashion photographs and copies of the MADAME fashion magazine, all from the 1970s, rounds off a colorful and diverse experience. Press Release A Matter of Taste – Fashion from the 1970s Exhibition at the Münchner Stadtmuseum January 25 – September 15, 2013 page 2 The exhibition offers visitors plenty of variety, taking them through various themed zones that dis- play the full spectrum of different clothing styles: over 60 evening gowns by Munich fashion designers and international couturiers, 40 stylish day dresses, 20 garishly chic outfits, 30 mannequins showing off the hippie and jeans looks, 30 men’s suits and casual menswear items and assorted children’s and teenage fashion items, not to mention the shimmering, spangly disco outfits. The ‘Munich Fashion Stories’ section presents clothes worn by well-known Munich celebrities including Uschi Glas, Margot Werner, Ingrid Steeger and Elisabeth Volkmann. There is also a short film where boutique owners, photographers, journalists, hair stylists and bar owners from Munich who experienced and helped shape the city’s scene during the 70s talk about their experiences. Collaborators: The Munich Fashion School (Meisterschule für Mode München) came up with its own creative in- terpretation of the ‘70s fashion’ theme and its designs and creations are displayed as part of the exhibition. The exhibition catalogue (published by Hirmer Verlag) is available at a price of €23.90. The project has benefited from the generous support of MADAME, LUDWIG BECK and KONEN. Press conference Thursday, January 24, 2012, 11.00 a.m. Opening Thursday, January 24, 2012, 19.00 a.m. Key themes of the exhibition: Hip Hip Hippie The hippie generation adopted an unconventional fashion aesthetic as a symbol of both individuality and protest. Youth culture expressed its rejection of bourgeois high-tech society and its conformist dress sense by reusing and revamping old clothes found in flea markets and second-hand clothes shops. People had broken free from the rigid constraints of fashion uniformity and it seemed that the stranglehold of the major fashion designers with their expensive designer outfits had finally come to an end. Miniskirts and hotpants The women’s lib movement also saw the emergence of new fashions that embodied the struggle for freedom and emancipation. The miniskirt challenged the old taboos and social norms that re- quired skirts to reach down at least as far as the knee. It became a symbol of liberation from con- servative values and fashion dictates. Hotpants became a fashionable alternative and were even embraced by the world of haute couture. Stylish clothes for everyday wear As the struggle for gender equality raged, it became socially acceptable for women to wear trouser suits. Indeed, they came to be seen as the hallmark of a successful woman. They provided a visual expression of equal rights and women’s emancipation in the workplace. However, Chanel and col- lege style power suits would also play their part in helping women to achieve long overdue respect at work. Ensembles were another fashion that became popular in the 70s, featuring sets compris- ing a variety of individual components. Press Release A Matter of Taste – Fashion from the 1970s Exhibition at the Münchner Stadtmuseum January 25 – September 15, 2013 page 3 Haute Couture At the same time, haute couture designers started experimenting with materials such as plastic, metal and in particular synthetic fabrics. Suddenly, garishly kitsch creations and outrageous polyester extravaganzas were sharing centre stage with the elegance, muted tones and nostalgic vibe of traditional high fashion. 70s ladies’ evening dress fashion drew on an unimaginably diverse range of styles, cuts and materials. Men in suits Initially, men’s fashion adopted tight-fitting, youthful lines that closely mirrored the “in” look for women. Wide ties were a canvas for adventurous colours and designs. Pullovers provided men with a more casual alternative for everyday wear and made a major contribution to relaxing the stiff form- ality of contemporary business attire. Kids’ stuff and childhood dreams It was only in the 70s that the clothing industry first recognised children as a lucrative target market. Youth fashion was quick to pick up on the trend for wearing whatever you liked. Jeans would play a hugely important part in this phenomenon – on the one hand they were seen as a symbol of cool and independence, whilst on the other, their uniform appearance gave the young people wearing them a sense of belonging to a distinct tribe. At the same time, Germany saw the emergence of mail order chic, with catalogues such as Quelle and Neckermann dressing up little boys and girls in two-piece suits. Under the disco ball Disco’s heady combination of extravagant outfits and a love of music exploded onto the scene from around 1977. Its glamour and glitz offered young people an escape from the dreary daily grind. For them, the world of disco was the real world – this was the place where it was really at. The fashion industry soon came up with a disco look that was to sweep across the nation’s many discotheques and nightclubs. The materials of choice for disco outfits – polyester, Lurex, lamé, velvet and satin – conferred the shine and spangle of the disco ball on all who wore them. Munich boutiques / Munich fashion stories As an up-and-coming fashion capital, Munich organized a range of events including the Munich Fashion Week, Munich Fashion Days and the Home and Handicrafts trade fair, as well as award- ing coveted fashion prizes to successful designers. In 1972, Munich’s premier fashion mall, the Modezentrum München, acquired a new rival with the establishment of the Munich Textile Center (MTC) which became the largest fashion market in southern Germany. Munich-based magazine MADAME had risen to become Germany’s number-one fashion magazine since it was founded in 1952. Its glamorous fashion shows drew couturiers from around the world to the city where they opened a number of boutiques and salons during the 1970s. Finally, institutions like the Deutsche Meisterschule für Mode München and the Deutsche Mode-Institut ensured a steady supply of am- bitious, skilled and creative young talent. It was also during the 1970s that new fashion boutiques started springing up all over Munich. The Schwabing district in particular was the favored venue for the exclusive stores beloved of Munich high society that became a fixture in the city’s social life in much the same way as its trendy bars. This was where high society ladies and TV and movie starlets would meet to shop for clothes and have a chat over a glass of champagne.

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