Fashion and Trends

Module 3: Fashion and Trends

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper . 3.1 History of Fashion

One of the most important aspects of a personal shopper is to have a solid base of knowledge on the broad concepts of fashion, its origin and evolution.

Although at first glance fashion can seem casual, spontaneous or inspired by creative designers, especially over past decades, fashion is actually a much deeper phenomenon. When looked at from a historical perspective, fashion is closely linked to socio-economic development and reflects the historical events of the era it’s born in.

By looking at the evolving story of fashion from the late 1800s to today you’ll see how different historical periods have influenced and shaped it. You’ll have a broad knowledge of the origins of all trends and see how we’ve come to the present day styles.

1900: Belle Époque

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper 1900s, the Belle Epoque

Although the French had been enjoying a period of splendour known as the Belle Epoque since 1870, it was not until 1900 that the rest of Europe caught the contagious optimism and cheerfulness that spread from Pari-sian society. It started a period of social well-being and distinctive style. After the death of Queen Victoria in Britain in 1901, her successor, King Edward VII welcomed a more joyful, sociable life and so Britain was one of the first countries to adopt this new way of being.

Paris set the benchmark for excellence in the world of couture with fashion houses like Callot Soeurs, Doucet, Paquin and Drecoll. Women during this time had purely feminine roles and matched their dress to their position in society. This was limited to being the perfect companion to the male figure in their lives – fathers and later husbands. It’s not surprising then to see how it was that womens bodies were moulded into an S shape – defined bust, flat stomach and high hips at the back. Dresses were tremendously uncomfortable with layers and layers of clothes under which the womans body lost all her strength.

As society became more relaxed and got carried away with the splendour of the Belle Epoque, women also started to adopt more significant roles and became more aware both of their needs and how they could be of more use in society. This change of mindset is reflected in fashion by the abandoning of the corset.

The change within women was reflected outwardly by, for example, a de-signer called Paul Poiret who, inspired by Oriental style robes and turbans, introduced a new female wardrobe. The female figure was now looking more relaxed, the waist and bust less defined. The decreasing populari-ty of the corset actually reflected the struggle for freedom and rights for women.

All this progress, however, was hard won by the women of that time and

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was interrupted by the outbreak of World War I, 1914 – 1919, which forced fashion to abandon frivolity and women to switch their struggle to the common challenge of dealing with wartime.

During this era, dress was characteristically full length since feet were thought of as erotic and exposure could even risk imprisonment. The cor-set was still a typical garment, full of whale bones that actually deformed womens bodies, forcing them into sizes that were too narrow and may well have left lesions on the ribs. Women wore tights or socks and men also covered up, only baring their feet at bedtime and wearing a nightgown called ‘procreation’.

Also a characteristic of this time was the Amazon style which was a revo-lution in female clothing. Having started riding horses, they were wearing long, flared skirts, laced boots or booties, mini hats and tailored jackets, all designed for riding side saddle. Subsequently, Chanel introduced the Amazon look - riding pants which enabled women to ride horses with total freedom and comfort.

Lace and embroidered fabrics are characteristic of La Belle Epoque, in cuts to enhance the bust. Japan and the east also had a great influence on designers of the time like Paul Poiret. Hats were very varied. They were ostentatious and overdone. They could be decorated with flowers, feathers, fruit, lace, tulle or even a small animal. At night time, hair was embellished with combs, brooches or tiaras and usually bulky and wavy. False hair pieces were often used to make hair more voluminous.

Wartime Fashion

As we mentioned already, the Great War broke out in 1914 which affected the whole of Europe. Women were forced to abandon their policies for moving forward and take charge of a damaged society struggling for survival. Wardrobes adapted to this new social reality, becoming more practical and leaving behind the frivolity that had grown. This new situation, however, gave women the opportunity to take up new responsibilities, their hus-

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bands having gone to battle. Typical of this era were dark colours, reflec-ting the times. New social roles brought women jackets which were more masculine in style, bras less feminine and skirts that stopped at calf length.

This is when Madame Coco Chanel came to prominence. A hat maker from Deauville, she catered for women from high society who were fleeing the advance of the German troops. She became a pioneer of fashion with a simple, elegant, impeccable style.

In this environment, women were losing the romantic vision and adapting their wardrobes to their new reality. They were gaining more rights and be-gan to do work which previously had been done by men. Also significant was the designer Jean Patou whom we’ll talk more about in the section on designers.

1920 – 1930 The Roaring 20s

Having overcome the military conflict, Europe was infected with a climate of optimism, of youth and vitality and, as you’d expect, this was reflected in fashion.

Women had demonstrated their capabilities and gained the prominence in society that they’d been looking for. This time, they really did abandon the last attachment to the body forms of the previous decades. Some historians believe the more androgynous form that came next was a tribute to the many young that had died in

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the war.

Boyish hairstyles became popular, short with waves and tight to the face or like the bob style that actress Louise Brooks wore. There was a definite male influence to fashion. Women started wearing pants, collarless shirts and cardigans.

In reality, though, this new androgynous style didn’t suit all figures, just the adolescent and athletic silhouettes. This was also when the little black dress of Coco Chanel was born and can now be found as a basic in many wardrobes. We also associate this era with the birth of a line of sportswear which went hand-in-hand with the growing desire for outdoor activities. An understandable reaction to the restrictions of wartime, women throu-ghout Europe were now living more free, active and enjoyable lives, cate-red for by the designs of Jean Patou.

But, at the end of this adventurous decade, the stock-market crash of 1929 caused a major economic crisis, once again testing the foundations of the European continent and forcing society to readjust to a new economic situation.

The clothes characteristic of this decade are dresses to the knee with a straight cut, leaving the waist and hips with freedom of movement. Coco Chanel introduced pants for women for the first time, but they weren’t wi-dely accepted until years later. It was during this decade that the tuxedo for women was first introduced, an idea developed more prominently in the 1960s by Yves Saint Laurent.

Fringed dresses are probably the most characteristic garment of the 1920s and were inspired by the lively Charleston which needed lots of freedom and movement. They were decorated with sequins and small tubular crys-tal beads which caught the night lights adding sparkle and shine.

Women started wearing fishnet stockings, garters and shoes with an ankle buckle, all typical of this era also. They used cigarette holders and hand-

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bags were metal or leather. Accessories were accentuated and overused, like gold chains, but the accessory that stands out from the 1920s is the pearl necklace, long and sometimes wrapped around several times.

Mens clothing didn’t change significantly. They still wore suits, mostly black. White suits, pinstripe suits and the stylish Panama hats did become more popular for those who wanted something different.

1930 - 1940

In the 1930s women began another new journey through womanhood, choosing tighter clothes like Hollywood actresses.

Due to the crash of 1929, clothes became more serious again so the wo-man appeared like the docile wife to her husband. Evening gowns often had light, floaty fabrics with tight hips and waists.

Men wore pinstripe suits, often double breasted with a handkerchief in the pocket and American collared shirts.

1940 – 1950 : A New Look

The economic crisis that resulted from the crash of the New York Stock Exchange plunged Europe into a climate of uncertainty and political insta-bility. Fashion was greatly influenced by the world of cinema. Submerged in increasing poverty, society, especially women, dreamed of a fairytale world that they accessed through movies.

Actresses like Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo became true icons of fas-hion and their styles were widely imitated. Women wanted to be sophis-ticated like those in the films and wore skirts with a wide flare and waists and busts were marked.

The Kelly bag entered wardrobes, made fashionable by the actress Grace Kelly, designed by Hermes Birkin. Other popular designers were Adrian,

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Madeleine Vionnet and the maverick Elsa Schiaparelli who exposed zips, which had previously been hidden.

This Hollywood inspired climate in which women were able to adapt to the new social change by creating a fun, engaging world was again cut short with the arrival in Europe of the totalitarian regimes of Mussolini, Franco and Hitler. Heels again became fashionable and also hats and purses with richer materials. In mens fashion there were no major changes.

In a Europe that was now on the verge of a new war (WWII, which broke out in 1939), idolising Hollywood movie stars, like in the previous decade, was now considered ostentatious, vulgar and unpatriotic. In this authori-tarian climate, fashion again became simple. Any excess was out of place.

The best word to describe fashion at that time is ‘im- provised’. Designers had to adapt to a continuing lack of fabrics and to the deep poli- ticisation of society. Fashion had to take a backseat.

Coordinating pieces were made from the same fabric to be more efficient. A military influence was typical.

Women wore masculine styles and colours and fabrics were sober and dark - gray wool, blue, black. Jac- kets had pronounced sholul- ders and skirts were straight.

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In early 1947, Dior launched his New Look collection and instantly the so-briety of the wartime way of dressing was replaced by full skirts, jackets with sharp shoulders and pinched waists, giving the female body new attention. Fullness featured in both jackets and skirts, and also in pencil skirts with a very feminine waist. To compliment, big hats typical of the early years of the war gave way to turbans, berets and snoods as cheaper alternatives.

We can identify two types of women during this era – the more sophisticated who was dressed as we just described, the other was more daring, wearing capri pants, slim jeans and plaid shirts tied at the waist. Hair in pony tails took the place of turbans or any head piece. Heels gave way to ballet pumps. The rock-and-roll bolero style was also worn. This look was sometimes adopted by sophisticated women them-selves too.

Men still wore the same clothes but the Elvis rock style was influential, with rolled up jeans and t-shirts.

A very feminine silhouette was typical of this era with almost cartoonish propor-tions, like some designs by Christian Dior. Balenciaga, whose skirts were narrow unlike the voluminous ones from Dior, was also influen-tial. During such a feminine trend, note that Coco Chanel bet on more masculine suits and wide dresses that blurred the feminine figure.

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1960 - 1970 The mini skirt

Just as in the 30s and 40s, fashion was clearly influenced by cinema, this time taking as a reference artists like Andy Warhol and Mondrian. Consequently, we see geometric prints and a great range of colours. Couture disappears and is replaced by ‘ready to wear’. This meant wardrobes could be broader and could be obtained at a much cheaper price.

Women at this time returned to the figure with pencil skirts and tailored jackets. Also, they wore ecclectic, floaty skirts and long dresses with geometric patter-ns or flowers in sheer fabrics mixed with neoprene.

But if something should characterise this era it’s the miniskirt, launched by designer Mary Quant and was as significant as the introduction of corsets by Poiret. Youth had a clear influence on fashion as had Beatlemania. It was a time of social and political progress which is also reflected in fashion with the use of lots of new fabrics. Buttons became a big feature, an ideal way to complement any dress or coat.

Bell shapes appeared on dresses, coats, tops and cuffs. Jeans became common, with bell bottoms and also dungarees were popular. Accessories were exaggerated, like large buttons, oversized glasses and geometric handbags like the Pucci patterns which still have a large following today.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper Busts became more pointy, giving a more aggressive look. More formally, Yves Saint Laurent introduced smoking jackets for women. The 60s and 70s are also characterised by a futuristic influence in fashions and accessories, inspired by the very popular TV series, Star Trek, and featured tight ‘monkey’ suits. Scarves, both on the head and knotted at the neck gave a touch of so- phistication to any look.

The 70s Flower Power and Summer of Love were in pro- test against the Vietnam War.

The climate of solidarity and the struggle for peace manifested in flashy clothes, particularly for women – long dresses, flowery prints, corduroy flared trousers. Men also wore fla-red trousers, vests and shirts with long, pointed collars.

1980s - 1990s Studs

During the 1980s, society made a 360 degree turn. Never in the history of fashion were there garments like those designed in the 1980s such as studded jackets and trousers, skinny jeans or overalls. There was a dark, sinister fashion in clothes and also hair and make-up.

Urban tribes, such as Mods, adopted black as the basic wardrobe colour. Biker jackets were born and have remained in our wardrobes since then. From America came the exaggerated shoulder pads, giving a quite unflat-

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper tering, masculine, inverted triangle shape.

Spiked or rounded studs were very common, the spiked ones used by tho-se who wanted a more aggressive look. Skinny legged, dark jeans went with wide shirts with exaggerated shoulderpads. Stone washed, faded or distressed denim was also designed in this era.

Punk fashion appeared with acid colours, layered clothing and button ba- dges featuring the popular groups of the time. Fingerless gloves, chains, stiletto boots and necklaces with crucifixes were worn. Animal print fabric was popular. Black leggings became common from the aerobics trend.

The 90s were less dramatic than the 80s, with t-shirts with logos and blue jeans - a generally more refined American look and more minimalist in both female and male fashion.

Having summarised the major historical stages in fashion we’ll now intro-duce you to the great designers that influenced (and still do today) the evolution of fashion and were true pioneers.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper DESIGNERS

Adrian Adolph Greenberg American designer 1903 – 1959

Adrian Adolph Greenberg, most widely known as Adrian, designed costumes for Rudolph Valentino. He created the ‘Bombonera’ hat worn by Greta Garbo in “As You Desire Me.” He also designed the dress of white organdy with broad shoulders, tiny waist and ruffled sleeves made famous by Joan Crawford in ‘Letty Linton’. His designs were characterised by bold lines, kimono and batwing sleeves, thin and elongated sizes and diagonal clo- sures. In 1942 he left his costume designer role in the film industry and opened a store in Beverly Hills.

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Paul Poiret French designer 1879 – 1944

After working for others, in 1903 he decided to go it alone. In 1906 he was the leading advocate of a certain liberation of the female figure, promo-ting a more comfortable corset for the hips and reducing the number of undergarments. He promoted the kimono style. Isadora Duncan wore his floaty and exotic dresses, inspired by the Russian Ballets.

Colourful, silk clothes became fashionable as did simple forms with richly textured velvet, brocade and lamé. In 1911 he presented a model of the ‘hobble’ skirt and soon after, one of his most famous designs, the ‘lamps- hade’ tunic. In 1914 he was instrumental in the setting up of the Union in Defense of Haute Couture in an attempt to protect designers from piracy.

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Jean Patou French designer 1880 – 1936

In 1912 he opened a small tailoring business in Paris. The war interrupted his career when he went to the front. In 1919 he opened his couture house, this time under his own name. He presented pastoral style dresses with high waists and flared skirts. He dressed the actresses Constance Bennett and Louise Brooks, but his greatest achievements were the sportswear that always had a prominent place in his collections.

In the early 1920s his original creations in this field brought a new dimen- sion to fashion. The tennis player Suzanne Lenglen wore his models on and off the court. His mid-calf pleated skirts and sleeveless cardigans are still very current. Patou dominated haute couture and clothing during his time and from 1919 until his death he was considered a fashion giant.

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Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper Madame Paquin French designer 1869 – 1936

The house of Paquin was founded in Paris in 1891. In 1900 Madame Pa-quin was named president of the fashion section of the Paris Exposition. In 1902 she opened houses in London, Buenos Aires and Madrid. She be-came famous for luxurious and romantic dresses, carefully hand crafted. Actresses and high society women who wore them described them as ‘from fairyland’. In 1913, she created dresses that could also be worn as evening wear.

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Madame Gres French designer 1903 – 1993

Having had frustrated aspirations to be a sculptor, her career as a designer began as a result of making fabrics which were sold to a major fashion house. In 1934 she opened her own company. During the German occupation she re-opened her house under the name Gres. Her designs were original and austere and pronounced her as an internationally renowned classicist.

She moulded her favourite fabrics of silk and wool to look like Greek sculp-tures. Her famous gowns were often the result of hours of work, with the fabric folded with great accuracy to achieve elegant simplicity. Although many designers were influenced by her, none managed to repeat her fa-bric folding expertise.

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Thierry Hermes French designer 1801 - 1878

The Hermes company dates back to 1837 when Thierry Hermes opened a store in Paris were he sold handbags, gloves and boots. In the 1920s his grandson, Emile, began designing clothes. The firm is dedicated to producing leather crafted goods and is especially famous for its equestrian motif scarves and Kelly bags. These are based on a saddlebag introduced in 1935 and worn by the actress Grace Kelly.

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Mariano Fortuny Spanish designer 1871 - 1949

Fortuny was born in Granada and was famous for his designer fabrics and clothing. He began printing fabrics in the late 1890s. He was inspired by Italian velvets and brocades from the 15th and 16th centuries, by Oriental tapestries and Greek tunics. He created cloaks and dresses that were dyed with vegetable dye and looked like rich silk velvet. His handkerchief ‘Knos- sos’ of 1906 was inspired by Cycladic art. It was actually a rectangular veil of silk that could be used in many ways.

His ‘Delphi’ dress was a piece of silk satin of cylindrical shape, loose, undu- lating and rich in colour, created by a special system of pleating patented by him in 1909. All the Fortuny gowns emphasised the female figure in motion. Isadora Duncan was one of his clients. After his death, the Fortuny pleating method was bought by the Countess Gozzi.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper Lucile English designer 1863 - 1935

In 1891, Lucile opened her first couture house and in later years would open in New York, Chicago and Paris. Especially appreciated were her tea dresses, made of light chiffon, taffeta and silk poplin. Among her clients were Sarah Bernhardt, Irene Castle, movie stars and royals. She claimed to have revolutionised and refined the lingerie corset, making it lighter.

In 1907 she created Lily Elsie’s wardrobe for the play ‘The Merry Widow’ which premiered in London. The costumes from the play became fashio-nable in Britain for a while. She was also known for promoting coloured underwear.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper Christian Dior French designer 1905 - 1957

Born in Granville, Dior studied at the Ecole des Sciences Politiques in Paris with the intention of being a diplomat. His beginnings in fashion were in the 1930s and in 1946 he opened his own salon in Paris. A year later he introduced the new look, characterised by narrow shoulders and mid-calf length skirts, rather than the broad shoulders and short skirts from the war years.

His style caused a revolution and re-estalished Paris as the centre of fashion. Christian Dior achieved in ten years, from 1947 to 1957, the creation of one of the world’s indisputably famous couture houses. He was one of the pioneers of the implementation of the system of licensing certain pro-ducts like stockings, cosmetics and accessories.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper Andre Courreges French designer born 1923, still living

In 1949 Courreges joined Balenciaga where he remained until he established himself in 1961. In the sixties he introduced the mini skirt and mini dresses with trousers and pants in white and silver, white dress with beige trim, half length white boots and goggles. They had simple shapes and the rigid trapese dresses and coats were trimmed in bold colours. In the late 60s he created lines of ready to wear clothing. The seriousness of the clo-thes was balanced using curves. He even exhibited cosmonaut suits, ove-ralls and coats with fringed seams. These futuristic, functional and simple models meant he was seen as designer of the Space Age. In 1965 he sold his company to L’Oreal but he returned to the design world two years later.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper Coco Chanel French designer 1883 - 1971

Coco Chanel is a true fashion icon. Starting in Deauville, moving to Bia-rritz and then Paris she quickly grew a thriving and revolutionary fashion empire. She coincided with Paul Poiret in wanting to free women from the restrictions of a figure strangled by corsets. She started her career by designing a range of loose, comfortable clothes suitable for sports and lei-sure made from fabrics like jersey and tricot, previously only used in things like men’s underwear. Her wealthy clients soon meant that she became one of Paris’s most desired designers and her famous, classic Chanel suit is still popular today.

She was a prolific and talented designer, producing an array of simple, timeless collections year after year. She was listed among Time magazines 100 most influential people of the 20th century, the only fashion designer. As well as couture clothing, under House of Chanel she designed hand-bags, jewellery and fragrances, Chanel No. 5 becoming an iconic brand.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper Oleg Cassini French designer 1913 – 2006

Cassini was born in Paris of Russian origin. In 1936 he went to New York where he worked for various manufacturers on Seventh Avenue until 1940 when he started designing for Twentieth Century Fox in Hollywood. From 1961 he was Jacqueline Kennedy’s designer. He worked closely with her and created designs that were widely copied. For example, an evening gown in silk grosgrain with a high collar and a semi-fitted wool coat the colour of suede with a removable sable collar and matching wool dress.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper Pierre Cardin Italian born French designer born 1922, still living

In 1944 Cardin went to Paris and the following year started woking with Paquin and Schiaparelli. In 1947 he made the costumes for the movie ‘Beauty and the Beast’. He also worked for Dior. In 1949 he turned to theatre costumes. Over the next seven years he became famous as a tailor of mens designer suits and extravagant costumes. In 1957 he presented his first womens collection which he followed six years later with a line of re-ady to wear clothing. In his Space Era collection in 1964 he presented skin tight garments with batwing sleeves. In the same decade he raised the skirt up to 6 centimetres and lowered the neckline outrageously. He is a conceptual designer, able to translate an idea into a collection.

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Thomas Burberry English designer 1835 - 1926

Thomas Burberry was an English merchant. In 1856 he opened a drapery. In collaboration with the owner of a cotton mill, he developed a revolutio-nary new fabric with a tight weave that was waterproof. With this, he desig-ned a cotton coat based on the classic smock design, the raincoat. The suc-cess of this was phenomenal. Orders fell from the sky, until the army itself became one. Thomas Burberry recovered designs of former British officers’ coats that he had designed thirteen years earlier for the Ministry of War. He added straps and metal rings and presto: the trench was born - so named because soldiers in the trenches of WWII were the first to wear them.

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He used a big back yoke, epaulettes, buckled strips on the cuffs, a butto-ned lapel on one shoulder and covered pockets. After the war, this was worn widely by the civilian population. Endlessly imitated, but never equa-lled, the Burberry trench is both on the street and in the movies - it has been replicated worldwide. In 1990, Roberto Menichetti, artistic director of the Burberry house, printed the distinctive Burberry tartan on the lining. This model has ended up being a real fashion must.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper Cecil Beaton English designer 1904 - 1980

Cecil Beaton was a photographer, designer, illustrator and writer, born in London. When he went to New York he became a renowned fashion and society photographer, working for the American and British versions of Vo- gue until 1936. After WWII he worked primarily for film, theatre and opera. He created the costumes for thirteen films, including ‘Anna Karenina’, 1947, ‘Gigi’, 1958 and ‘My Fair Lady’, 1964. The latter two were nominated for Os- cars. He dressed stars like Audrey Hepburn, Leslie Caron, Barbara Streisand and Vivian Leigh.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper Pierre Balmain French designer 1914 - 1982

Balmain’s family had a business selling wholesale fabric. Between 1934 and 1939 he worked for Molyneux and then spent two years in Lelong where he met Dior. He established himself as a designer in 1945. In the same year he introduced a line of long flared skirts with a narrow waist which became fashionable in 1947 as part of Dior’s new look. His talent lies in his ability to make simple suits and lavish evening gowns with the same elegance and fine lines. In the 50s, his styles became fashionable for both day and night and his shawls and cloaks imitated Cossack styles. He was known as a designer of international high society.

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Miguel Adrover Spanish designer born 1965, still living

From Majorca, Adrover won the prestigious American Perri Ellis award for Best designer of Female Fashion. He specialised in textile recycling. His designs were like luxury rags and were all the rage in New York.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper Mary Quant English designer born 1934, still living

Mary Quant opened her first boutique, Bazaar, on the Kings Road in Lon-don. At first she sold other young designers work and then she started making her own designs. She had little experience in the world of fashion, but her modern and inexpensive clothing aimed at a young audience was an immediate success. Her clothes were perfect in keeping with the sixties style.

Her garments were simple, happy, well coordinated and epitomised the British youth fashion of modern London. Her miniskirts were a big hit along with her use of coloured mesh, ribbed sweaters and dropped waists. She designed everything from underwear and socks to garments for all seasons. She also triumphed in America. In 1966 she created a cosmetic brand.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper Elsa Schiaparelli Italian designer 1890 – 1973

In 1922 Schiaparelli moved to Paris. After a customer saw one of her first designs which led to orders, her business started. In 1927 she opened a store and in 1929 presented her first complete collection. She liked to amuse, using wit or surprise. Her clothes were elegant, refined and sometimes extravagant and had a huge following. Her ideas, which were taken from famous artists were created with considerable skill. She hired Dali, Cocteau and Berard to design fabrics and accessories.

Cubism and surrealism influenced her designs. In 1933 she introduced the Pagoda sleeve. She dyed skins, put padlocks on costumes and made Tyrolean dress fashionable. In 1935, she used new plastic zippers dyed the same colour as her fabrics and exposed them instead of hiding them. She embroidered zodiac signs on her clothing and bags that lit up when tou-ched or played a tune when opened.

73 Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper

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3.2 Trends

When you work as a Personal Shopper, you’ll work with a wide variety of body shapes and sizes. Your job is to analyse and give advice to your clients to help them look their best.

Trends can serve to guide you. It’s useful to know what the current trends are so, when you choose a colour palette that suits your client, you know garments will be available in these shades. Trends change season after season, year after year and you can easily keep up to date with the current ones in fashion magazines and stores.

Who or what sets the trends? The New York, Paris and Milan catwalks are good reference points and also Madrid fashion week. These will largely determine the seasonal and yearly trends.

It’s important to use trends wisely and not slavishly. True style is not what’s ‘in’ at any particular time but a beauty that’s timeless, year after year. Nei- ther do we ignore current fashions. The ideal is to mingle current ideas with classic looks like baroque, romantic, vintage etc.

Tell your clients what trends are in this year but that you don’t just follow what’s current and prefer to choose timeless designs that will be of more use long term. Always opt for expensive clothes as the basics for a war-drobe.

Magazines and newspapers that specialise in fashion

The major fashion magazines in the market today are Vogue, Elle, Telva, Marie Claire, Harpers Bazaar, Esquire, Glamour, Vanity Fair, InStyle and GQ for men.

You’ll need to buy a number of these magazines regularly to compare different trends. They’ll provide inspiration for many outfits for your clients and will also be useful to use when talking with each client. You can show

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper her or him your ideas on the image changes that you have in mind be-fore you start shopping and discuss them together. You can also browse through websites where you’ll find not only current fashions but particular looks, hairstyles and make-up that may be suitable for her/him.

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3.3 International Fashion

Fashion is constantly changing and moving and so are designers. Large fashion houses are led by a creative director or lead designer. For example, Balenciaga, is currently led by Nicolas Ghesquiere. While these positions can change regularly, the signature of each house of fashion remains the same.

We’ll now discuss some designers that we feel are important for your knowledge of fashion, but bear in mind the constantly changing nature of these positions.

LANVIN Alber Elbaz

Lanvin was born from the headwear designed by its founder Jeanne Lan-vin, 1867 – 1946. Her creations were so successful that clients were asking for copies so she decided to create a line to sell in her store, thus expan-ding a business that was to become a legend. She became famous for her dresses based on designs from the 18th century, the ‘Robes Style’ which had a full skirt and waisted body.

Alber Elbaz was born to a Jewish family in Casablanca, Morocco. They emi- grated to Israel when he was 10. After completing his compulsory military service he studied design and moved to the US. There he began working for Geoffrey Beene where he remained for 7 years until he opened the doors of Guy Laroche in 1997. One year later, he joined Yves Saint Laurent to replace the couturier who had died.

In parallel, a Taiwanese tycoon called Shaw-Lan Wang purchased Lanvin, which was now known as ‘Sleeping Beauty’ as no one since Jeanne had managed to achieve the vitality it used to have. It was entrusted to Alber Elbaz to relaunch the company and in a few years, Lanvin not only regai-ned its original radiance, but commanded the same prestige as the most prominent luxury French fashion houses.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper CHANEL Karl Lagerfeld

Lagerfeld was born on September 10 in 1939 in Hamburg within a banking family who amassed fortunes by introducing powdered milk to Germany. At 14, he moved to Paris. Two years later he won, along with Yves Saint Lau- rent, the first award in the International Wool Secretariat. From that mo-ment, he decided to work independently as a freelance fashion designer.

He developed different trends to those proposed by Courreges, Cardin and Co. He opted for less high fashion and more ready-to-wear. He spent three years with Pierre Balmain and Jean Patou. Some time later he began colla- borating with Krizia and other ready-to-wear brands.

His recognition began when he worked for Chloé from 1963, remaining there for 20 years. In 1965 he began to design collections for sister com-pany Fendi. In 1975 he launched his own perfume company, Parfums La-gerfeld. However the great turning point in his career was when he joined the House of Chanel and created his own fashion line in 1984. Two years later he received the Golden Thimble award.

BALENCIAGA Nicolas Ghesquiere

Nicolas Ghesquière was born in Comines, France in 1971. At 15 he won a scholarship to Agnes B in Paris. Years later, at 20, he won the post of assistant to Jean Paul Gaultier. In 1995 he started working at the Balen-ciaga house where, in 1997, he became Creative Director. Between 1997 and 2000 in this position he synchronized with the chief designer of Trus-sardi and Callaghan. In 2000 he was awarded the “Vanguard Designer of the Year”. In successive years he created various couture collections and accessories for women and a men’s accessories collection. In 2006 he was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

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Ghesquière’s commitment was towards modernity and the avant-garde, both in materials and in the concepts he handled in his work, as once did Balenciaga. He re-issued forms and volumes typical of the 80s, varying the colors. His clothes are like puzzles that break down in endless patterns. This method has become one of his trademarks.

LOUIS VUITTON Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs was born on April 9, 1963 in New York to a Jewish family. His grandmother has been his biggest influence. It was she who taught him to sew and knit, arousing his passion for fashion. As a child, he worked in the famous boutique of the Weiser family, where he met Perry Ellis.

In 1981, he joined the Parsons School of Design. While studying, he created a line of hand-knit sweaters that Charivari sold under the brand Marc Jac-obs for Marc and Barbara. In 1984, he presented his final show: a collection of oversized tracksuits with smiley faces, decorated with pink. The collec-tion was a great success and won three awards: the Perry Ellis Gold Thimble Award, the Chester Weinberg Gold Thimble Award and the Design Student of the Year Award. Furthermore, during the presentation of his collection he met his partner, Robert Duffy, with whom he formed Jacobs Duffy De-sign Company Inc. in 1984.

He currently lives between New York and Paris. In 1995 he presented his first menswear collection and in 1997 was appointed Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton.

YAMAMOTO Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto was born in Tokyo, Japan on October 3, 1943. He first worked as a freelance designer and then founded his company in 1972. In the early 1970s Yamamoto made his first clothing line for women and in 1979, a collection for men. He began his second collection, which he

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called simply Yohji Yamamoto, in 1981 and three years later made his Pour Homme line. In the 1990s he launched his signature fragrances for men and women. In 2003, he presented his collection at Fashion Week in New York which was very successful. Adidas and Yamamoto participated in a collaboration to make shoes and sportswear.

DIOR Raf Simons

Simons was born in 1968 in Neerpelt, Belgium. Design always attracted him, though it was not within the fashion world that he first showed his creative talent. After graduating in industrial design and furniture in 1991, he began working in this field, showing his creations in private galleries. Subsequently, he signed for the design studio of Walter Van Beirendonck, complementing his university studies.

It was in 1995 that fashion came knocking on his door. Self-taught and encouraged by Linda Loppa, director of the Fashion Department of the Antwerp Royal Academy, he launched his own firm, ‘Raf Simons’, designing menswear and beginning a completely different career.

After signing as menswear designer for Ruffo Research (spring- summer seasons 1999 and autumn-winter 1999-2000), in March 2000 he decided to take a sabbatical after the unexpected growth and success of his brand. Next he worked on various collaborations and odd jobs; he was profes-sor of the Fashion Department at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, October 2000 to June 2005. In October 2004, he decided to rebuild his company. In fact, his creative universe expanded with the production of a new line, Raf by Raf Simons, June 2005, which attracted great reviews after its release.

In July 2005, another success for the Belgian: he was appointed Creative Director of the male and female lines of Jil Sander, a house he left with great emotion in February 2012. But his departure was more than a tearful goodbye. It was the preamble to one of his greatest professional triumphs:

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joining Dior as Creative Director.

OSCAR DE LA RENTA Oscar de la Renta

De la Renta was born on July 22, 1932 in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. After a normal childhood, at age 18 his life chan-ged when he left his country and moved to Madrid to study painting. In Spain he discovered his interest in fashion, something he had never known before.

While in Madrid he started his career in the industry working for the legen- dary Balenciaga and is considered one of his best disciples. Later, in 1961, the accredited Antonio Castillo hired him to work in his company and he left Spain to live in Paris. He stayed there for about two years and then travelled to New York to work with Elizabeth Arden. Things were going well in his profession and in 1965 he and Jane Derby created Oscar de la Renta, the beginning of his empire. That same year he presented to the public his first clothing line, a designer’s dream.

CAROLINA HERRERA Carolina Herrera

Carolina Herrera was born in 1939 in Caracas, Venezuela. She was the daughter of a wealthy family and married an aristocrat, acquiring the title of Marquise. She became a fashion designer, founding her company in 1980 and settling in New York. From there her collections reached three conti- nents: America, Europe and even Asia. She started designing clothes and dresses, achieved great triumphs and built a famous name as many of her designs are worn by celebrities. Currently you can see numerous accessories and even clothing with CH letters engraved on them, giving publici-ty to the firm itself. Her daughter Adriana is a contributor to her signature designs and works closely with her mother.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper YVES SAINT LAURENT Hedi Slimane

Hedi Slimane is a French fashion designer, born July 5th 1968 in Paris. He studied art history at the Ecole du Louvre and was also educated as a tailor. From 1992 to 1995 he worked for Jean-Jacques Picart, notably on the cen- tenary exhibition of the Louis Vuitton “LV” MONOGRAM label.

After working as director of collections for Yves Saint Laurent, for Rive Gauche Homme in 1997, and then as artistic director, he became the chief menswear designer, Dior Homme, for Christian Dior in 2000. In 2002, the Council of Fashion Designers of America named him the International De-signer of the Year in New York.

Slimane has a reputation for high quality tailoring, attention to detail and minimalist designs. His work has often been called ‘architecture’ and ‘a little subversive.’ He is also interested in play, like putting a tuxedo with a ba-thing suit or a pair of sunglasses with a ring. Although his designs appeal to young men and he uses very young fashion models, Slimane says his clothes are much more about the attitude than the wearer’s age.

DRIES VAN NOTEN Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten was born in Antwerp, Belgium in 1958 to a family with a long tradition in the world of fashion. As a youth he frequently attended the Milan and Paris fashion shows as his father ran a clothing store selling designs like Emanuel Ungaro and Salvatore Ferragamo. At 18 he entered the Antwerp’s Royal Academy to learn fashion design. He combined his studies with work as a freelance designer and in 1986, launched his epon- ymous firm. He presented his first collection in London, which succeeded thanks to orders from department stores worldwide including Barneys in New York and Whistles of London. In 1993 he moved to Paris where he con- tinues to present his collections of both male and female ready-to-wear.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper Despite being a relatively young company, it has achieved unquestionable success and its creator is highly regarded. In 2008 he received the award for best international designer from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper FASHION DICTIONARY

1.Alpaca

Soft cloth made from the hair of the Alpaca that lives mainly in South America.

2.Embroidery Fabric that’s decorated with embroidery creating figures and abstract designs.

3.Hermitage train (small)

Train as on a wedding dress that can reach up to about 50 cms long.

4.Chapel train (medium)

Train as on a wedding dress that varies between 50 cms and 200 cms approximately.

5.Cathedral train (large)

Train as on a wedding dress, large in size, from 200 cms to desired length, according to taste and possibilities.

6.Cashmere

Goat hair fabric, sometimes mixed with wool.

Very fine wool fabric made from a cashmere goat. 7.Crepé

In French “crêpe”. Knitting wool, silk or cotton, rough surface.

Linen and cotton fabric featuring reliefs on the surface, widely used for

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper table linen.

8.Crepón

Lightweight fabric characterised by a wrinkled, matte surface due to the low density of warp and weft, and the high tension twist of the weft or the warp and weft together. It is made of silk, rayon, cotton and yarn and dyed in all colors, often in black for mourning.

9.Chiffon

Very soft, light textured fabric, made of silk or cotton. Rayon can also be used.

10. Cambray

Woven fabric consisting of the warp in a colour and the weft in white. Used in dresses, sleepwear, sportswear, children’s wear and shirting.

11. Ticking

Classic cotton twill, made of two-ply combed yarn, generally mercerised.

(Mercerising is treating cotton yarns and fabrics with a solution of caustic soda to make them shiny).

12. Chintz

Cotton fabric with a bright finish, usually with a large floral print.

13. Tweed

Cloth made from the yarn of Scottish Lamb’s wool. Widely used in suits and winter clothing.

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14. Damask

Strong wool and silk fabric with patterns formed in the fabric which stand out from the background.

15. Velour

Fabric with a soft pile similar to velvet.

16. Halter neckline

More than a neckline, this is a type of cut that exposes the arms, shoulders and back. It fastens at the back of the neck. It is very suitable for women with a good figure and helps conceal a generous bust.

17. Strapless neckline

One of the best known and most used necklines. Ideal for women with a small bust, but suits all kinds of women. It leaves shoulders bare and is either straight or sweetheart shape in front, straight across the back. It is elegant, discreet and is widely used in wedding gowns and formal dresses and looks good with a scarf or shawl.

18. Off the shoulder neckline

A type of neckline that falls over the shoulders. Can be used with any type of elastic or strip to keep in place. It’s very flattering and quite striking, ideal for women with a generous bust.

19. Illusion neckline

A round neckline type which owes its name to the mesh (usually trans-parent) covering the neck area. It’s ideal for slim women with long necks and also for women with narrow shoulders. The see- through fabric can be mesh, tulle, organza, lace, etc.

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20. Sweetheart neckline

It goes from the shoulders to the bust line, ending in a heart shaped peak and can be plain or with some kind of embroidery or lace. Widely used in romantic designs. It’s very suitable for women with short necks.

21. Turtleneck

This neckline can come to the top of the chest or the top of the neck. It can be in lace or yarn. Ideal for women with long necks and looks elegant with hair tied up.

22. Box neckline - round

Simple neckline in a curve from the bust line to the shoulders. Also known as a scooped neckline. The depth depends on personal taste and figure. It’s simple, comfortable and ideal for all types of women. It is very easy to match with any kind of sleeve and cut.

23. Boat neckline

Neckline that forms a straight line from shoulder to shoulder, along the lines of the clavicle, and leaving the shoulders slightly bare. Comes close to the neck and is usually equal height on the front and back. It’s a good option for harmonising and balancing the figure, an elegant, simple, dis-creet neckline.

24. French neckline - square

Rectangular or square neckline, which hugs the bust and is perfect for wo-men with wide hips and a thin waist, as it focuses emphasis on the bust. It is a widely used type of neckline in empire line dresses.

25. V neck

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This neckline runs from the shoulders to the top of the bust in a V shape, leaving the shoulders a little bare. It suits wide figures and generous busts as it slims and highlights the shoulders.

26. Princess neckline

Cleavage type which is open at the front, and the back is closed with a small flap.

27. Mandarin collar

Eastern style neckline, round, closed, from Japanese culture. It suits most women.

28. Draped neckline

Soft neckline which falls in a round or V shape or round-neck, which gi-ves it a certain volume. It can minimise features like a generous bust or a slim neck.

29. Lace

Mesh fabric with patterns of bows, flowers, figures or other images, made with bobbins, sewing needles or hooks, or by machine.

30. Chenille

Woven cord or yarn, often silk, which leaves long strands giving a pile, of-ten used to decorate.

31. Gauze

See-through, fine, soft fabric. Used in dresses, accessories and ornaments.

32. Gauzer

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Semi transparent fabric, woven uniformly on warp and weft, and full- bo-died. Similar to organza, but a little stiffer.

33. Interlock

Knitted fabric, plain and double that looks the same on both sides.

34. Jacquard

Woven on looms, its movement creates elaborate designs. Used in fashion garments and is also a basic in decor in tapestry, brocades and damasks for table linen.

35. Lamé

Bright fabric, especially of gold or silver.

36. Moiré

Strong fabric that can be cotton, wool or silk and has the appearance of a watermark.

37. Muslin

Very thin fabric from cotton, silk or wool.

38. Mikado

A thick silk fabric which has a slightly grainy

texture. 39. Mohair

Cloth made of the hair of the Angora goat, widely used in the manufacture of jackets and sweaters. Its main feature is that it is very soft and shiny.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper 40. Wadding

Cotton fabric that mimics the padding which is used for making clothes.

41. Nainsoock

Muslin type fabric, made of cotton fibre, fine and can be striped or smooth. It is of Indian origin.

42. Organdie

White cotton fabric, very thin and transparent with a slightly shiny finish.

43. Ottoman

Corded, woven fabric that is used primarily for dresses.

Silk fabric, cotton or yarn, forming a small ridge horizontally.

44. Organza

Lightweight fabric of silk or cotton, semi transparent, finer than muslin, but stiffer and used especially for women’s clothing.

45. Oxford

Ideal for shirting fabric, this is a soft and porous taffeta fabric, usually made of combed cotton yarns.

46. Piqué

Cotton fabric with different uses. Used in clothing and other things. It can have a grain or other raised effect.

47. Panne velvet

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Grooved, pile fabric that comes in various weights and fabrics. Thick vel-vet- like fabric, which can be generally smooth or have vertical slits. Althou-gh widely used for garments, it is also used for decoration.

48. Percale

Low priced cotton canvas, painted white. Soft, finely combed linen fabric with a minimum of 180 threads per inch.

49. Plisé

Cloth that has been treated with caustic soda to shrink part of the cloth, which is smooth in contrast to the rest, creating folds.

50. Poplin

Fabric with a high thread count which has a fine rib on the surface due to a thinner thread in the warp than the weft.

51. Satin

Glossy silk fabric which has more body than taffeta and less than velvet.

52. Rayon

Cloth made from rayon fibre a little similar to silk, often called artificial silk. Made from natural cellulose fibre.

53. Radium

Smooth, thin silk fabric with some shine. It has more body than a lightwei-ght crepe, but is softer than taffeta.

54. Sateen

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper Silky fabric much like satin.

55. Shangtung

Silk fabric, full-bodied, thick texture and a shine, similar to other fabrics such as eastern pongee, habutai, the honan or corah.

56. Serge

Woven fabric that is identified by the diagonal lines on the face of the fa-bric, ideal for trousers.

57. Seersucker

Light cotton fabric with crinkled stripes and flat strips, obtained by alterna-ting tension and release in the warp yarns.

58. Suit jacket

Tailored jacket with matching skirt or trousers.

59. Taffeta

Thin, dense silk fabric.

60. Tulle

Thin transparent fabric of silk, cotton or linen, which is mesh, usually in octagons.

61. Velvet

Silk fabric with a soft pile, formed with two warp to one weft, or a similar weave.

Fashion Store Assistant & Personal Shopper 62. Tufted

Thread loops as applied to a woven fabric, rubber or other substrate. The machines used for this process have multiple needles. Mainly used for rugs and carpets.

63. Tartan

Wool fabric that has crisscrossed frames of different colours, generally used by the Scots.

64. Tuxedo

The average male costume dress - black jacket and lapels, usually silk, a black waistcoat and black bow tie.

65. Twill

Fabric that forms a diagonal line, visible on the right side of fabric.

66. Twist

It is the name given to fabrics made with twisted yarns that give it a lot of resistance. Because of this it’s often used in quality garments and in making men’s suits.

67. Tricotine

A fabric much like gabardine, double woven twill and yarn, a fabric of great strength and durability.

68. Vicuña

Fabric made from the wool of this animal and also some imitations made of fine wool and cotton.

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69. Velveteen

Fabric with a corduroy-like surface covered by dense, short hair.

70. Piping

A ribbon, cord or braid sitting on the edges or seams of clothing.

71. Mink

Short, close, fur with different shades of brown, very popular in the making of fur coats.

72. Viscose

Synthetic fabric made of a kind of rayon from cellulose raw material, widely used in fabrics for home or industry.

73. Velour

A type of short hair velvet, very soft and tactile like peach skin.

74. Whipcord

Thick, woollen cloth, very dense fabric with a defined finish, characterised by a strong diagonal line. Usually used to make suits, coats and trimmings.

75. Waffle cloth

A woollen cloth, whose main characteristic is that its fabric composition forms a honeycomb shape.

These are some of the most common terms in terms of fabrics and shapes, there are many more that you’ll pick up as you learn more about fashion.

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Fashion Terms

ARTY: Trademark of intense colours.

BIB: Bib necklace with round beads and full colour.

BIKER JACKET: Iconic leather jacket of the style worn by motorcycle riders.

COZY: Wide, cotton knit sweater.

CLUTCH: Handbag type purse.

CRUISE: It is the coolest way of referring to collections between seasons.

DIY: Do it yourself. People who create their own style.

GEEK CHIC: Schoolgirl look. Most popular in London.

GLITTER: Bright finishes on fabrics or accessories.

ICON T-SHIRT: T shirt of the true protagonists of your wardrobe.

IT GIRL: Fashion icon that often has a large media following and fans imi-tating their outfits.

KITTEN HEELS: Heels of around 5cm. They’re from the 50s, but we must confess that they don’t do anything for us!

LWD: Little white dress, a must have this summer.

NEUTRAL COLOUR BLOCK: Black + white + gray in the same outfit.

OUTFIT: The complete top-to-toe look.

PEPLUM: Frill from the waist to the hips on dresses and tops.

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CROPPED PANTS: Trousers with a turn-up on the bottom, showing the ankles.

SOFT: Fashion style in soft colours.

STATEMENT OUTFIT: The look of the most influential women in the fashion world.

VINTAGE: In fashion this term is used to refer to garments and / or acces-sories that are more than 20 years old.