© 2018 Weronika Gaudyn ALL RIGHTS RESERVED STUDY OF HAUTE COUTURE FASHION SHOWS AS PERFORMANCE ART A Thesis Presented to The Graduate Faculty of The University of Akron In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Weronika Gaudyn December 2018 STUDY OF HAUTE COUTURE FASHION SHOWS AS PERFORMANCE ART Weronika Gaudyn Thesis Approved: Accepted: _________________________________ _________________________________ Advisor School Director Mr. James Slowiak Mr. Neil Sapienza _________________________________ _________________________________ Committee Member Dean of the College Ms. Lisa Lazar Linda Subich, Ph.D. _________________________________ _________________________________ Committee Member Dean of the Graduate School Sandra Stansbery-Buckland, Ph.D. Chand Midha, Ph.D. _________________________________ Date ii ABSTRACT Due to a change in purpose and structure of haute couture shows in the 1970s, the vision of couture shows as performance art was born. Through investigation of the elements of performance art, as well as its functions and characteristics, this study intends to determine how modern haute couture fashion shows relate to performance art and can operate under the definition of performance art. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee––James Slowiak, Sandra Stansbery Buckland and Lisa Lazar for their time during the completion of this thesis. It is something that could not have been accomplished without your help. A special thank you to my loving family and friends for their constant support of my education. Thank you for always believing in me and allowing me to chase my dreams. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 Definitions............................................................................................................. 2 II. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................ 5 History of Haute Couture ...................................................................................... 9 Purpose and Structure of Modern Haute Couture Fashion Shows ....................... 17 The Purpose of the Modern Couture Show................................................. 17 The Structure of the Modern Couture Show ............................................... 20 Performance Art .................................................................................................... 24 III. CASE STUDY ............................................................................................................ 31 Research Plan ........................................................................................................ 31 Analysis of Three Modern Haute Couture Shows ................................................ 34 Chanel Couture 2015 Spring /Summer ....................................................... 34 Dior Couture 2015 Spring /Summer ........................................................... 46 Givenchy Couture 2018 Fall /Winter .......................................................... 56 v IV. CONCLUSION........................................................................................................... 66 Recommendations for Further Research ............................................................... 70 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................. 72 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................. 78 APPENDIX A. TABLE 1 ..................................................................................... 81 APPENDIX B. TABLE 2 ..................................................................................... 79 vi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Modern fashion shows, particularly haute couture fashion shows, have evolved into spectacular entertainment. Cultural critics have called these exhibitions of each season’s latest fashion offerings “the greatest show on earth” (Duggan 243) or “an enchanted spectacle” (Evans 271). Until the First World War, fashion shows functioned as a type of formal gathering of the fashion industry, further developed by first designers such as Charles Frederick Worth, Lady Lucile Duff-Gordon, Paul Poiret, Jeanne Paquin, Coco Chanel, and Lucien Lelong (Raciniewska 96). With changes in purpose and structure of haute couture shows in the second half of the twentieth century, the vision of couture shows as performance art was born. This study intends to determine whether or not the modern haute couture fashion show can be understood and analyzed as performance art. Through researching elements of performance art, including its functions and characteristics, the study will investigate which aspects of modern haute couture shows relate specifically to performance art. The history of haute couture, the purposes and structure of modern haute couture shows, and case studies of three French couture fashion shows will be explored. This study is restricted to French couture case studies only and to a specific time frame, couture shows that took place after the year 2000. All three couture shows selected are reviewed in the 1 context of the seven functions of performance Richard Schechner defined in Performance Studies, as well as in the context of the performance art characteristics Amanda Coogan, Sophie Byrne and Lisa Moran discussed in “What is Performance Art?” (38; 4-9) The three examples of the modern haute couture show explored are Chanel Spring/Summer 2015, Christian Dior Spring/Summer 2015, and Givenchy Fall/Winter 2018-2019. These couture shows were selected based on the popularity, economic success, and prestige of their couture houses in the fashion industry. The primary research question being analyzed is: Are modern haute couture shows performance art? Although there are several scholarly articles available that acknowledge the connection of fashion shows to performance art, none of these sources examines whether or not modern haute couture shows can be considered performance art. This question provides a framework that places the research and accompanying case studies in the context of current research in the field of “fashion as art.” This study attempts to address the ways in which the worlds of high fashion and art are connected. Through the case studies, the research intends to uncover the correlation between these two worlds and explore them in further detail. Definitions As there are many definitions associated with specific terms used in this study, the definitions below provide the reader with a basic understanding of the researcher’s point of view. The following definitions have been used for the purpose of this thesis. Atelier: a workshop or studio, especially one used by an artist or designer (Oxford Dictionaries). 2 Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne (Syndicate Chamber of Parisian Couture): originally known as La Chambre Syndicale de la Confection et de la Couture pour Dames et Fillettes, founded in 1868 by Charles Frederick Worth, its name was changed in 1910 to French Ministry of National Education the trade association developed to coordinate and enforce co- operation among the couture houses in Paris (Sterlacci et al. 106). It arranged horizontal co-operation for the exclusive couture firms. It coordinated the fashion show timetables and dealt with piracy of styles and foreign relations. The association also ran promotional activities to raise the reputation of the haute couture ‘brand’ in exports (Majima 73). In 1973, it merged with Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Createurs de Mode, and Chambre Syndicale de la Mode Masculine, under the name Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode (Sterlacci et al. 106). Couturier: A fashion designer who manufactures and sells clothes that have been tailored to a client's specific requirements and measurements (Oxford Dictionaries). Finale: the last impression of the fashion show (Everett and Swanson 163). Grand Couturier: comes from French, and it means “the great couturier.” Grand couturiers are members of the French Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Haute Couture: comes from French, it can be translated into “high sewing” or “high stitching” (Waddel 1). Only the designs produced by accredited Paris haute couture houses that meet standards set out by the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne (Palmer 4). 3 Mannequin: a woman who wore garments for clients in France at the beginning of the twentieth century (Everett and Swanson 10). PAIS (L'Association de protection des industries artistiques saisonnières): the anticopyist group formed in 1930 that succeeded in conducting counterfeiting raids and brought about laws that pertained to the illegal copying of designs from the haute couture houses (Sterlacci et al. 396). Performance Art: “any form of ‘live art’ in a public setting closely related to the fine- art modes of the time” (Goldberg and Barlow “Performance Art”). It is a form of arts practice that involves a person or persons undertaking an action or actions within a particular timeframe in a particular space or location for an audience (Byrne and Moran 4). Prêt-à-porter: is the ready-to-wear fashion industry in Paris (Everett and Swanson 36). Ready-to-Wear: mass-produced apparel also called ready-made or off the rack. In its broadest sense this clothing includes