Claire Mccardellmccardell
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ClaireClaire MM cC cC ard ard ell ell FounderFounder ofof AmericanAmerican ReadyReady--toto--WearWear BackgroundBackground ¾¾BornBorn onon MayMay 2424th 19051905 inin FrederickFrederick MarylandMaryland ¾¾SheShe studiedstudied atat Parson’sParson’s SchoolSchool ofof DesignDesign ¾¾HerHer careercareer startedstarted byby workingworking asas aa modelmodel andand assistantassistant designerdesigner forfor RobertRobert Turk.Turk. ¾¾LaterLater onon sheshe designeddesigned clothesclothes underunder thethe labellabel TownleyTownley FrockFrock byby ClaireClaire McCardellMcCardell.. PhiPhilosophylosophy onon StyleStyle ¾¾HerHer casual,casual, butbut sophisticatedsophisticated clothesclothes withwith functionalfunctional designsdesigns reflectedreflected thethe lifestyleslifestyles ofof thethe AmericanAmerican womanwoman inin thethe 40s40s andand 50s.50s. ¾¾McCardellMcCardell pioneeredpioneered casual,casual, comfortablecomfortable AmericanAmerican sportswearsportswear forfor women.women. PhiPhilosophylosophy onon StyleStyle ¾¾SheShe believedbelieved thatthat women’swomen’s clothesclothes shouldshould bebe durable,durable, versatile,versatile, comfortable,comfortable, flattering,flattering, andand easyeasy toto carecare for.for. ¾¾ “I’ve“I’ve alwaysalways wonderedwondered whywhy women’swomen’s clothesclothes hadhad toto bebe delicatedelicate –– whywhy theythey couldn’tcouldn’t bebe practicalpractical andand sturdysturdy asas wellwell asas feminine.”feminine.” InfluencesInfluences ¾¾WhileWhile studyingstudying forfor aa yearyear inin ParisParis sheshe redraftedredrafted designsdesigns byby ChanelChanel andand Vionnet.Vionnet. ¾¾ThisThis ledled thethe wayway forfor herher ownown style.style. VionnetVionnet’s’s InfluenceInfluence ¾¾McCardellMcCardell waswas ableable toto simplifysimplify Vionnet’sVionnet’s cutcut inin orderorder toto createcreate readyready--toto--wearwear designs.designs. ¾¾Vionnet’sVionnet’s biasbias cutcut ideaidea isis incorporatedincorporated intointo manymany ofof McCardell’sMcCardell’s designs.designs. ChanelChanel’’ss InfluenceInfluence ¾¾McCardellMcCardell updatedupdated Chanel’sChanel’s “little“little blackblack dress”dress” ¾¾InIn 19461946 sheshe createdcreated thethe “Baby“Baby Dress”Dress” whichwhich resembledresembled Chanel’sChanel’s DD e e sign sign TrademTradem arks arks ¾¾WrapWrap aroundaround effectseffects ¾¾SpaghettiSpaghetti shouldershoulder strapsstraps oror beltsbelts ¾¾ShortsShorts ¾¾DirndlDirndl skirtsskirts ¾¾StripedStriped cottoncotton ¾¾DENIMDENIM ¾¾DoubleDouble toptop--stitchingstitching ¾¾BrassBrass hardwarehardware replacingreplacing buttonsbuttons ¾¾LargeLarge patchpatch pocketspockets ¾¾ManyMany waistlineswaistlines MM ajor ajor ContributionsContributions ¾¾PopoverPopover DressDress--19421942 • Unstructured, waist less, wraparound dress, made of unpretentious materials such as denim and calico. • “You just pop it over something nicer underneath” ¾¾MonasticMonastic DressDress-- 19381938 • Waistless, dartless, bias-cut tent dress made of wool jersey • Caused a sensation in 1938 • Extremely radical for that time period This is an example of what the Popover dress looked like. SS wim wim s s uit uit StylesStyles ¾¾SheShe usedused nonnon traditionaltraditional fabricsfabrics inin herher designsdesigns likelike woolwool andand cotton.cotton. ¾¾HalterHalter necks,necks, hoods,hoods, sleeves,sleeves, andand wrappedwrapped waistswaists areare otherother featuresfeatures youyou wouldwould seesee inin herher designs.designs. AA d d apting apting toto thethe ttiimes…mes… ¾¾WWIIWWII actuallyactually helpedhelped herher careercareer ratherrather thanthan hurthurt it.it. ¾¾SheShe adaptedadapted wellwell toto thethe warwar becausebecause thethe guidelineguideline setset byby thethe governmentgovernment didn’tdidn’t effecteffect herher simplesimple stylestyle ofof design.design. ¾¾WhenWhen shoesshoes werewere rationedrationed sheshe introducedintroduced thethe balletballet slipperslipper asas streetstreet wear.wear. AA d d apting apting toto thethe ttiimes…mes… ¾¾TravelTravel waswas becomingbecoming moremore popularpopular andand thethe clothesclothes ofof thethe timetime didn’tdidn’t traveltravel well.well. ¾¾McCardellMcCardell designeddesigned aa sixsix--piecepiece interchangeable,interchangeable, coordinatedcoordinated wardrobewardrobe ofof separatesseparates thatthat allowedallowed womenwomen toto havehave aa varietyvariety ofof choiceschoices withwith justjust aa fewfew garments.garments. ¾¾ByBy thethe 1950s,1950s, herher successsuccess earnedearned herher internationalinternational recognitionrecognition andand ledled toto collaborationscollaborations withwith suchsuch renownedrenowned artistsartists asas Picasso,Picasso, MiroMiro,, andand Chagall,Chagall, allall ofof whomwhom designeddesigned fabricsfabrics forfor McCardell'sMcCardell's 19551955 collections.collections. FF a a shion shion WW alk alk ofof FamFam e e ClaireClaire McCardellMcCardell "One"One ofof thethe mostmost importantimportant fashionfashion designersdesigners ofof thethe 20th20th Century,Century, ClaireClaire McCardellMcCardell helpedhelped createcreate "The"The AmericanAmerican Look."Look." McCardellMcCardell pioneeredpioneered thethe AmericanAmerican stylestyle ofof casualcasual sportswear.sportswear. FF a a shion shion WW alk alk ofof FamFam e e InspiredInspired byby activeactive wearwear andand menswear,menswear, sheshe mademade practical,practical, comfortablecomfortable andand wearablewearable clothes.clothes. SheShe waswas dedicateddedicated toto thethe democratizationdemocratization ofof fashion.fashion. AsAs sheshe onceonce said,said, "I"I belongbelong toto aa massmass productionproduction countrycountry wherewhere anyany ofof us,us, allall ofof us,us, deservedeserve thethe rightright toto goodgood fashion."fashion." The dress on the left is Chanel’s and on the right is McCardell’s. .