Transatlantic Sartorial Relations:

France and The United States

Maria Beatrice Clemente

Integrative Seminar II:

Professor Dion Mattison

May 7th , 2015 Globalization and its large-scale manifestation during the early 20th century allowed for the exchange of sartorial concepts between and the United

States. One of the most common practices of communication between the two was through fashion publications. These periodicals contained fashioned plates that provided both countries inspiration about one another’s current . The relationship was most evident between the pages of Vogue magazine. Both

American and Paris Vogue were keen on the idea of translating one another’s style of dress. Some of the most prominent designers also aided this idea of borrowing from their intercontinental counterpart. Although Yves Saint Laurent, a French designer, and Halston, an American designer, both initially thrived with their own opposing signatures, similarities between the two became patent towards the end of the 20th century.

Vogue: A Global Company

Today, Vogue is one of the most popular periodical publications with offices in over eighteen countries. These divisions serve as representational ideas of its respective editors and its readership. There’s German Vogue, Vogue Portugal, Vogue

Korea, and Vogue Russia, among fourteen others. But prior to the existence of these divisions only two transatlantic divisions existed: American Vogue and Vogue Paris.

Initially published as a high-society journal during the late 19th century in

New York, the American edition of Vogue was the first of many proceeding Vogue journals to hit the stands.1 Since its very first issue, readers already related the publication as one that contains a great deal of French motifs. Even the source of the

1Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, s. v. "Vogue", accessed April 24, 2015, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/631831/Vogue. word “vogue,” itself, which translates to a fashionable way of dressing, comes from

Middle and Old French origins.2

Although Vogue was founded in 1892, it wasn’t until the early 20th century that it became a magazine that strictly focused on women’s fashion, beauty, and etiquette. Condé Montrose Nast, a publishing entrepreneur, purchased Vogue and made it his goal to exert his Francophilia—“markedly friendly to France or French culture”3—onto the magazine’s pages.4 Nast was successful in doing so, turning the magazine into one that cultivates the new essence of transatlantic style.

The American market was quick to jump onto Nast’s bandwagon as it favored the success of the French-inspired magazine. American women took to the pages of

Vogue in order to gain knowledge about the emerging styles in Paris. Moreover, the publication hit the nail on the head in adapting these foreign Parisian looks while still keeping the distinct American taste in mind.5 The success of American Vogue was irrefutable; therefore global expansion would only come naturally.

A couple of years into the existence of this prevalent magazine, expansion into French territory was already in the works as French natives requested to have their own version of the publication. Vogue Paris’ inaugural issue was published on

June 15th, 1920. The issue’s front cover was quick to add that it would provide the guide to “the best of American style.”6 Although the issue promised to offer

2 Merriam-Webster Online, s.v. “vogue,” accessed April 24, 2015, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vogue. 3 Merriam-Webster Online, s.v. “Francophile,” accessed April 24, 2015, http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/francophilia. 4 Mary E. Davis, Classic Chic: Music, Fashion, and Modernism (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006), 203. 5 Ibid., 203. 6 Ibid. concepts from its intercontinental counterpart, nationalistic instincts were not lost either; the issue portrayed itself as a reflection of the set-in-stone Parisian taste.

Vogue’s presence in both sides of the world made it the very first magazine to create distinct, large-scale editions. Its international offices located in the two fashion epicenters of the world, New York and Paris, aided its continued accomplishment in the publishing industry, as well as endorsed the paralleled representation of their counterparts.7

Throughout Vogue’s existence, a surge in the sophistication of tastes occurred. In order to move accordingly with , the periodical branched off of its initial fashion themed output. Vogue’s Franco-American model added features of contemporary art and music while still keeping with the connection of the two opposing cultures.

The foundation of a common, transatlantic culture was exemplified on almost every page of the two periodicals. Although American Vogue and Vogue Paris operated under different editors and writers, they contained many of the same contents from the articles to the illustrations and photographs.8 Although they were akin to one another, both publications deemed themselves as adaptations, not translations, of their counterparts. By doing so, they were able to stay true to their own tastes while treating the other as an inspiration. Even when they attempted to stray away from one another’s similarities, unambiguous resemblances were still present:

7 Ibid. 8 Ibid. Photographs of New Yorkers at the horse races in Saratoga were paired with images of Parisians at the Longchamp racetrack; pictures of socialites relaxing at the French resorts of Deauville and Dinard ran alongside photos of Americans lounging on the beaches of Newport and Southampton. Sunny Monte Carlo found its twin in Palm Beach, St. Moritz had its equivalent in Lake Placid, and, of course, Paris met its match in New York City. 9

As French and American cultural values coincided within the two publications, the pioneering standard for sophisticated style went beyond matters of dress.10 By reporting on areas such as music, the arts, and the broader cultural entity, Vogue established itself as a supreme authority of sophisticated culture on both sides of the Atlantic and came to be the well-known journal many distinguish today. Now spanning over eighteen different countries with individual cultures, Vogue has accomplished its goal of representing a global cultural identity.

Yves Saint Laurent & Halston

According to an anthropological study titled, “The World According to Vogue:

The Role of Culture(s) is International Fashion Magazines”, Vogue Paris is focused on two cultures, America and Asia. The study analyzed the pages of Vogue Paris and specifically mentioned a page devoted to Halston, “an American designer who dressed and associated with the jet-set and the glory days of Studio 54.”11 The presence of American designers in the pages of Vogue Paris and vice-versa is a recurring theme. Even in the earliest days of the publication, Paul Poiret, who was one of the leading French designers at the start of the 20th century, illustrated and

9 Ibid., 206. 10 Ibid. 11 Helen Kopnina, “The World According to “Vogue”: The Role of Culture(s) in International Fashion Magazines” (2007) in Dialectical Anthropology, Vol. 31, No. 4 (New York: Springer, 2007), 376. featured his designs in both transatlantic editions; stressing the significance of gaining the attention of American clientele.12

The two most instrumental forces in the industry of fashion design during the mid-20th century were Halston and Yves Saint Laurent. American designer,

Halston is synonymous with minimalism and modernism while French designer,

Yves Saint Laurent is known for his dramatic and fantasy-filled, French aesthetic.

Despite the differences that the two designers pose, it is unquestionable that the two formed connections with one another during their careers.13

Throughout the years, the designers’ popularity has gained them a number of films, retrospectives, and books that deeply examine their separate works; until recently, no one has observed the two designers side-by-side. The director of the

Museum of FIT, Patricia Mears, and assistant curator, Emma McClendon, decided to take on the task of putting the two designer’s works together in a Venn-diagram fashion, finding an abundance of parallels in the designers’ works.14

12 “The Influence of Fashion Magazines,” A.L. Tirocchi Dressmakers Project, The RISD Museum/Brown University, accessed April 24, 2015, http://tirocchi.stg.brown.edu/514/printables/fashion_magazines.html/. 13 “Yves Saint Laurent + Halston: Fashioning the 70s,” The Museum at FIT, Accessed April 24, 2015, https://www.fitnyc.edu/23220.asp. 14 Ibid. The exhibition includes a timeline that outlines the parallels of the designers’ careers as well as a large collection of ensembles. As one enters the museum, a number of looks that resemble one another line the sides of the walls. Plunging necklines, cutouts, and menswear influences, among many other hallmarks are evident in the plethora of paired garments. Each one of these partnered outfits is demonstrative of their similarities. Two outfits, both featuring a cape paired with a blouse and a skirt, and Fig. 1. (left) Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, both involving shades of an off-white color, cape ensemble, wool, velveteen, and nylon, 1976, France strongly demonstrate their stark similarities (right) Halston, Caped ensemble, wool, 1970, New York. Photo: The Museum at (Fig. 1). Although the ensembles possess FIT. resemblances it is evident that the two did not lose their respective French and

American panache. 15 Yves Saint Laurent’s cape features a collar with gold embroidery and a tassel; these embellishments are distinctive of Saint Laurent’s historical and French inspirations. Meanwhile, Halston’s cape is a reflection of his aesthetic due to its minimalistic style with no visible accessories apart from a simple brown belt. These two designers perfectly demonstrated the relationship between

15 Yves Saint Laurent + Halston, New York, The Museum at FIT, February 6-April 18, 2015. France and the United States. Their communication and influence during the 20th century provided to be strong and evident.

Exploring Modern Day Affairs (Conclusion)

The existence of French and American sartorial relations is still palpable to this day. It is inevitable for inspirations to coexist between these two cultures due to their joint global authority in the world of fashion; Although some questions can arise as to whether or not the quality of this relationship has not altered throughout the years. While putting into consideration the shifts and changes that has occurred not only in the fashion industry but in the culture as a whole, can it be concluded that their relationship has diminished? These questions are valid in order to understand how cultures have evolved beyond the 20th century and into the modern say stature of humanities. Though the topic may become provocative, it is important to explore greater territories regarding the subject; ultimately providing a better understanding of the research at hand.

Bibliography

Davis, Mary E. 1959. Classic Chic Music, Fashion, and Modernism. Berkeley: University of California Press.

“Dressmakers Project: The Influence of Fashion Magazines.” The RISD Museum/ Brown University. Accessed April 11, 2015. http://tirocchi.stg.brown.edu/514/printables/fashion_magazines.html/.

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, s. v. "Vogue", accessed April 24, 2015.

Fig. 1. Halston, caped ensemble. 1970. Wool. New York. The Museum at FIT, New York. From The Museum at FIT, http://exhibitions.fitnyc.edu/blog-ysl- halston/2015/03/12/yves-saint-laurent-halston-capes/ (accessed April 24, 2015).

Fig. 1. Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, cape ensemble. 1976. Wool, velveteen, and nylon. France. The Museum at FIT, New York. From The Museum at FIT, http://exhibitions.fitnyc.edu/blog-ysl-halston/2015/03/12/yves-saint- laurent-halston-capes/ (accessed April 24, 2015).

Kopnina, Helen. 2007. “The World According to “Vogue”: The Role of Culture(s) in International Fashion Magazines.” In Dialectical Anthropology, Vol. 31, No. 4, 363-381. New York: Springer.

Merriam-Webster Online, s.v. “Francophile,” accessed April 24, 2015.

Merriam-Webster Online, s.v. “vogue,” accessed April 24, 2015.

The Museum at FIT. 2015. “Yves Saint Laurent + Halston: Fashioning the 70s,” Accessed April 24, 2015. http://www.fitnyc.edu/museum.asp.