Robyn Sedwell

Fashion, Form and Function: Who is the Most Influential Fashion Designer of the 1900s -
Present Day?

“I think there is beauty in everything. What ‘normal’ people would perceive as ugly, I can usually
see something of beauty in it.” — Alexander McQueen1

Growing up amongst a world of fast paced, ever-changing technology and media, fashion was
no exception. From seeing adverts in magazines, on television and walking down the streets;
the bright flashes of what seemed to be one’s own visual representation of their personal
identity were captured before my eyes. Fashion can be a form of self-representation as ​“style is
a way to say who you are without having to speak”2, ​meaning the beauty, view and perception is
in the eye of the beholder. “I think there is beauty in everything. What ‘normal’ people would
perceive as ugly, I can usually see something of beauty in it.”3 Although perspective is individual
to each person, the question often sparked was where did the clothing and trends fashionable
nowadays come from and who created them? Distinct names such as the iconic Coco Chanel or
curator of ‘The new Look’ Christian Dior may come to mind, however less spoken about names
such as Cristobal Balenciaga could also be unexpectedly in the mix.

Fashion has been evident throughout history since humans began wearing clothes. It is thought
that people began wearing clothes somewhere between 100,000 to 500,000 years ago, often
being used to establish social status and individuality. Early clothes were commonly made from
plants, animal skins and bone, as well as needles built from bone, allowing people to sew
together furs for more complex garments. Societal and individual styles of clothing and
accessories that reflect the current nature of the world is what fashion is about. For those who
embrace this, fashion can be about the latest trends, shoes, handbags, or just the complete
contentment of personal expression, allowing oneself to be free - “Fashion should be a form of
escapism, and not a form of imprisonment.”4 Fashion is dynamic, constantly changing in subtle
or dramatic ways depending on designers' artistic inspirations with trends often coming back
around over time and being born based on style choices of public figures. Not just creating
visual impact, fashion is often a way of conveying “pure, intense emotions. It’s not about design.
It’s about feelings.”5 allowing an inner sense of satisfaction to be shown to the world.
The same as with everything so individual to each person’s taste, there will always be critique
and debate over fashion. Opinions often clash as some may believe that “fashion is a form of
ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.”6 ​This causes room for the
debate of where the latest fashion trends derive from, who created them and should we conform
to them?

1
McQueen, A. (2003) (Alexander McQueen) V&A Publishing Company, London, 2005, p285
2
​Rachel Zoe,​ American fashion designer
3
McQueen, A. (2003) (Alexander McQueen) V&A Publishing Company, London, 2005, p285
4
Alexander McQueen
5
​Alber Elbaz
6
​Oscar Wilde,​ Irish writer
Robyn Sedwell

Visiting the Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion exhibition on the life and work of the designer
Cristóbal Balenciaga at the Victoria and Albert Museum, a particular quote inspired me to think
about these questions. “Haute couture is like an orchestra, for which only Balenciaga is the
conductor. The rest of us are just musicians, following the directions he gives us.”7 ​Coming from
an iconic designer and brand itself as well as creator of ‘The New Look’ from the 1940s, it
surged the question of who was the most influential fashion designer, clearly from this quote
recognising that other designers looked up to him and his work, influenced and perhaps inspired
to aim for his skill and ability. Simply from seeing the bold tones and unusual shapes of
manipulated fabrics forming the garments gave reason for these words as the bold and abstract
shapes immediately emerging, bringing every formal element into the third dimension. Bespoke
pieces stood out, radiating the designer’s prominence for broken boundaries and unique,
exclusive architectural shapes forcing a sense of glamour and elegance upon anybody wearing
the pieces, or even observing. “Mass production strips every image of its singularity”8, linking
this quote from ‘Shock of the New’ can emphasise this idea that Balenciaga’s garments could
be seen a more notable and distinctive desirable due to their lack of availability. Known for his
innovative use of materials and revolutionary new shapes, including the tunic, “baby doll” and
shift dresses, glass cabinets exhibited countless examples. From a 1961 strapless evening
gown formed from three tiers of gazar - a stiff silk material he became extremely fond of, to a
black architectural sleeveless structure “envelope” cocktail dress which completely abstracted
the body with an effortlessly smooth and silky surface texture to
become the pinnacle of sculptural, luxury sophistication.
Balenciaga was known for breaking the boundaries of fashion.
Despite being “very unique for his time in that he was so modern
looking and avant-garde in his vision,”9, this “occasionally made
him unpopular, particularly with the press, whom he liked to keep
at arm’s length, only giving one newspaper interview in his entire
life”. On the other hand, his ability to manipulate and control
fashion often became a hit with the press, such as the 1967
“envelope” dress whose only downfall was the functionality and
practicality.

Alberta Tiburzi in 'envelope' dress by Cristóbal Balenciaga.

Photograph by Hiro Wakabayashi for Harper's Bazaar, June 1967. ©
Hiro 1967

Due to the small opening for the legs and outlandish four-sided structure fabricating a new and
dramatic abstraction for the body. However the dress would have been difficult to wear at
events, take on and off and maintain to the best quality. As a piece of art, I think it is an
exquisite garment to look at and photograph, enabling a bold and powerful look that breaks the

7
​Christian Dior
8
Hughes, R. (1991) ​(The Shock of the New), Knopf: New York, p325
9
​Cassie Davies-Strodder, curator of the exhibition Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion. ​Quote found from ​The
New York Times (2017). Balenciaga, Fashion’s Original Provocateur.
Robyn Sedwell

boundaries of conventional womenswear, perhaps even taking on a more masculine approach

with broad shoulders flowing down into a smaller opening. However, the wearing of the dress in
practical situations would have been burdensome.

As a result of experimentation, the envelope dress lead to a complete abstraction of the body.
The composition and construction of the dress starts from a funnel flaring upward from a narrow
knee, terminating into four teardrop-shapes. The smooth, silk finishing adds a striking sense of
elegance to the unusual form made from gazar (the fabric Balenciaga created with his favourite
textile house, Abraham of Zurich, to be as stiff as foil). Considering it anti-woman, some
opposed Balenciaga’s fixation with the abstracted body to which designer and former
Balenciaga house model, Emmanuelle Khanh, dismissed such clothes with the phrase “women
are not cubes”. When visiting the exhibition, I was particularly impacted by this dress due to the
strong, structured, almost geometric style forms of the construction. Throughout each stage of
the design and production process, it was clearly evident to see the well known reputation of
Cristobal Balenciaga for being an extremely skilled courtier10 - unlike others he was professional
in every stage of the making process: designing, cutting, tailoring and dressmaking, inspiring me
to try each stage myself when experimenting and building up my own work.

My own experimentation made from paper, inspired by Balenciaga

Exploring different sculptural shapes, I used paper in my own

experiments to form clean lines in abnormal ways, layering shapes
in different directions and alternating sizes. The stiffer structure of
the paper allowed me to easily investigate abstraction of the human
form, constructing around mannequins as well as people. Mostly
inspired by the iconic and original shapes fabricated from the work of
Balenciaga, this would have been an immensely impractical due to
the material’s lack of durability whereas stiffer fabric would have
been used if the design was to go further into development and
manufacture. Balenciaga’s early work drew on French designers
such as Madeleine Vionnet and Coco Chanel, who he became close friends with. He revelled in
a variety of fabrics and often said “it is the fabric that decides”, choosing to begin with the fabric
and design around them. Once having selected the fabrics for the Spring/Summer 1968
collection which included the pink, flared lantern-sleeve dress, he retreated to the country to
design the collection. He preferred to to make rather than draw, giving instructions to a sketch
artist to draft his designs, attaching a fabric example to each sketch with the atelier and house
model noted.

V&A About the Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion Exhibition ​(2017) (Victoria and Albert Museum)
10

www.vam.ac.uk/articles/about-balenciaga-shaping-fashion
Robyn Sedwell

Wool day coat, Cristóbal Balenciaga, House of Balenciaga 1964

Travelling to Europe during World War II, customers risked their safety
to see Balenciaga's clothing including the ‘Square Coat’ which he was
noted for, ​it was not until post-war that his forms and silhouettes
became more sleek and linear, contrasting to the popularized
hourglass shape by the “New Look” from Christian Dior. Balenciaga
favoured free-flowing lines that allowed him to alter the way clothing
interconnected to the women’s body, particularly seen in his coats with
smooth rounded shoulders and cocoon-like structure standing away
from the body to give an arched and curvaceous silhouette.​ ​The
single-breasted, kimono-style coat, cut from three panels of slate-blue material creates a
compact and heavy set box-like shape as well as three self-covered buttons; a square turndown
collar at the jewel neckline; three-quarter-length sleeves; and a diagonal standing pocket at
each hip establishing a neat, clean-cut look, adding elegance. This cocoon style jacket is often
seen coming back into fashion each winter season, filtering down into high-street fashion with
brands such as H&M, Zara, and Topshop releasing coats of a style similar to that created by
Cristobal Balenciaga, demonstrating the lasting impact that haute couture and high-end
designers have on the industry.

A double balloon costume shot by Irving Penn for ​Vogue​, September 1,

1950

Christian Dior’s 1947 New Look was all about small, cinched waists,
mid-calf skirts and prominent hips, however Balenciaga went the
opposite direction with broad shoulders and box shapes as well as
inflated balloon designs. It was this that set him apart from other
designers, leaving behind a legacy of influence for younger
designers to try and follow in his footsteps. The exhibition was not
only the work he had curated himself, but also others who he
inspired with his sleek and individualistic configuration of
uncustomary fashion, as well as constantly being compared to the “New Look” by Christian Dior,
also creating a stir within the industry around the same time. At age 42, Christian Dior presented
his first collection at 30 Avenue Montaigne on 12 February 1947. The show exhibited new and
unique silhouettes, tailored to distinct below-knee lengths, tiny waistlines alongside huge
volume among the hips and bust. The Editor-in-Chief of ​Harper’s Bazaar, ​Carmel Snow, firmly
believed in the couturier's talent exclaiming “it’s quite a new revolution, dear Christian! Your
dresses have such a new look!” which a correspondent from Reuters quickly took upon the
slogan,11 cementing the designer’s place in history.

11
The Story of Dior: The New Look Revolution
https://www.dior.com/couture/en_gb/the-house-of-dior/the-story-of-dior/the-new-look-revolution
Robyn Sedwell

The Bar Jacket, photographed by Willy Maywald, 1947

The ‘New Look’ was characterized by layers of fabric and in most

cases, the iconic bar jacket which would endure for many years.
Following up from the post-war years of austere style, Christian Dior
ushered in a Belle Epoque sense of luxury with layers of fabric that
sometimes used over twenty yards of material, creating not just a
look of luxury fashion, but the look of a luxury lifestyle. Dior’s Bar
jacket is characterized by molded curves, elevated bust and padded
hips as well as a cinched waist. Named the Bar jacket since the
piece was intended for the afternoon cocktail hour at hotels, what
made Dior’s “new look” so captivating was the full skirts and focus
on the female form, which was welcomed by many women in Europe
and the United States after the war years where materials were
limited and rationed. Dior also helped Paris regain its premiere fashion capital status after its fall
during WWII. Throughout the years, the Bar jacket has been re-created by Dior creative
directors John Galliano and Raf Simons as well as countless other designers inspired by Dior’s
“new look”. Galliano often featured the piece in his couture showings while Raf Simons made
the bar jacket a staple of his debut, fall 2012 haute couture collection. The image of
accentuating the female form like Dior, rather than constructing around it like Balenciaga, has
never particularly left the industry. From high-end designers, such as Yves Saint Laurent and
Elie Saab, down to high-street stores, hourglass shapes have been in the foreground and
desired ever since. Despite fashion nowadays mostly recognised as a way of self expression,
Dior’s ‘new look’ created the look of class and elegance, almost a lifestyle that set a look among
the higher social classes. Fashion has always, and I think always will, have some significance in
the social class divide as often brands try to create the look of a lifestyle which they want people
to look up to and aspire to, of course with an unaffordable price to some. The mass recreation of
this look continuing to be evident through to the present day leads
me to believe that Christian Dior’s influence on the fashion industry
could be one of the strongest, however crucial moments in history
could sway this opinion.

1920’s Chanel fashion, two-piece suit with hat

Throughout earlier points in history, this desired hourglass shape

which conveyed the ultimate look of elegance and femininity was
often created using a corset. ​Disregarding the conventions of her
time period and creating her own fashion perspective, Coco
Chanel created a world where luxury and comfort go hand-in-hand.
Chanel did not let the male dominated industry restrict her
mentality intimidate or distract from her modern philosophy and
innovation, understanding the importance of luxury clothing, she
Robyn Sedwell

always stood for what she believed in - simplicity and everlasting elegance. Her designs were
simple, subtle and effortless. Elegance was always a constant design philosophy behind her
clothes and her own personal style, the looser, more comfortable silhouette freed women from
the corsets. This revolution helped create a new perspective and mentality as Chanel built a
career that allowed her to voice her opinions through her designs. Women only wore dresses
and corsets under dresses, confined to the point they couldn’t move. Coco Chanel figuratively
and literally ripped the corset apart and allowed women to finally move within their clothing,
something still seen throughout fashion today; making her a pioneer within the industry whose
impact broke the rules of fashion to create an everlasting influence seen noteable ever since.

Despite the hourglass shape seemingly never leaving the catwalk, fashion has always been
dynamic, linking back to Alexander McQueen’s idea that fashion should not be a “form of
imprisonment”. Recently some of the latest trends to reach the catwalk are in the form of
androgynous fashion.12 With the ‘girlfriend look’ being all the rage on the catwalk alongside a
new exhibition of work by the undefining gender designer Jean Paul Gaultier is opening in Paris,
is androgyny headed to influence the mainstream? Italy, known for its stereotypical idealised
macho men, was a surprising location for such a
moment. At a recent Gucci show in Milan, louche,
long-haired male models walked the runway in chiffon
and lace, pussy-bow blouses and high-waisted flares
never seen before, meanwhile, the women walked the
runway in boyish, geeky styles. ​JW Anderson and
Meadham Kirchoff have also shown particular interest
in gender-fluid fashion, alongside Saint Laurent, Prada
and Givenchy whose recent menswear collections
have proposed skirts, high-heeled boots, chiffon
blouses and a broad prevalence of pink.

Gucci 2016 Spring Summer Menswear Catwalk

This ‘gender-bending’ look has become increasingly influential with recent advertising
continuing the idea with Cara Delevingne posing among a group of men in a DKNY campaign
as well as Julia Roberts posing in sharp, masculine tailoring for Givenchy. Alongside this,
London department store Selfridges has recently opened a whole new department, named
Agender selling merchandise by 15 different designers all presented as unisex. Considered a
pioneer of modern androgyny, Gaultier’s fascination with transformation and transgression has
seen his work cross and even erase the boundaries between cultures and the sexes. Creating a
huge stir when they first appeared in 1985, his skirts for men became a talked about subject
along with Ann Demeulemeester, Martin Margiela, Comme des Garçons and Helmut Lang
making androgyny one of fashion’s defining characteristics in the 1980s and ‘90s. Once again

12
His or Hers: Will Androgynous Fashion Catch On?​ (2015) ​(BBC)
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150331-womens-clothes-for-men
Robyn Sedwell

this has has influenced high-street fashion, filtering into the mainstream with brands such as
Zara creating ungendered ranges alongside numerous online stores and women simply
choosing to shop in the men’s section and vise versa. This impact has made fashion more
inclusive, allowing others to express themselves, given their own choice.

All in all, the choices and influences we take upon ourselves are down to a matter of preference
and opinion. After thoroughly researching, I think this applies the same way as the influence
designers have had upon the industry as the broad question can again be answered down to
one’s own belief and judgement. Each designer mentioned has somehow paved a different way
in which others have followed and taken inspiration, from Balenciaga and Dior’s manipulation
and accentuation of the human still seen in high-end and high-street stores today, the
ground-breaking disappearance of the historical corset by Chanel and more recently, the
knocking down of boundaries with ungendered fashion, pioneered by Gaultier. The way their
work and brand can convey a sense of luxury as well as a lifestyle people can aspire to,
encouraging power and confidence, is something I want to consider and apply to my own work.
All of this links back to my original idea that fashion is constantly changing, following trends
often set by top designers, however, the shift of time and proliferation and expansion of social
media easily creates a pathway for fashion to be shared, trends to appear and disappear
quickly, and an increase in influential icons and new brands, keeping the dynamics of fashion
flowing fast.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hughes, R. (1991) ​(The Shock of the New), Knopf: New York, p325

The New York Times (2017). Balenciaga, Fashion’s Original Provocateur. [online] Available at:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/25/fashion/balenciaga-exhibition-vanda-museum.html [Accessed 14
Dec. 2017].

V&A About the Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion Exhibition ​(2017) (Victoria and Albert Museum)
www.vam.ac.uk/articles/about-balenciaga-shaping-fashion

McQueen, A. (2003) (Alexander McQueen) V&A Publishing Company, London, 2005, p285

The Story of Dior: The New Look Revolution

www.dior.com/couture/en_gb/the-house-of-dior/the-story-of-dior/the-new-look-revolution

His or Hers: Will Androgynous Fashion Catch On?​ (2015) ​(BBC)

www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150331-womens-clothes-for-men