Bauhaus:

so, I decided to make my research about Bauhaus and its costumes more specifically. because
every time I look at the work of Bauhaus artists, they amaze me the way they amazed me when I
first looked at them. considering the time, they were created in and how bold and distinct their
statement was.
It’s sometimes hard to believe that this kind of ultra-modernist design leapt out of post-World
War I Germany.

Bauhaus art school was founded in 1919 by German architect Walter Gropius, and ran until
1932. It operated in three German cities: Weimar, Dessau, and Berlin. Bauhaus has had a great
influence on modernist design across the Western World and beyond for the past century. Idea
of Bauhaus was a “total work of art” or in German - Gesamtkunstwerk. this was a
revolutionary approach meaning, blending fine arts, crafts and technology and deleting all the
lines between applied and fine arts.

of course, Bauhaus haven’t left the world of fashion unnoticed. despite the school’s reputation
for minimalism, their designs turned out to be flamboyant and mesmerizing, pushing the
boundaries of human shape and form to create a look as modernist as the architectural style of
the buildings created under the school’s philosophy. Although the school is better known for
its influence on art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and
typography, the school pushed into the world of clothing in the 1920s when Bauhaus students
threw elaborate costume parties.

Before I get to the costume parties i would like to discuss the characteristics of bauhaus fashion
and design in general:

1. form follows function:

This is the idea that a design is about the function of the object rather than its aesthetic
appeal. The function comes first and excessive ornamentations are avoided.  this means
the design is very ‘literal’ or follows the function of the character. they had the idea
which was radical in that times that useful objects could also be beautiful.
2. true materials:
This is about not hiding the materials used. In architectural terms, this meant not hiding
anything that revealed the construction of a building such as steel beams. In costume
design, this might mean revealing stitching, folds or cuts. Bauhaus artists believed the
construction is an integral part of the design.
3. minimalist style:
Bauhaus artists favored clean lines and geometrical shapes. floral patterns or curved
shapes were out. Line, Shape and color were the main focus in the design process,
everything else could either be removed completely or significantly reduced. and here I’d
like to quote Jil Sander who rose to fame with plate-cleansing simplicity years later “I
think there is always a need for pure design. With pure design, you don’t need so much
decoration.” I think it implies perfectly what Bauhaus artists wanted to express.
And the famous Bauhaus parties: This was no student ‘fancy dress’ ball, but instead an
opportunity for the school’s artists to embody their design sensibilities fully. and the competition
was fierce: students and teachers such as Kandinsky, and Moholy-Nagy all tried to out-do one
another by designing uniquely fantastical creations. The parties began as improvisational events,
but later grew into large-scale productions with costumes and sets made by the school's stage
workshop. There was often a theme to the evenings. One party was called "Beard, Nose, and
Heart," and attendees were instructed to show up in clothing that was two-thirds white, and one-
third spotted, checked or striped. one of the most memorable of their parties was the metal party
of 1929 where guests donned costumes made from tin foil, frying pans, and spoons. Attendees
entered that party by sliding down a chute into one of several rooms filled with silver balls. just
to think about this - sometimes I even question if it is even possible for the human imagination to
go further… I have to mention one time Walter Gropius dressed up as Le Corbusier.

speaking of Bauhaus parties, we also have to mention Oskar Schlemmer - famous painter,
sculpture, designer, and choreographer who premiered his theatrical work “triadic ballet” in 1922
- formalizing the use of Bauhaus modernist design in a costume setting. ballet touredd until 1929
and is known as being the most widely performed avant-garde dance performance. it was the
three-part play with different colors and moods for each act - first was yellow, then pink, and
then black. The Triadic Ballet's 18 costumes were designed by matching geometric forms with
analogous parts of the human body: a cylinder for the neck, a circle for the heads. Schlemmer
also revealed that he considered the stylized, artificial movements of marionettes to be
aesthetically superior to the naturalistic movements of real humans.

and to see the stretch how Bauhaus movement and Schlemmer’s ballet costumes influenced the
world we have to go back to 70s and see our dear David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust days.
jumpsuit designed by Kansai Yamamoto.
Another, more contemporary artist who has regularly and dipped into the Bauhaus movement for
her costumes is Lady Gaga, and even went as far as to reference the school in the name of her
personal creative team ‘The Haus of Gaga’.

to finish my research there is some pictures from the runways of different designers whom I
think got their inspiration from Bauhaus.

all in all I think Bauhaus after all this years still continues to influence designers from all
backgrounds. like 100 years on and there is still so much to take away creatively from the
Bauhaus movements philosophy.