Post Modernism in Fashion
Post Modernism Fashion Designers
Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen (born London,
1969 and died in 2012) was a British designer who focused on couture garments.
At aged 16, McQueen dropped out of school to take an apprenticeship at the
Savile Row tailors, Anderson and Shepherd, which gave him the opportunity to
improve on his tailoring and technical skills. He also undertook
apprenticeships at Gieves and Hawkes and then Angels and Bermans. This enabled
him to master many tailoring techniques. McQueen originally went to Central
Saint Martins to become a pattern cutter, however by the end, he had a
completed a Masters Degree in Fashion Design. He won the British Designer of
the Year Award in 1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003. In 2003, McQueen was presented
with the International Award by The Council of Fashion Designers of America and
also received a CBE. By 2007, he had opened boutiques in cities across the
world, including Las Vegas, New York and Milan and celebrities such as Sarah
Jessica Parker and Nicole Kidman were wearing his designs on the red carpets
from LA to London.
I think this tailored jacket
entitled ‘Savage Beauty’ conveys Post- Modernism as it shows a mixture of
function through the sophisticated, simple style of the jacket with the illogical,
conveyed by the uses of giant antlers that break free from the shoulders.
McQueen also uses real suede which is an abnormal fabric to use for tailoring
and clearly shows fun through his design which all relates to Post-Modernism
fashion.
Thierry Mugler
Thierry Mugler is a French fashion designer who left his
hometown of Strasbourg, France, at 20 to move to Paris. Once in Paris, Mugler
began wearing his own creations before a career as a freelance designer quickly
became available to him. He began working with major fashion houses, after
which he created his first collection in 1973, called ‘Cafe de Paris’. This
collection went against tradition and unstructured fashion. It was avant-garde,
feminine, sexy and urban. This style was also translated into the creations
that opened his Fashion House in 1974. In 1978, Mugler was named ‘Designer of
the Year’ by both the press and public and he had become a major name in the
fashion industry. Throughout the 1980s, his brand was very popular and his
style, collections and shows became well known.
Thierry Mugler designed this motorcycle corset as part of
his 1992 Spring/Summer Collection. I think his design embodies Post-Modernism
as he has taken a normal garment design that is quite simple in shape but added
unpractical elements like mirrors, handles and other metal elements which isn’t
a material often sued in clothing.
Victor & Rolf
Victor and Rolf are Dutch fashion
designers who repurpose found materials including old garments of theirs, and
create new collaged garments that often appear improvised and rushed. Their
work will often convey a necessity due to the hand woven, homemade and
nostalgic feel of their clothing. In 1988, Victor and Rolf showed an
unauthorised catwalk presentations at Paris Fashion Week which featured models
in oversized garments stuffed with balloons. This created abnormal silhouettes,
much like that of a mushroom cloud that emphasised certain features of the
models. After this was featured in Time’s Picture of the Week, Victor and Rolf
were drawn into the limelight. This pair often consider the catwalk to be an
experiment rather than a showcase and so they will therefore combine theatrics
within their shows. In 1999, ‘Russian Doll’ was presented where model Maggie
Rizer was engulfed in layers of dress in front of the audience, until she
became immobile like a wooden doll. Their designs are often unwearble, however
in 2006, they teamed up with H&M where they created a colourful high street
collection.