One of my favorite things about fashion is the history. Decade after decade, fashion intermingles with art, society, politics, theology, technology, sexuality -- you name it, whatever the "it" is, fashion has influenced it or been influenced by it at some juncture.
I'm really passionate about finding the "how" of someone's journey when it comes to their place in history -- particularly when it comes to fashion. One of the first fashion bios I delved into years ago was that of Madeleine Vionnet, the French designer who reigned supreme over the world of haute couture in the 1930's. I discovered her at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Exhibit in the early '90's where her enchanting velvet-bow adorned dress graced the cover of the exhibit's guide (below).
She was the queen of the bias cut; but not only was she known for cutting on the bias, she was also known for cutting on the straight grain and hanging on the bias -- a truly remarkable shape that flatters women of all body shapes and sizes to this day. Bias detail below
Vionnet is famous for saying, "when a woman smiles, her dress should smile, too." I think we can all confidently agree that these frocks are smiling...
