Twenties Revival

Sarah StothardFCP

Summer Project

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origins

inspire me

views of women

revival

film

television

runway

we are flappers

we are gangsters

we are great gatsby glamour

we are dropped waists

we are screen starlets

in the press

capture me on camera, honey

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origins------------

The motto of the Twenties, ‘live for today”, was the doorway to endless possibilities for women the world over, of every race and social denomination.

‘After experiencing the horrors of war, people wanted to enjoy themselves, and a need to make up for the missed years also made for undreamed of possibilities.’(Seeling, 2000:85) This new lease of life paved the way for the new designers of the twenties, and the new idols, who inspired women to shorten their skirts, cut their hair into sleek bobs, and fuelled their days with alcohol. (Seeling, 2000:85)

With the first world war over, men and women were thrown into the roaring twenties, with screen stars being adored the world over, and the clubs became a must to see flappers dance the Charleston. Due to the clothing worn by flappers, they were able to “dance the night away without a care in the world; their complete evening outfit weighed practically nothing.”(Seeling, 2000:86) This new found liberation from not only the heavy clothing women used to wear, but also from the horrors and loss of the war.

Movie and stage stars were such an influence on women that they “started to make themselves up as if they were all stars of the silver screen.” Stage makeup became commonplace in society, with women copying the “never striking enough” makeup of their favourite stars. (Seeling, 2000:85)

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Actresses such as Louise Brooks and Clara Bow were the ‘It’ girls of the twenties, with Bow being made up by famous makeup artist, Max Factor, whose makeup would soon be available for fans of Bow and the new fash-ions to wear every day.

The fashion we associate with the twenties was heavily influenced by the Art Deco and Art Nouveau movements of the early 1900s. Designers such as Lanvin adorned their garments with geometric patterns based around Cubism, giving their collections an edge over their competitors. (Seeling, 2000:96). “Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles influenced embroidery and textile design and particularly jewellery.”(Nunn, 2000:174)

inspire me----------

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These influences made their way into the clubs where flappers per-formed, and onto the stages where men and women alike would go to see their favourite new stars. These trends trickled down from these stars, and began to be worn by the women who admired them the most. The Bauhaus movement and African art also became favourite sources of the new designers.

Artist Lalique’s glass panels have, since their creation, been reused and manipulated onto various garments to show the constant bond between fashion and other arts. His glasswork was used by 1920s designers, as well as those today wanting to create a garment with an authentic twen-ties quality.

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The Twenties also changed the way women were seen by society. Through their contribution to the war effort, and through tireless protesting during their pre-world war suffragette movement, women over thirty were given the right to vote in 1918, and paved the way for greater reforms for the women’s vote.

In the world of work, women were soon doing jobs that “conferred higher status and offered better pay than housework.” (Seeling, 2000:85) With their new, hard earned cash, women began taking style lessons from the women who inspired them, causing the new working woman to spend “a great deal of their new money on their appearance.” (Seeling, 2000:85)

“It was to Paris that the women of America and Europe looked for fash-ion…reading of the latest trends in such magazines as Harpers’ Bazaar and Vogue.” (Nunn, 2000:169) These magazines offered actresses the opportuni-ty to model couture for their photo shoots, therefore the clothing that they adored was shown to other women the world over, causing the twenties trend to spread like wildfire.

---views-------------------of-------------------------

women-------------------

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but if i had the chance,

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i’d do it all over againtwenties fashion on 2012 catwalks

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The flapper trend in 1920 died down as quickly as it started up, lasting only 5 years. In 2011 however, the Spring Summer 2012

catwalks were deeply reminiscent of the “an-nées folles”.

2012

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The revival of the 1920s trend has close ties with the release of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby film out in late 2012. The release of this film will be sure to wow audiences with its passion, and of course, twenties fashions and culture. The release of this film follows the huge success of 2011’s The Artist, the silent film that showed a modern day audience the struggle that flourishing silent actors faced when the ‘talkies’ came about.

-------------film

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The clothing in both these films will sky rocket fashion’s love of this era. It is no wonder that designers the world over launched SS12 with flapper dresses, screen starlet gowns, and more make-up than is found in Lady Gaga’s dressing room. Louise Brooks would be proud.

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---------------televisionPeriod drama Downton Abbey is also a major contributor to the revival of the twenties trend. The ITV drama proved to be a major hit with its gripping story lines about the relationships between a rich family and their servants, and the difficult political climate they find them-selves in. With family members and footmenfighting in the Great War and scandal threatening to de-stroy the family’s reputation, the Brits couldn’t get enough. American drama Boardwalk Empire, set in 1920s Atlantic City proved to be a big hit in the States, and is slowly mak-ing an impression in the UK too.

With both film and television fully engrossed in this moment of history, fashion would soon follow. And to big-ger and better heights than had ever been seen before.

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“The Jazz Age isn’t just enticing film goers at the moment; fashion audiences are eating it up, too. Coincidentally or not, the costumes Bridges created for Bejo (The Artist) echoed the twenties-inspired and Deco shapes on the spring runways, at shows like Gucci, Marc Jacobs, and Etro.”

The revival has changed the original twenties trend slightly, making hair slicked back and long, rather than sleek and short. Lips are kept neutral to allow heavy black eyes to say every-thing. And the flapper dresses? With a simple change of shoes these dresses can carry our modern day Charleston wannabe from daytime wanders to evening parties.

Etro’s collection, “a vivid image of the jazz age”, wowed the front row. Using a combination of Art Deco graphics and a sorbet colour pallet rather than the traditional twenties “symphony of primary colours”, Etro added their own unique twist on this al-ready fascinating trend. Etro also adapted the work of Fortunato Depero, a futurist artist, to create vivid patterns on their flapper style dresses. (Blanks, 2011)

This trend is definitely one that will change the way people see fashion, and proves to so many that you can look glamorous in a short space of time simply by throwing on your favourite party dress for daywear.

----runway-------------

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We just want a good timeWe want to go from day wear to night wear without changing a thing

We want to dance the night awayWe’re paying homage to the original queens of style

We are :

Chloé Alberta FerrettiHoss Intropia

MarchesaMarc Jacobs

EtroSharon Wauchob

River Island

We were worn by:

Amanda SeyfriedMischa Barton

Katy PerryEmmy Rossum

Vanessa Hudgens

we are flappers-----------

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we are gangsters----------

We don’t take no for an answer

We are confident, independent women

Black eye liner is our key accessory

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We are:

GucciLacoste

Roberto Cavalli

We were worn by:

Susannah KangTan Min-LiTanny Kea

Yvonne LimNadja Bender

Anja Rubik

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We want to look glamorous in and out of the limelight

We are driven by current fashion

We are intelligent and well educated

We love a good period drama

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we are great gatsby glamour-------We are:

Ralph LaurenPhilosophy by Alberta Ferretti

Alberta FerrettiTory BurchMarc hesa

We were worn by:

Katy PerryKara Tointon

Vanessa Hudgens

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We want twenties fashion with a modern twist

We dream of a long romantic summer

We are:

Marc JacobsOpening Ceremony

ChanelMarni

Tory BurchGucci

Alberta FerrettiEtro

ChloeFrench Connection

We were worn by:

Tory Burch

we are dropped waists-----

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we are screen starlets--------We want to look red carpet ready on a daily

basis

Super sleek hair is a must, even on a windy day

We love to feel a million dollars

We turn heads

We are:

Ralph LaurenPhilosphy by Alberta Ferretti

Elie SaabMarchesa

We were worn by:

Emmy RossumNicole Kidman

Halle BerryMichelle Williams

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in the press---------------The twenties trend on the 2021 Spring Summer cat-walks stole fashion’s hearts. Reminiscent of an era that gave people such hope, a chance to let go of the hor-rors of war and rebuild their lives, a chance to forget about politics and recession, and for just one night, let themselves be immersed in the music, the clothes, and the passion.

This trend revival has been documented at:

fashionising.comstyle.comrefinery29.comlizzieedwards.comtrendhunter.comredonline.co.ukpinterest.com

VogueHarpers BazzareCompanyi-D

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--capture me on camera,

honey-------------

The Twenties trend was dominated by the luxury fashion houses, leaving little room for high street copies. Rather than a street style shoot, I created my own Twenties inspired shoot using high street flapper dresses from the last time our stores were filled with 1920’s garments, and some vintage pieces. The models hair and makeup was all done myself.

Based upon my personal ethics surrounding body confidence, the following images have not been airbrushed. The only editing has been of the image as a whole, not of the model.

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Sarah StothardFCP

Summer Project