WHY IS FRENCH FASHION CONSIDERED ONE OF THE BEST (IF NOT THE BEST) IN THE WORLD?

Introduction

The ingenuity and passion of the founders of French fashion have ensured that its reputation for quality, adaptability, and progression is not unjustified. Over the last 370 years, the industry has gone from strength to strength and, despite changing tastes and social influences, it has remained a forerunner throughout the world.

Even after the Nazi occupation, rationing and textile shortages of the Second World War (and despite strong competition from America), France returned to lead the industry’s European revival. In the post-war years, it also weathered competition from Italy and has consistently changed to meet the needs of the consumer; from the beginnings of the Haute Couture Industry to the ‘Ready to Wear’ developments of the 60s, fashion has been entrenched in the growth and development of this nation like no other.

King Louis XIV

“Fashions were to France what the mines of Peru were to Spain”           

Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Finance Minister

The foundations of the French fashion industry can be traced back to 1643 when King Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, came to the throne.

At that time, Madrid was considered the fashion capital of the world, and Spain had been enjoying a booming economy. As her explorers conquered the world, Spanish fashions and textiles were being adopted through the courts of Europe, and nowhere was there a producer of goods of comparable quality.

But all of that was about to change.

King Louis, who went on to rule France for a record 72 years, had a lavish taste. Most obviously demonstrated in his design and construction of his Palace at Versailles. Louis recognised the importance of luxury goods and by dressing himself and his courtiers in only the highest quality fabric and materials to be found in France, he established himself and his entourage as a worldwide barometer of style.

He further supported French industry by adopting textiles, furniture, jewellery and clothing under the Royal Court; Under his guidance, these industries were encouraged (and allowed) to flourish, helped further by organising them into proper guilds. Ensuring quality and making them more competitive than imports.

Reference(s):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XIV_of_France

Haute Couture

Haute Couture (French for ‘high sewing’ or ‘high dressmaking’) is the creation of exclusive, custom-fitted clothing; a trend that flourished in the 19^th Century.

France was the obvious choice for premises and when Charles Frederick Worth, an Englishman credited with developing the Haute Couture Industry, opened a shop in Paris’ Rue de la Paix, others followed. Worth brought about the formation of The Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in 1868. The Syndicale regulates its members, controls copying of styles, collections, models, press relations and other issues around the industry.

As with so many aspects of the French Fashion industry, this has continued to adapt, and in 1930, an affiliated school was opened. L'Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture helps bring new designers to help the ‘couture’ houses of today.

This progressive trend saw the French Fashion industry once again strengthen its reputation, and French designs were replicated throughout the world.

Reference(s):

https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/creative-class/fashion-a-z/#haute-couture

Coco Chanel

One of the most notable fashion houses to follow in the footsteps of Worth was that of the designer Gabrielle Bonheur ‘Coco’ Chanel. Chanel totally deconstructed women’s fashion and changed the very core of the industry. Her preference for free-flowing garments and the removal of the corset inspired a whole ‘era’ of fashion in the flapper-style.

Chanel became the first designer to create with jersey and bring a menswear aesthetic to women’s clothing.

In the 1920s, Chanel expanded her empire and became the first designer to put their name to perfume with the launch of Chanel No. 5.

“(Perfume) is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion…. That heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure..”

Reference(s):

http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2110513_2110512_2110737,00.html

French fashion and the Second World War

There was not one area of French life unaffected by the Second World War. France was invaded by Germany in 1940 and, within a month, it had occupied the Northern and Western parts of the country. Everything about French life, culture, and freedom was affected.

As war broke Paris was still considered the fashion capital of the world – the Autumn 1939 collections predicting a more ‘practical’ edge to women’s clothing – Designers even attempted to embrace the onset of war by designing practical outfits, such as ‘shelter pajamas and siren suits’, and Time Magazine noted “whoever runs the world, Paris intends to go on making his wife’s clothes” **

The occupation of France by the Nazis saw the closure of the couture houses as Germany insisted that the Fashion industry be transferred to Berlin, and for those who remained or continued to operate, rationing had serious ramifications on the availability of fabrics, especially luxury fabrics like silk and lace.

But even the restrictions of war could not prevent the people of Paris from expressing themselves through their couture and, with flowers and feathers still readily available, hats provided an expressive alternative to garments.

The war years allowed the American fashion industry to take its time in the spotlight, helped by the popularity of Hollywood and its iconic stars. News embargos also prevented design news and images from leaving France and influencing the rest of the world in the way in which it previously had.

Reference(s):

https://glamourdaze.com/history-of-womens-fashion/1940-to-1949#war-years-1939-to-1945

Christian Dior & Givenchy

Europe and America were still looking to re-establish themselves and recover from the rationing and restrictions of the Second World War when French Designer Christian Dior launched his ‘New Look’. In 1947, just two years post-war, and following the subdued and economy-restricted fashions of the previous years, this look was almost opulent and decadent in its construction – the use of the fabric alone far exceeding anything that had been acceptable during wartime

“Drastically altering the square-shouldered, straight female silhouette of the last ten years….. The female figure once again became exaggerated and glorified, with dresses featuring soft shoulders, a slightly padded bodice, a wasp waist and a full skirt flaring out from the hips and grazing the calves”

Through Dior, French fashion had once again defined exactly what the public, in particular women, needed. Femininity became possible once again with the rejection of the shapeless, practical garments of recent years and the New Look perfectly captured the fashion needs of the day, not just in Europe but America.

The impact of French fashion on post-war America was also felt in 1953 when the fashion house of Hubert de Givenchy (a member of Chambre Syndicate de la Haute Couture et du Pret-a-Porter), with a little help from Audrey Hepburn, ‘re-imagined’ Chanel’s ‘Little Black Dress’ phenomenon for the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

The result was quickly adopted by the Hollywood A-List, from Elizabeth Taylor to Grace Kelly, and France, especially Paris, became the forerunner in style once again.

Reference(s):

https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/a-brief-history-of-french-fashion-34032

The 60s, Youth Culture

The arrival of the 1960s marked a very definite move from the post-war hangover of austerity and more than any other period in history, threatened the reputation of France fashion culture as the lynchpin of style. British designer Mary Quant led the rebellion against the formality of Paris fashion, preferring more audacious designs, and the popularity of the miniskirt grew as a symbol of female empowerment and sexual liberation.

Mary Quant's designs were everything that French high fashion wasn’t: fun, relaxed, bright, colourful, neon and dangerous!

“We wanted to increase the availability of fun for everyone. We felt that expensive things were almost immoral and the New Look was totally irrelevant to us”                                                                                                    

Mary Quant

Whilst Quant has widely been considered the inventor of the mini skirt, it's not surprising that the French fashion industry has often credited this to one of its own. André Courrèges, who learned his trade in the house of Balenciaga, had been experimenting with different looks and radical cuts at the same time Quant was designing minis. His 1964 Spring collection was a radical event – taking influence from space exploration – with shiny fabrics, models wearing helmets and goggles; leading to his collection coined the phrase ‘Space Age’.

In the late 1960s, a Young Yves Saint Laurent helped Paris reclaim its fashion crown.

"Coco Chanel gave women the little black dress, and Yves Saint Laurent gave them the option of leaving it at home."

Time Magazine

Saint Laurent, at the age of just 21 had found himself head of the Dior fashion house after the untimely death of its founder. He was recognised for designing women’s fashion that was both accessible and practical, yet still elegant; including Le smoking, a tailored tuxedo suit for women “It became an instant classic for women who wanted to appear equal parts glamorous and strong”*

The Jacques Heim fashion house was also instrumental in revolutionising fashion by creating the first Prêt-à-Porter (ready to wear) line. Head of the house Jacques Heim was president of the Paris Chambre Syndicale de la haute couture from 1958 to 1962, a period of transition from haute couture to ready-to-wear clothing.

Reference(s):

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/andre-courreges/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960s_in_Western_fashion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yves_Saint_Laurent_(designer)

** http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/25429/1/how-yves-saint-laurent-changed-fashion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Heim

Conclusion

In the last 350 years, no other country has been so consistent in the quality and development of its fashion industry. Even against the adversity of war, economy, and public opinion, France has demonstrated the ability to continuously reinvent itself. It has set standards that other countries have followed and a methodology that has been replicated and adopted the world over.

As well as the designers, textile producers and fashion houses that form the backbone of the industry, the other elements, such as the Guilds overseeing standards and quality, the Fashion Press (first developed by Jean Donneau de Visé in the mid-1600s to advertise and showcase the clothing styles worn by members of the French royal courts. In 1945, Helene Lazareff founded the French fashion magazine, Elle, which is one of the leading fashion publications today, and ‘management’ of the fashion world diary with the influential, bi-annual ‘Paris Fashion Week’

This continuing progressive development and its impact in every decade of history support the suggestion that French fashion can be considered one of the best (if not ‘the best’) in the world.

Reference(s):

https://www.businessoffashion.com/education/fashion-az/haute-couture