By: Nataša While fashion is still a male-domainated industry, there are women who have claimed their seat at the exclusive table, making a name for themselves and their work. They are often overlooked by the big names such as Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, the list goes on. While these male fashion designers are geniuses of their own, they overpower the women in the industry (which is made predominantly for women). This is not to say that male designers should be ignored or that they shouldn’t be in the fashion industry- the fashion industry is for everyone, but this is rather to say that the women in the fashion industry need more recognition for their hard work. They are artists of their own, and representation is so important to see. Since it is March, which is women’s month, I wanted to celebrate the recognition of some of these women and their accomplishments. 1. Vivienne Westwood. (<3) Vivienne Westwood is notably known most for her significance and influence of punk fashion and punk counterculture of the 1970s. The clothes she designed reflected the political, economic, and social contexts of Britain. The youth used her clothing to develop their unique senses of style, and found that her store was a common meeting place of their counterculture. Not only that, but Vivienne Westwood challenged gender norms and pushed the boundaries of experimentation, creating her to be a strong influence. For example, Westwood’s designs could be seen as provocative with its use of intentional rips, safety pins and so much more. This all had the intention of provoking the comfortable and ignorant middle class, and simultaneously encouraged the punk counterculture to be active when it came to politics. Further, the band Sex Pistols had ties with Vivienne Westwood, as her husband, Malcolm Mclaren, was their manager, and so they were often seen wearing Westwood's designs. Soon enough, she found herself creating collections, and seeing them come to life on the runway. Her work was always provoking, avant-garde, suggestive, and to some, uncomfortable. This was Vivienne’s goal. She wanted to make a statement with her work. She wanted to create discourse. She wanted her art to make a change, and that it did. Her name holds power and significance for the impact she held in the 70s counterculture and then, in high fashion as well. 2. Elsa Schiaparelli Yet another avant-garde fashion designer, Elsa Schiaparelli created works of art during the time of emergence of the surrealist art movement, which started in the post-world war 1920s. Her work in itself was part of the art movement, which aimed to combine reality with the unconscious of the dream state of humans. The works created during this time were seen as uncanny. Illogical and dream-like scenes were painted. Elsa Schiaparelli translated that into her garments. Her work is oftentimes described as idiosyncratic and original. Her work was nothing short of creative. Combining traditional and experimental, fantasy and reality, only pushed her forward in the art scene. Her boldness and brazen, her eccentric designs, all allowed her to experiment even further with fashion and art. She befriended surrealist artists such as Man Ray and Salvador Dali, even collaborating with Salvador Dali on a jewellery collection (seen top left). She was also inspired by other surrealists work. For example, when creating a perfume, the bottle was in the shape of a pipe, an Ode to Magritte. Bold textures and print, colours and pronounced silhouettes all fell under Elsa’s repertoire. The usage of the bold and loud, almost neon pink that caught many off guard during this time encompasses this aura of her work. She refused to conform, to go with the trends and please the public- Schiaparelli created what she wanted to create and ignored trends in fashion. In 1934, Schiaparelli was so influential that Time Magazine put her on their cover, making her the first female fashion-designer to be on the cover. They presented her as a master of ultra-modern haute couture fashion. Elsa was also a feminist and entrepreneur. She was stubborn and stood her ground on the things she wanted, and never backed down. She dressed some of the most powerful women in the world and worked with some of the most powerful people of her time. She wasn’t afraid to create what she wanted to create. Further, she created her own fashion show (which was also the first ever fashion show) in 1937. It took place in her Parisien showroom. 3. Vera Wang Before becoming an influential wedding dress designer, Vera Wang lived other lives. She was a figure skater, and then worked for VOGUE and Ralph Lauren before creating her own brand in 1990, when she was 40 years old. Since then, Vera Wang has expanded her collection to haute couture that isn’t solely based on bridal wear. Her work includes maximalist ruffles and textures, lots of solid black and white colour palettes, with hits of other colours (depending on the collection), minimal usage of patterns, and an exploration of fabrics (such as tulle being used in various manners, not just the classic tulle skirt prototype). Silhouettes include either mini, or floor-length maxi lengths for all pieces (pants/shorts, dresses, skirts…) When it comes to her wedding gown designs, fluid fabrics such as soft tulle and satin, floral embellishments, lace and pearls all seem to be part of Wang’s signature style of design. Her designs have a modern feel and look to them, an unapologetic energy and attractive charisma. Vera Wang is still designing clothing to this day, and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. 4. Rei Kawakubo A self taught Japanese artist, Rei Kawakubo is the mastermind behind the brand Comme des Garçons, founded in 1969. Being raised by her single mother, who was a strong and independent woman, Rei took after her, and translated this into her work. All of the designs Rei comes up with are for the comfort and mobility of women. She has never designed heels, and never has made her models wear heels on the runway. She also doesn’t subscribe to western definitions of what is considered “attractive” or “sexy”- revealing clothing to please or seduce men. Even the brand name, Comme des Garçons, in English means “like some boys”. This further emphasises the meaning behind the brand: to uplift women, to give them comfort when many other outside sources are giving them discomfort, and to design clothing meant for women. She first started by opening a shop in Tokyo, and 10 years later she had a hundred and fifty stores open all across Japan. The more she designed the more her work challenged the definition of female beauty. For example, the silhouettes of her work are big, asymmetrical, and don't follow the natural curves of the body, but rather hide them behind twists in the fabric and knots. This, of course, challenged the fashion industry and her work was termed “Hiroshima Chic”. In 1981 Kawakubo had her international breakthrough, especially in Paris, where she opened her first boutique outside of Japan. By this time she had already extended the fashion line to Homme, Tricot and Robe de Chambre. Homme being a menswear line, and Tricot and Robe de Chambre being two other womenswear lines. Her designs brought art and fashion together. The more Rei designed, the more the pieces were deemed unwearable. The dresses would have padding in places deemed unflattering. The knit sweaters would be so oversized that they hide the female body. Pieces would be solely in dark colours. Her work breeches into the abstract, avant-garde and conceptualism, rather than obeying trends and following what is in style. Rei stands out and makes space for herself, being bold and unapologetic to her craft, making her such an influential fashion designer. 5. Donatella Versace Carrying on the Versace family name and fashion house after the passing of her older brother, Gianni, Donatella is a known icon in the fashion industry. While she was still in university studying languages, Gianni was creating the Versace brand. Whenever Donatella would go to visit him, she would help him out with his designs, giving him tips and insight, as well as critiques. Once the brand was founded in 1978, Donatella became the main critique for Gianni and the creative hand of the brand. When her brother tragically passed away after being shot in Miami by a serial killer, Donatella took over the brand, becoming vice president and artistic director. Under her, Donatella pushed the brand forward, exposing it to the markets, and gaining a reputation and popularity. Many elite stars have worn Versace over the years- JLo, Bella Hadid and Madonna just to name a few. Some of the signature styles of Donatella include bold and colourful prints, gold chains, the Medusa Versace Versace logo on accessories, clothes and jewellery, shiny/metallic and glittery fabrics, leather, and black dresses. Sleek silhouettes and elegance power through each clothing piece, creating haute couture in effortless ways. Femininity is at the forefront of her work. The collections contain a mix of pieces that are wearable, and evening wear for special occasions. Donatella's artistic style has created a name for itself- it is so recognizable as her work, making it that much more impactful. Donatella is one of the most powerful women in the fashion industry today, dressing successful actors and actresses, artists, models, etc. This comes to no surprise as her work is loud and exciting, and the energy of the collections is electric. It is everything you want a fashion house to be. The best part about this list? There are so many more women in the fashion industry that equally deserve recognition for their work. It is so important to uplift women in a male dominated industry and support their art.
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