Sublime. August 19 will be the 125th anniversay of her birth. She is one of those rare talents, like Frank Lloyd Wright or Andy Warhol, who will always be with us in the present tense.
I remember during my fashion degree my fashion history tutor pointing out that Coco Chanel was responsible for bringing simplicity to women's fashion not once but twice in her career. The first time was at the end of the Belle Epoque when women's clothes were heavy, overstylized with exaggerated superimposed decoration. The second time was her comeback in 1954 when she rebelled against the heavy Dior style of dressing and once again brought practical, simple and chic fashion to women.
I guess she did do a lot to change women's true style, but both she and YSL were of their time, doing what good designers do best - influencing the society in which they lived as well as being influenced by it.
Linda Grant is a novelist and journalist. She won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2000 and the Lettre Ulysses Prize for Literary Reportage in 2006. She writes for the Guardian, Telegraph and Vogue. Her latest novel, The Clothes on Their Backs was shortlisted for the 2008 Man Booker Prize. For further information including upcoming literary festivals bookstore readings etc see her website at www.lindagrant.co.uk
The People on the Street (Winner of the Lettre Ulysses Prize for Literary Reportage 2006)
Still Here (Fiction 2002)
When I Lived in Modern Times (Winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction 2000)
Remind Me Who I Am Again (Non-fiction 1998)
The Cast Iron Shore (Fiction 1996)
Sexing the Millenium (Non-Fiction 1993)
This blog believes
'A good handbag makes the outfit.'
'Only the rich can afford cheap shoes'
'The only thing worse than being skint is looking as if you're skint.'
'A new dress is a great help in all circumstances.' (Noel Streatfeild)
'The only true and lasting meaning of the struggle for life lies in the individual, in his modest peculiarities and his right to these peculiarities.' (Vasily Grossman, Life and Fate.)
3 comments:
Sublime. August 19 will be the
125th anniversay of her birth. She is one of those rare talents, like Frank Lloyd Wright or Andy Warhol, who will always be with us in the present tense.
For all the lauditory media when YSL died, I really do feel that Chanel did more to change women's true style than he did.
I remember during my fashion degree my fashion history tutor pointing out that Coco Chanel was responsible for bringing simplicity to women's fashion not once but twice in her career. The first time was at the end of the Belle Epoque when women's clothes were heavy, overstylized with exaggerated superimposed decoration. The second time was her comeback in 1954 when she rebelled against the heavy Dior style of dressing and once again brought practical, simple and chic fashion to women.
I guess she did do a lot to change women's true style, but both she and YSL were of their time, doing what good designers do best - influencing the society in which they lived as well as being influenced by it.
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