Dior Book Giveaway Winner Announced

Thank you to all who entered the draw to win an autographed copy of Dior: A New Look, A New Enterprise (1947-57) by Dr. Alexandra Palmer. How I wish I could offer each of my loyal followers a prize for your readership and support. If it is any consolation, the book is available on Amazon and Chapters-Indigo at a pre-publication sale price.

Congratulations goes to Allie at the blog History-Fiction Chick! Allie please email me at artismylife@mac.com to claim your prize.

Author Profile: Alexandra Palmer

Alexandra Palmer, the author of Dior: A New Look, A New Enterprise 1947-1957, is the Senior Curator of Costumes and Textiles at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Her research as a costume and textile historian focuses on the history of western textiles and fashionable dress with an emphasis on the 20th and 21st centuries.

Alexandra has a BA in Art History from the University of Toronto (1979), a MA in History of Costume and Textiles from NY University (1981) and a Phd in Design History from the University of Brighton, England (1995).

Dr. Palmer is the Clio award winning author of Couture and Commerce: The Transatlantic Fashion Trade in the 1950s (2001). As well, she authored Fashion: A Canadian Perspective (2004), Old Clothes, New Looks: Second Hand Fashion (2005) and contributed to numerous exhibition catalogues and books including:The Golden Age: Haute Couture 1947-1957, The Victoria & Albert Museum, London (2007), PaperClothes, Benaki Museum Athens (2007), Un Secolo di Moda (2004), Villa Medici, Rome.

This busy mother of two boys also is a professor of Fine Art History of University of Toronto, an adjunct professor for the Graduate Programme in Art History at York University and the exhibition editor for Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body and Culture.

Dr. Palmer is currently working on curating an exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum planned for 2011 on Christian Dior.

I came to know Alexandra through my interest in the Patricia Harris Costume and Textiles Gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum. I was honoured that she asked me to read through the final drafts of the Dior book and called upon my previous experiences in finance, publishing and fashion to provide comments on the book. Alex agreed to be interviewed for this post and her responses are shown below in italics.


1. How does this book differ from the other books on Dior?
My book looks at the company from a global perspective and relies heavily on the Dior archives in Paris.

2. What was the biggest surprise or revelation that you uncovered during your research?
I was surprised at how smart Monsieur Dior was in terms of design and business.

3. During the book launch party, you mentioned that other fashion houses do not have archives like Dior. Why do you think Dior kept such meticulous records compared to other designers?
The records are not meticulous but are extensive. The house of Dior has never moved its location and it has always had large statistics and business offices and staffing.

4. How many years did you spend researching and writing the book?
It took four years to write the book, because of the research and my many other duties.

5. Where and when will the book be available?
It is for presently for sale in the ROM bookshop and can also be ordered from Amazon, Indigo and the Victoria and Albert Museum website.

6. What is your favourite Dior ensemble or dress?
I cannot say that I have a favourite. All of Dior's creations are interesting for different reasons.

7. You mentioned coveting a Dior record case during the book launch. If you could have one Dior item for the ROM collection, what would it be?
I would love to have a wool late day or cocktail piece with brilliant cutting.

8. Will the book be translated into any other languages?
It may be translated into Spanish. I'm not really sure at this point.


Leave a comment if you wish to be entered in the draw for a copy of Alexandra Palmer's book on Dior. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, November 10, 2009.

Dior Book Giveaway

What the book is About:

In spite of having no formal training in art or fashion design, Christian Dior became a revolutionary force in fashion almost immediately after opening his salon on February 12, 1947. Time magazine said "Never in the history of fashion had a single designer made such a revolution in his first showing". During the span of only ten years 1947-1957, Christian Dior created a profitable brand that still exerts its influence today. Although there are many books covering the work of Dior, none have really addressed the reasons behind the success of this global powerhouse in fashion.

In Dior, A New Look, A New Enterprise (1947-1957), Alexandra Palmer takes a detailed look at what it was "about the man, the business and the designs that made the name of Christian Dior the singularly best known of all his gifted contemporary couturiers" (page 6).

Although much has been written about Dior, Palmer's book is based on original research through the Dior archives in Paris and is richly illustrated with photographs, sketches, and fascinating tabulations, such as sales statistics by country and the best-selling Dior garments (the "Fords" of the collections).

The book consists of seven parts:

1. Introduction

2. The Early Years

3. A New House, A New Femininity

4. Couture Piracy, Protection and Litigation

5. The Christian Dior Boutique

6. Global Expansion and Licenses

7. The Celebrity Couturier, Diplomat and Artbiter of Taste

Title: Dior, A New Look, A New Enterprise (1947-57)

Author: Alexandra Palmer

Published by: V&A Publishing, 2009

Number of Pages: 128

Price: 19.99 English Pounds, $38 Canadian, US $20 prepublication sale price on Amazon

If you would like to win an autographed copy of this book, please leave a comment. If you would like two chances to win the book, please sign up as a follower and/or post a giveaway button on your blog. I will select a winner after my next post about the book which will be a brief interview with the author.

Fashion Happenings in November

November 2, 2009 - It's Marie Antoinette's Birthday!!! Eat cake! And visit the blog History-Fiction Chick where my work is being featured today!

November 5, 2009 - The exhibition American Beauty opens at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.

November 7, 2009 - Last day to see the Fashion & Politics exhibition at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.

November 7, 2009 - Embellishment Canadian Style: Painted Skins, Beads, Cloth, Threads at the Royal Ontario Museum

9:15 am - 430 pm Learn about Fashionable Domestic Embroidery from Jennifer Salahub, Cloth in Canadian Quilts from Adrienne Hood, Storied Beadwork from Trudy Nicks, and Narrative Painting on Buffalo Robes from Arni Brownstone at the ROM's day long symposium on Canadian forms of Embellishment.

November 11, 2009 at 630 pm - Lecture on Style Alchemy with Carole Tanenbaum and Julia Grieve at the Textile Museum of Canada

Carole Tanenbaum will discuss her collection of vintage costume jewellery while Julia Grieve, founder of Preloved will speak about upcycyling, the practice of making something old new and valuable.

November 21, 2009 - Workshop on The Joy of Small Blocks (in Quilting) with Kinch & Storms in conjunction with the exhibition Kaleidoscope: Antique Quilts from the collection of Carole and Howard Tanenbaum at the Textile Museum of Canada

November 22, 2009 - The exhibition On a Pedestal: From Renaissance Chopines to Baroque Heels opens today at the Bata Shoe Museum and features rare examples of fashionable footwear dating from 1500-1660.

So much to do and so little time!!!

Dior Book Launch Party at the ROM

Terry Benoit and Dr. Alexandra Palmer at the ROM Book Launch Party on October 30, 2009

Photo by Ingrid Mida

The launch party for Dr. Alexandra Palmer's new book on Dior was a hot ticket at the Royal Ontario Museum on Friday evening. I was stationed at the door to welcome guests and check their names on the list (someone described me as "the Rottweiler by the door"!) Attended by about 100 of Toronto's fashion scholars, followers and press, Dr. Palmer gave a presentation about Dior and also autographed copies of her book.

I snapped this photo of Terry Benoit, fellow blogger and all-round nice guy, with Dr. Palmer and her book but sadly forgot to ask for a photo myself!! Terry loaned several Dior items from his vintage collection to Dr. Palmer.

Having read and commented on a draft copy of the book for Dr. Palmer in advance of publication, I won't be writing a formal book review on my blog, but will be featuring the book in the coming weeks. I also have an autographed copy of the book for a give-away! Stay tuned.

Title: Dior

Author: Dr. Alexandra Palmer

Published by: V&A Publishing, London 2009

Number of Pages: 128 (softcover)

In High Fashion: Edward Steichen at the AGO

Catalogue Cover, Photograph of Actress Mary Heberden 1935 by Edward Steichen

The AGO is the one of the last stops of the exhibition "Edward Steichen: In High Fashion" which presents a collection of his black and white photographs from the Conde Nast archives 1923-1937. As the chief photographer for Vanity Fair and Vogue during these years, Edward Steichen was instrumental in defining fashion photography and celebrity portraiture. Using light and shadow to delineate his subjects in striking backdrops, Steichen drew on his training as a painter to create arresting compositions of his subjects and is considered the "first truly modern fashion photographer".

I was entranced by the 200 Steichen photographs on display. Exquisite in their execution, the collection leaves no doubt as to Steichen's talent and sophisticated range. Although Steichen also made colour photographs, only black and white images are on display, giving the exhibition a clarity and elegance.

Given my own recent confusion as to the next steps in my artistic path, I found it interesting to learn that Steichen had been a painter before taking up photography. In spite of his successful shows at prestigious galleries as a painter, he had "serious misgivings about his talents with the brush" and was aware of "not having kept pace with the modern styles of painting." Walking away from a medium that he was comfortable with into the relatively new world of photography must have been a challenge to say the least.

The exhibition runs until January 3, 2010. Keep your AGO ticket and show it at the ROM to save 20% off general admission for the Vanity Fair Portraits exhibition.

Art Gallery of Ontario

317 Dundas Street West

www.ago.net

Alexander Calder: The Paris Years 1926-1933

John Sloan, a teacher at the Art Students League once advised Alexander Calder to not be afraid to borrow - "The great men, the most original borrowed from everybody....Little men just borrow from one person" and to "treat as irrelevant the question "What am I doing, is it art?"

This struck a chord with me when I visited the Alexander Calder exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario (co-created by the Whitney Museum of American Art and Centre Pompidou Paris). I've been playing with wire in my studio, not knowing what I'm doing, not sure if what I'm making is art. And low and behold, someone else has already done it!

When I think of Alexander Calder, I associate his name with his abstract mobile works, modern and spare in their beauty. But what came before that - the Circus works and the wire sculptures - mesmerized me with their whimsy and sense of play. Wire forms created from the elemental lines that delineate all things (just the way I draw) create shadows and come to life. I was humbled and yet, at the same time, energized.

Of course, I had to buy the catalogue so that I could study Calder's work at my leisure. Created from humble materials, like wire, cork, fabric, thread and paint, Calder created a miniature circus that he animated himself during performances. It was utter magic!



I will have to go back to see this delightful exhibition again! I was simply blown away! Don't miss it!

Alexander Calder: The Paris Years 1926-1933
Art Gallery of Ontario
October 3, 2009 - January 10, 2010

Masquerade

Masquerade I, Mixed media on pink toile de jouey fabric with hand embroidery and beading
by Ingrid Mida, 2009 (12x12, partial image shown above)

Masquerade III, Mixed Media on Pink Toile de Jouey Fabric including hand embroidery and beading
by Ingrid Mida, 2009 (12x12, partial image shown above) SOLD

Masquerade II, Mixed Media on Pink Toile de Jouey Fabric with hand embroidery and beading
by Ingrid Mida, 2009 (12x12, partial image shown above)  SOLD


In support of October's Pink Campaign for Breast Cancer Research, I've created this series of mixed media works called Masquerade. Each piece retails for $150 (plus applicable taxes and shipping). One hundred dollars from each sale will be donated to Breast Cancer Research in honour of my friend Renee who has stage 4 breast cancer and writes the blog Circling my Head.

For more information about the Pink Campaign for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, please see their website at www.bcrfcure.org. To see other blogs involved in the Pink Campaign, check out http://pinkforoctober.org.

Crinolines in Contemporary Fashion

Elsa Shiaparelli's 1950 dress

In spite of its impracticality, the crinoline has occasionally resurfaced in contemporary fashion. In the post-war period, when traditional female roles were emphasized and female curves were celebrated, Elsa Schiaparelli, Balmain, Christian Dior, Jacques Fath, Yves Saint Laurent and others created gowns mirroring the influence of the bell-shaped skirts of the Second Empire.

More recently, designers have used the crinoline for inspiration. Vivienne Westwood designed a whole collection called the mini-Crini collection in 1987. John Galliano created a gown in black silk with a skirt nine feet wide in 1998 and Alexander McQueen created this spun-sugar-like shell reinforced by plastic in his 2000 collection for Givenchy.

Alexander McQueen for Givenchy Haute Couture, Spring-summer 2000

And check out this confection from the latest collection of Giles Deacon.

A crinoline is a beautiful object in and of itself and creates a striking sculptural effect. And those that chose to wear them, whether for bridal wear or a fancy dress ball, can swish about in their full skirts celebrating the timeless element of seduction created by a garment with a heightened sense of femininity.

Symbolism of the Crinoline

Fashion historians have ascribed different meanings to the enormous skirts of the mid-19th century, which was a period of significant male domination and gender differentiation. Men were considered "serious, active, strong and aggressive" and wore dark clothes with little ornamentation. Women were "frivolous, inactive, delicate and submissive" and wore clothing that inhibited their movement in light pastel colours, ribbons, lace and bows. In one sense, the crinoline symbolized female fertility like all fashions that expand the apparent size of the hips. In another aspect, the huge bell like skirt concealed women's sexuality in a cage and created a form of female imprisonment.

Other fashion historians have asserted that the crinoline was representative of how the bourgeois women adopted a "useful cloak of armour" to mediate the experience of modern city life. The enormous width of the skirt provided a barrier between the wearer and everyone else. This was important in a time in which increasing urbanization and industrialization led to more frequent contact with strangers. In that sense, the crinoline was a modest form of "protection".

In spite of being much maligned in the press, the mass manufacture of the cage crinoline became an important industry and the largest firm W.S. and E.H. Thomson had factories in England, France, Germany and the United States. Technical advances reduced the manufacturing costs and brought crinolines within the reach of all social levels.

As the popularity of the crinoline grew, it began to lose appeal among the fashionable set as they sought to differentiate themselves from the working class. In the mid-1860s, the crinoline began to shift to the back of the skirt, leaving the front skirt panel more or less straight. By 1868, the reinforcement of the skirt had slipped entirely to the back becoming a half-crinoline. By 1870, the crinoline disappeared altogether and was replaced with the bustle.

The Crinoline Continued

Godey's Lady's Book Fashion Plate, September 1858

The cage crinoline allowed women to move their legs freely under the cage and was substantially cooler, lighter and more durable than the masses of petticoats that women previously wore to achieve the desired look. The highly structured form of the cage crinoline created a sort of "restless captive balloon" which swayed from side to side and could result in "a certain upward shooting of the skirt" which necessitated the wearing of bloomers and ankle boots.

With the endorsement of leading Parisian couturier Charles Frederick Worth, the crinoline hoop reached enormous proportions in the 1860s. Skirts were umbrella-like with circumferences as large as six feet around the hem. One of the most fashionable women of the time, Empress Eugenie, wife of Napolean III, was called the "Queen of the Crinoline". After seeing the play Les Toilettes Tapageuses in which the main character appeared in a giant crinoline held up by an "enormous steel cage", the Empress sent her maid "to obtain the measurements of the actress's showy dress."

Cage crinolines were hugely popular in spite of the fact that their exaggerated proportions made it impossible for two women to enter a room together or sit on the same sofa. There were also potential dangers since a woman did not know where the end of the skirt was. The buoyant skirt could catch fire from an open flame or candle or become entrapped in machinery. Fashion triumphed over safety and comfort and these enormous skirts were typically worn by all classes of women from 1856-1870.

An Introduction to The Cage Crinoline

Cage Crinoline (1860) made of wool and cotton with a spring-steel frame
Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum

As the skirts of the mid-nineteenth century ballooned in size, women wore numerous layers of petticoats to achieve the desired bell-like silhouette. The word crinoline was initially used to describe a petticoat cloth made of crin (French for horsehair) interwoven with lin (linen). After the 1850s, the word crinoline evolved to describe a "foundation garment composed of graduated steel or whalebone hoops that distended skirts and preserved their shape".

With innovations in the manufacture of steel, the introduction of the cage crinoline in 1856 allowed women to wear the fashionable wide skirts of the time without enduring the weight or warmth of multiple layers of petticoats. The news of this fashion innovation quickly spread through such publications as Godey's Lady's Book. In spite of the many difficulties and dangers caused by wearing enormous skirts, cage crinolines became hugely popular.

The crinoline was not the first time that fashion has emphasized a woman's hips. In Elizabethan times, the farthingale was worn, and in the 18th century, panniers created an expansive hip line. But in the middle of the 19th century, technology had advanced for the manufacture of low-cost flexible lightweight steel hoops to support the skirt structure. Unlike the previous hip expanding garments, the low cost of the cage crinoline made it accessible to all classes of women. Furthermore, improvements in looms and dyes in the textile industry and the invention of the sewing machine allowed the voluminous skirts supported by cage crinolines to be adopted by women of all social classes. For this reason, the cage crinoline has a significant place in fashion history.

Note: The above is an extract of a research paper that I wrote for a course in Fashion, Culture and Society at Ryerson University. I am fascinated with the crinoline because of its importance in fashion history as one of the first garments worn by all classes of woman and also because of its inherent sculptural qualities.