A outing with clothes!
Today I went to London to visit the V&A and catch two of their exhibitions. As a member I don't have to book (or pay) for exhibitions at the V&A which is great as it just means I can turn up when I want to. I set off in the rain to catch the train just after 9.30 as I get free travel then, and I got to the V&A just before 10.30.
I've definitely got my money's worth from the membership this year as their popular exhibitions sell out very quickly and the Gabriel Chanel, Fashion Manifesto had been sold out for weeks. The website suggested that if you wanted to see it you should get there before 11.00 and I'm so glad I did as when I came out the queue to get in was HUGE! Some photos of what caught my eye under the cut:
Apologies for the darkness and reflections in some of the photos - the V&A doesn't make it easy to take photos sometimes and of course the fabrics are vulnerable to strong light...
Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born in 1883 to poor parents and never went to school, instead she and her two sisters were sent to a convent by their father where she probably learned to sew. She would have had a very frugal and strict upbringing at the convent and left at 18 to work as a seamstress and at night sang in a cabaret (where it is thought she may have picked up the name Coco).
Affairs with wealthy men followed this and in 1913 she became the mistress of Captain Arthur Edward (Boy) Capel who set he up in a Paris apartment and financed her first shops. She was his mistress for around nine years even after he was married and they were a well-known couple - so there were satirical cartoons of them:
She opened her first clothing store in 1913 and designed free-flowing clothing for women, very unlike anything that was available (corsets were still being worn at that time). She used fabrics (such as silk jersey) that were usually used for men's underwear such as this "Mariniere Blouse" (based on a fisherman's sweater)
By 1916 she was able to pay Capel back for his investment and she was becoming very popular and by 1919 she was registered as a couturière and opened her 'maison de couture' in Paris. By 1927 she had five properties in Rue Cambon, one of the most fashionable addresses in Paris.
I loved some of her early work such as this deceptively simple dress from 1919 with roses embroidered on the skirt:
I love the pin-tucks on this 1926 one, with just a hint of colour in the glass buttons.
In 1929 Vogue ran an article about "chic suits for lunch at the' smartest clubs'" featuring designs by Chanel:
Both of these suits are in wool jersey so they must have been so comfortable to wear.
I loved this 1926 silk chiffon dress with petals and leaves applied around the neck and sleeves:
I thought this idea of a 1929 dress with a matching coat was rather chic too
By the 1930s the silhouette was even more slim and the cut of the fabrics more figure-hugging - such as in these summer dresses from 1934:
Close-up of the fabric of the dress above which has sequins throughout the design:
There were, of course, many 'little black dresses' in the exhibition. Chanel liked to emphasise the movement of women, so they often had bead embroidery added:
The beads on here were attached in a continuous chain-like stitch from the back of the fabric using a hook to catch onto the bead at the front.
Of course, we couldn't have an exhibition without the perfume! Here's the iconic No5..
And beautiful 1930s evening wear:
During World War II Chanel closed her house, and there has been a lot of speculation regarding her role during the War including whether she was collaborating with the Germans, or whether she was actually working for the French Resistance. After the war she moved to Switzerland and for 15 years she did not design any new collections until 1954 (when she was 70 years old). The Chanel 'suit' was part of this revival and there were many, many examples in the exhibition:
1965
1969 - this is not a woven fabric. The fabric is overlaid with woollen threads which are sewn down with stitching.
A beautiful wool coat and matching dress from 1965:
By the end of the 1950s the 'Chanel suit' was everywhere and in 1959 French Elle magazine published the pattern so you could make your own!
The Chanel suit was also made into evening wear by Chanel who loved the new synthetic lamé and lurex fabrics:
1968
Dinner Pyjamas (!)
Her final collection of 76 items was completed just before she died (aged 87) in 1971 and was presented to the world two weeks later to much acclaim:
The last exhibit displayed many of her iconic designs in an exaggerated reproduction of her Paris establishment with its wonderful mirrored staircase which the models would descend from to show clients her collections.
There was a whole section on her jewellery designs which were many and varied and included precious metals and jewels, but also brass and glass..
Chanel certainly seemed to be a force to be reckoned with! She was an entrepreneur in her own right - she borrowed money from her 'gentlemen friends', but she always paid them back with interest. She had many affairs, but she retained her independence and she lived life to the full. I really enjoyed the exhibition.
After that, I went to see the DIVA exhibition, but I shall leave my photos from that to another day as this post is rather long :)
I've definitely got my money's worth from the membership this year as their popular exhibitions sell out very quickly and the Gabriel Chanel, Fashion Manifesto had been sold out for weeks. The website suggested that if you wanted to see it you should get there before 11.00 and I'm so glad I did as when I came out the queue to get in was HUGE! Some photos of what caught my eye under the cut:
Apologies for the darkness and reflections in some of the photos - the V&A doesn't make it easy to take photos sometimes and of course the fabrics are vulnerable to strong light...
Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born in 1883 to poor parents and never went to school, instead she and her two sisters were sent to a convent by their father where she probably learned to sew. She would have had a very frugal and strict upbringing at the convent and left at 18 to work as a seamstress and at night sang in a cabaret (where it is thought she may have picked up the name Coco).
Affairs with wealthy men followed this and in 1913 she became the mistress of Captain Arthur Edward (Boy) Capel who set he up in a Paris apartment and financed her first shops. She was his mistress for around nine years even after he was married and they were a well-known couple - so there were satirical cartoons of them:
She opened her first clothing store in 1913 and designed free-flowing clothing for women, very unlike anything that was available (corsets were still being worn at that time). She used fabrics (such as silk jersey) that were usually used for men's underwear such as this "Mariniere Blouse" (based on a fisherman's sweater)
By 1916 she was able to pay Capel back for his investment and she was becoming very popular and by 1919 she was registered as a couturière and opened her 'maison de couture' in Paris. By 1927 she had five properties in Rue Cambon, one of the most fashionable addresses in Paris.
I loved some of her early work such as this deceptively simple dress from 1919 with roses embroidered on the skirt:
I love the pin-tucks on this 1926 one, with just a hint of colour in the glass buttons.
In 1929 Vogue ran an article about "chic suits for lunch at the' smartest clubs'" featuring designs by Chanel:
Both of these suits are in wool jersey so they must have been so comfortable to wear.
I loved this 1926 silk chiffon dress with petals and leaves applied around the neck and sleeves:
I thought this idea of a 1929 dress with a matching coat was rather chic too
By the 1930s the silhouette was even more slim and the cut of the fabrics more figure-hugging - such as in these summer dresses from 1934:
Close-up of the fabric of the dress above which has sequins throughout the design:
There were, of course, many 'little black dresses' in the exhibition. Chanel liked to emphasise the movement of women, so they often had bead embroidery added:
The beads on here were attached in a continuous chain-like stitch from the back of the fabric using a hook to catch onto the bead at the front.
Of course, we couldn't have an exhibition without the perfume! Here's the iconic No5..
And beautiful 1930s evening wear:
During World War II Chanel closed her house, and there has been a lot of speculation regarding her role during the War including whether she was collaborating with the Germans, or whether she was actually working for the French Resistance. After the war she moved to Switzerland and for 15 years she did not design any new collections until 1954 (when she was 70 years old). The Chanel 'suit' was part of this revival and there were many, many examples in the exhibition:
1965
1969 - this is not a woven fabric. The fabric is overlaid with woollen threads which are sewn down with stitching.
A beautiful wool coat and matching dress from 1965:
By the end of the 1950s the 'Chanel suit' was everywhere and in 1959 French Elle magazine published the pattern so you could make your own!
The Chanel suit was also made into evening wear by Chanel who loved the new synthetic lamé and lurex fabrics:
1968
Dinner Pyjamas (!)
Her final collection of 76 items was completed just before she died (aged 87) in 1971 and was presented to the world two weeks later to much acclaim:
The last exhibit displayed many of her iconic designs in an exaggerated reproduction of her Paris establishment with its wonderful mirrored staircase which the models would descend from to show clients her collections.
There was a whole section on her jewellery designs which were many and varied and included precious metals and jewels, but also brass and glass..
Chanel certainly seemed to be a force to be reckoned with! She was an entrepreneur in her own right - she borrowed money from her 'gentlemen friends', but she always paid them back with interest. She had many affairs, but she retained her independence and she lived life to the full. I really enjoyed the exhibition.
After that, I went to see the DIVA exhibition, but I shall leave my photos from that to another day as this post is rather long :)