Madeleine Vionnet

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2009)

Madeleine Vionnet

Madeleine Vionnet at work, early 1920s.

Born

22 June 1876 Chilleurs-aux-Bois

Died

2 March 1975 (aged 98) Paris

Nationality

French

Occupation

Fashion designer

Labels

Madeleine Vionnet

This article is about the haute couture designer. For the fashion label, see Vionnet (company)

Madeleine Vionnet (pronounced: [ma.d.ln vj.ne]; June 22, 1876 March 2, 1975) was a French fashion designer. Called the "Queen of the bias cut" and "the architect among dressmakers", Vionnet is best-known today for her elegant Grecian-style dresses and for introducing the bias cut to the fashion world. Born into a poor family in Chilleurs-aux-Bois, Loiret, Vionnet began her apprenticeship as a seamstress at age 11. After a brief marriage at age 18, she left her husband and went to London to work as a hospital seamstress. While in London, Vionnet worked as a fitter for Kate Reily.[1] Vionnet eventually returned to Paris and trained with the well known fashion house Callot Soeurs and later with Jacques Doucet. In 1912 she founded her own fashion house, "Vionnet". In the 1920s Vionnet created a stir by introducing the bias cut, a technique for cutting cloth diagonal to the grain of the fabric enabling it to cling to the body while moving with the wearer. Vionnet's use of the bias cut to create a sleek, flattering, body-skimming look would help revolutionize women's clothing and carry her to the top of the fashion world. Madeleine Vionnet believed that "when a woman smiles, then her dress should smile too." Eschewing corsets, padding, stiffening, and anything that distorted the natural curves of a woman's body, her clothes were famous for accentuating the natural female form. Influenced by the modern dances ofIsadora Duncan, Vionnet created designs that showed off a woman's natural shape. Like Duncan, Vionnet was inspired by ancient Greek art, in which garments appear to float freely around the body rather than distort or mold its shape. As an expert couturier, Vionnet knew that textiles cut on the diagonal or bias could be draped to match the curves of a woman's body and echo its fluidity of motion. She used this "bias cut" to promote the potential for expression and motion, integrating comfort and movement as well as form into her designs. Vionnet's apparently simple styles involved a lengthy preparation process, including cutting, draping, and pinning fabric designs on to miniature dolls, before recreating them in chiffon, silk, or Moroccan crepe on life-size models. Vionnet used materials such as crpe de chine, gabardine, and satin to make her clothes; fabrics that were unusual in women's fashion of the 1920s and 30s. She would order fabrics two yards wider than necessary in order to accommodate draping, creating clothes - particularly dresses - that were luxurious and sensual but also simple and modern. Characteristic Vionnet styles that clung to and moved with the wearer included the handkerchief dress, cowl neck, and halter top. An intensely private individual, Vionnet avoided public displays and mundane frivolities and often expressed a dislike for the world of fashion, stating: "Insofar as one can talk of a Vionnet school, it comes mostly from my having been an enemy of fashion. There is something superficial and volatile about the seasonal and elusive whims of fashion which offends my sense of beauty." Vionnet was not concerned with being the "designer of the moment", preferring to remain true to her own vision of female beauty. With her bias cut clothes, Vionnet dominated haute couture in the 1930s setting trends with her sensual gowns worn by such stars as Marlene Dietrich,Katharine Hepburn and Greta Garbo. Vionnet's vision of the female form revolutionized modern clothing and the success of her unique cuts assured her reputation. She fought for copyright laws in fashion and employed what were considered revolutionary labor practices at the time - paid holidays and maternity leave, day-care, a dining hall, a resident doctor and dentist. Although

the onset of World War II forced her to close her fashion house in 1939, Vionnet acted as a mentor to later designers, passing on her principles of elegance, movement, architectural form, and timeless style. Today, Madeleine Vionnet is considered one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century. Both her bias cut and her urbanely sensual approach to couture remain a strong and pervasive influence on contemporary fashion as evidenced by the collections of such past and present-day designers as Ossie Clark, Halston, John Galliano, Comme des Garons, Azzedine Alaia, Issey Miyakeand Marchesa.

[edit]Bibliography

Madeleine Vionnet, Pamela Golbin, Patrick Gries, Rizzoli, 2009 Madeleine Vionnet, Cratrice de Mode, Sophie Dalloz-Ramaux, Editions Cabedita, 2006

Madeleine Vionnet, 3d Edition, Betty Kirke, Chronicle Books Editions, 2005

Vionnet Keizerin van de Mod, Exhibition Catalogue, 1999 Madeleine Vionnet, 2d Edition, Betty Kirke, Chronicle Books Editions, 1998

Vionnet, Fashion memoir series, Lydia Kamitsis, Thames & Hudson Editions, 1996

Vionnet, Collection Mmoire de la Mode, Lydia Kamitsis, Editions Assouline, 1996

LEsprit Vionnet, Jromine Savignon, Publication de l'Association pour l'Universit de la Mode, 1994

Madeleine Vionnet, Les Annes dInnovation, 19191939, Exhibition Catalogue, Publication du Muse des Tissus et des Arts dcoratifs de Lyon, 1994

Madeleine Vionnet, 1876-1975 : LArt de la Couture, Catalogue dExposition, Publication du Muse de la Mode de Marseille, 1991

Madeleine Vionnet, 1st Edition, Betty Kirke, Kyuryudo Art Publishing Editions, 1991

[edit]External

Madeleine Vionnet, Jacqueline Demornex, Rizzoli Editions, 1991 Madeleine Vionnet, Jacqueline Demornex, Editions du Regard, 1990 La Chair de la Robe, Madeleine Chapsal, Editions Fayard, 1989 Madeleine Vionnet in What Am I Doing Here?, Bruce Chatwin, 1988

links

The House of Vionnet Madeleine Vionnet designer profile at Fashion Model Directory

Spirals & Ellipses: Clothing the Body Three-Dimensionally A dressmaker extraordinaire Web site of the Muse des Arts Dcoratifs introducing the 2009-10 Madeleine Vionnet exhibition

[edit]Notes

"Four haute couture dresses by Madeleine Vionnet". Fashion, Jewellery & Accessories. Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 2010-09-14.

1.
Members Invited members Foreign members

^ Golbin, Pamela (2009). Madeline Vionnet. Rizzoli.

[hide]v d eGrands couturiers

Adeline Andr Anne Valrie Hash Carlota Alfaro Chanel Christian Dior Dominique Sirop Franck Sorbier Givenchy Giorgio Armani Elie Saab Valentino

Adam Jones Alexis Mabille Atelier Gustavo Lins Bouchra Jarrar Christophe Josse Josephus Thimister Lefranc, Ferran

View page ratings

Rate this page

What's this? Trustworthy Objective Complete Well-written I am highly knowledgeable about this topic (optional) Submit ratings Categories: French fashion designers | 1876 births | 1975 deaths

Log in / create account

Article Discussion Read Edit View history

Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Donate to Wikipedia

Interaction Help About Wikipedia Community portal

Recent changes Contact Wikipedia

Toolbox Print/export Languages Deutsch

Espaol Franais Italiano Polski Portugus Svenska

This page was last modified on 15 July 2011 at 22:15. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Contact us Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Mobile view