Since the 1900s, when cinema came to be and slowly, over the course of the 20th century evolved to be as we know it today, movies have been an important part of our everyday lives.

Films - be it documentaries, short or feature-length; movies hold the power to make us laugh or cry in equal measures. They can educate and above all - inspire us to dream.

The only other industry that inspires dreams, albeit in a different way, yet with equal power and blinded passion is fashion.

Being a famous actor or designer are perhaps two of the most popular aspirations young  (and not so young) people dream of. But those who get to take steps towards making these dreams come true, can vouch for the hard and rocky road ahead and often lonely journey.

Finding solace, inspiration and education from films is for budding designers one way to keep sane, not give up, draw inspiration for new collections or simply swot up on fashion history.

TOP 5 BEST FASHION INSPIRATION SOURCES FOR DESIGNERS

Here’s o...

Every industry has its own way of expressing technical might and glamour. Car manufacturers have supercars that showcase their expertise. In fashion - it is the Haute Couture collections that showcase a designer’s most outrageous ideas, where budget is no limit to ambition and clients are few and far between. This is Part 1 of the Haute Couture series.

But while many associate haute couture designers of today with outrageous outfits at astronomical prices, it may be of interest to delve back into the past and explore the beginnings of this fashion art form.

Part 1:

Haute Couture  of the 1900’s

Haute couture (/ˌoʊt kuːˈtjʊər/; French pronunciation: [ot kuˈtyʁ]; French for "high sewing" or "high dressmaking" or "high fashion") is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture can also be called the crossroads where high fashion and art dissect. The working structure of “High sewing” is comparative to how artists were employed throughout the ages such as Da Vinci, Mic...

Haute couture fashion was the only reality for the wealthy at the start of the last century. The fusion of culture, nature and the imagination of the couturier allowed the client to enter a world of dreams. Paired with the skills of the craftspeople such as the lace makers, weavers, embroiderers, textile painters and seamstresses, the dream became a reality.

Related reading: Part1: 1900's

Unlike ready-to-wear which is about predicting the future, couture while expensive is an altogether more relaxed affair. The point of haute couture fashion is that it symbolizes the present for future generations to learn about the past.

Clothing produced for the haute couture market reflected the context of what was occurring in the world at the time of making. The types of materials used, the techniques employed for embellishing the fabrics right down to a reflection of the period's art movements and especially in the 1920’s the emancipation of women after the war.

The pieces communicated to a p...

“For more than a century, couture has been an emblem of the triumph of costume and fashion. It represents the fusion of fashion- the modern entity composed of novelty and synergy with personal and social needs – and costume – the consummate arts of dressmaking, tailoring and constituent crafts to apparel and accessories” Haute Couture, Koda 1995

The Economics of Fashion

The Couture offering of the 1930’s was a somewhat more sombre affair in comparison to the decadence of the 1920’s. The global economic recession concurred to force the wealthy sector of society to turn their backs on the flaunting of their riches. This was a fantastic period for couture as it allowed the development of simple, sophisticated clothes that relied on exquisite cutting and draping techniques. Ostentatious adornment was out and figure-skimming draping was in.

While elaborate decoration was scarce, luxurious fabrics were still very much in vogue. For daywear, designers favoured tweed, printed floral chif...

Post World War II, Paris wanted to retain its 'capital of couture' title and brought about the miniature theatre of fashion to reassert its position. Lucien Lelong, Robert Ricci, Christian Dior and others, had an immense contribution in the world of haute couture.

The Legendary Christian Dior (1905-1957)

The defining silhouette of the forties was not revealed until late into the decade. After the war ended Paris Couture was reinvigorated by Christian Dior. Harper’s Bazaar’s editor-in-chief coined the phrase when she exclaimed: “It’s such a New Look”, and indeed it was.

Reminiscent of the Belle Epoque ideal of tiny waisted long skirts in sumptuous fabrics but also referencing the restrictions of 19th-century couture with nipped-in corseted waistlines, rounded shoulders, ample feminine busts and full skirts, nevertheless it was loved by women.

This new shape paired with a new type of opulence, allowed them to throw off the masculine lines and restrictions of military and civilian ...

We have taken you through the couture designers and fashion of 1900's - 1950's. In this article, you will read about the present day couturiers, who it is survived by, the role of technology in couture and what future it holds.

A Little History: 1900 - 50's

From its humble beginnings in the 1900’s, when ‘the father of haute couture’ Charles Frederick Worth created garments based on his idea of what his clients should wear, couture has always been in fashion.

Its steady rise through the 20’s and 30’s revealed an ever-increasing client base who favoured everything that couture, the métier was also known as ‘wearable art’ stood for; namely entirely handmade garments, made in the very best materials, and created by skilled craftspeople.

By the 40’s and 50’s with illuminous designers such as Charles James, Dior, Balenciaga and Givenchy, to name a few; couture had reached peak saturation. As we reflect on the history of couture when women adorned themselves in it from head to toe, is ...

To grow your fashion business you need to not only be visually creative but also be creative with how you conduct business, your strategy, marketing and all aspects that cumulatively contribute to the success of a business. Following "tried and tested" methodology is no longer a guarantee for success. So what now then?

Too many fashion entrepreneurs put their best creative thinking into an idea and believe that the business implementation simply requires following tried-and-true business practices.

But, in today's internet savvy day and age, nothing could be further from the truth.

To win, you need to think outside the box to deliver a better customer experience, business model, and new positioning.

Present Day Scenario

It isn't something that comes naturally to most creative people, especially the ones that are small brands or a “one man band” brand. Few creatives are taught business at college, yet they are encouraged to think BIG. They often leave education eager to start t...

You can work in the fashion industry for many years, and still not know all there is to know...

Hannah Stewart, a Product Account Manager at a London-based fashion company woke up at 5:30am recently, to travel two and a half hours from her London home to Northampton. She was attending the BLC Leather Technology Centre’s ‘Understanding Leather’ course, led by Barry Wood – a technician who has worked in the fashion industry for over 25 years.

Having graduated with a Fashion Textiles degree and now working predominantly developing leather products, Hannah wanted to deepen her understanding of leather as a material and as an industry. Though she had learned a lot over the course of her career, she felt there were gaps in her knowledge, which she was eager to fill.

She wasn’t alone in feeling this way it seems. On this one-day course, she was joined by representatives from retailers like Next (a sofa restoration company), Harvey Nichols, and an agent’s assistant.

We caught up with her t...

It’s important to remember on this Fashion Revolution Day and the two-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster, that unethical treatment of factory workers lives on, and not just in Asian countries.

When the founders of fast fashion brands want speedy service, next-day samples, or low production costs, they head for Leicester factories, according to a Guardian report.

Northern-based UK brands like Missguided and Boohoo are booming and go to factories that can deliver garments quickly and cheaply, in order to satisfy consumers looking for low-cost fast fashion.

Founder and chief executive of Missguided, Nitin Passi, told the Guardian that some Leicester factories can turn samples around in a day. Passi, along with Boohoo co-founder Mahmud Kamani, estimates that over half of the clothes they sell are made in the UK.

Whilst this onshoring at first may appear to be fantastic news for the UK manufacturing industry and therefore the UK economy, a recent report into working conditio...

The changing face of the fashion industry... Years ago, when I had a fashion label and sold to boutiques globally, the seasonal selling formula for a designer was pretty simple and straight forward.

Two collections were delivered per year. The Spring/Summer RTW ("ready-to-wear") garments hit the shop floor in January. Depending on the type of collection produced, the selection would typically include lightweight separates comprising of blouses, skirts, dresses, shorts and a couple of jackets. Autumn/Winter RTW collections were delivered in July. The offering was similar to S/S but with the addition of heavier fabrics, knitwear and coating.

Fashion Industry Challenges

The system, while adequate, had its own set of problems. It was business-driven as opposed to being customer-driven. Customer fatigue would inevitably set in through seeing the same items on the shop floor for 5 long months. In addition to this, it made no sense to be shopping for short sleeved dresses in January when t...