Outrageous extensions of the body through fashion die only to be revived and modified by future designers. Have the past centuries been fuel for imagination?

Fashion exaggeration has been and come back through the ages. From the fourteenth century onwards the variation of the hipline has been the most outrageous and greatest fashion “do”. Fullness of the lower body was desirable and obtained by the use of a petticoat worn beneath the skirt. The early petticoats were horizontally corded in graduated tiers that increased in size as they fell closer to the hem. Of course the point of this was the shape of your lower body to appear fuller than it was. However the petticoats alone could not give full effect and a stiffer bell-shaped underskirt was worn beneath, the farthingale. By the mid- sixteenth century the expanding hemline was stronger than ever, causing the cording to be replaced by thin metal wands, wire, whale bone or cane. The use of stiffer and resilient material contributed to a striking geometric shaping of the skirts. With these new modifications the farthingale was further stiffened with buckram cloth.[1] By the late sixteenth century the French farthingale was created. Also known as the wheel, or great farthingale, which was tilted upward in the back, often with the help of a padded pillow called a “bum roll”.[2] It had more of a lozenge shape to it, like a drum.
[3] [4]French farthingale Spanish farthingale

As undergarments you can see the extent of the exaggeration they gave a woman’s figure. The modification from Spanish to French made a huge difference in diameter and we can start to see the scale of extremities fashion was moving towards. They were an opportunity to expand the hipline and open up the hem of skirts.
Both forms of the farthingale disappeared by the first quarter of the seventeenth century. The skirts of the 1600s continued to exaggerate the lower body’s fullness, however only until the end of the century. By 1700 there was still yearn to accentuate your lower body, it was just shifted backwards. A more rounded silhouette was desired, bring more volume to the derriere; enter the bum roll. Having once been just an accessory to the French farthingale, the bum roll returned in the late 1600’s to support the volume of the back draperies of skirts. This was a short lived trend of the 1600’s compared to the farthingale, but at the very end of the seventeenth century the pannier hoop was developing. An advanced form of the structure of the farthingale and a copy of the rounded bum roll, the pannier was a dome-shaped cage made of cane, metal or wood. However instead of extending at all angles, the pannier was to be attached to either hip and created a figure which extended only to the sides but flattened in the front and back.The pannier hoop was a common under structure until the late eighteenth century. Just after the 1780’s the Directoire and Empire periods came and were against the unnatural cages such as panniers and farthingales and so the wide hipped figures disappeared until the early 19th century. From 1795-1820 the empire line ruled and a full cleavage was the most exaggerated thing in fashion.
A re-introduction of a bell-shaped skirt came around in the 1830’s. The scale of the volume which was possible was limited due to the weight of the heavily starched layers they used. Fortunately, with memories of the previous farthingales and panniers, the metal framed crinoline was used to supersede the weight of the skirt in 1856.
[5]
an original crinoline The crinoline is a series of concentric rings held together by canvas tapes.[6] This hoop started by creating an illusion of volume all around the lower body but by 1870 the fashionable silhouette was to be a skirt flat at the front and sides with a modified bell shape at the back, pulling out, sending focus to the derrière. Crinolines were then modified into crinolettes, half hoops which projected only at the back. Already a skirt fashion has been, died and revived with modifications. Both the crinolette and the bum roll had been made with the intention of drawing focus to the behind, allowing it to appear larger then reality. Both undergarments have been made very differently yet give the same effect, a perfect example of fashion repetition with a different style.

“The novelties of one generation are only the resuscitated fashions of the generation before last.”George Bernard Shaw[7]

It then wasn’t until after world war II until Christian Dior reintroduced corsets and hip pads During the Victorian era Crinolines and bustles became very popular, accentuating the derriere and width of waists. Recently designers seem to be inspired by this trend and have chosen to expand on the features they accentuate. Crinolines started to come about during the 1820’s as skirts grew wider and needed extra support. The image of a small waist and an over powering skirt was a highly desired figure at the time. Since then fashions have come of figure hugging dresses, slim line undergarments and generally trying to keep the body to its natural form. However as I kept up to date with the AW09 of fashion week, I noticed more and more exaggeration through designs. Elongated hips, over padded shoulders, ballooned wrists and thighs and sharp shoulders. I have decided to focus on these elements of ‘Fashion Exaggeration’ and the elements around us that inspire bigger assets to the garments we make.

I have chosen 3 individual designs from John Galliano, Louis Vuitton and John Galliano. As you can see all three designers have chosen to exaggerate sections of the body.

John Galliano’s piece in particular reminded me of the panniers from the eighteenth century. This is a dress from the catwalk show of John Galliano’s Paris fashion week AW09. The Gibraltarian designer has been quoted as identifying his love of theatre and femininity as central to his creations – "my role is to seduce"[8] Russian-Balkan folklore remixed for Fall. A mass winter wonderland storm was falling on the runway on March 11th and a trick of laser lighting created a magical illusion that the models were walking in some fairy-tale tunnel far, far removed from the brutish realities of humankind's current worries. An extreme form of exaggeration for today’s fashion. It was theater, escapism:
“The creation of a parallel fantasy world upon which the concerns of "fashion" barely impinged.”Sarah Mower
Bundles of embroidery and workmanship and a ton of research into folk costume had been lavished on the details of the pannier-hipped, full-skirted coats, balloon-sleeved peasant blouses, bodices, and pompom-trimmed cross-laced boots.[9]
I immediately recognized the pannier hoop effect used on this piece, it creates a kick of individuality to modern fashion. I like that Galliano drew from culture for this collection, instead of making something boring, he brought excitement and colour to the catwalk. The well thought detail on the folk patterns and the coins and glitz strewn across each garment allowed each model to become a Russian Tsarina.
This piece in particular relates to my project because Galliano made the pannier his own this season. Completely changing the purpose of the hoop, from creating a full volume evening gown, to an edgy winter accessory. He’s almost made it look comfortable, draping it with thick woolen materials and oversized sleeves. It starts to appeal as the winter must have. Very few, if any designers used this technique and when it was done there was no resemblance.


The second piece I chose was from Jean Paul Gaultier’s AW09 Couture collection, where an undergarment became the garment.This show showed the fashion of Hollywood heroines through time and I can only think of Madonna and the rising Lady Gaga from the piece I selected. I chose this one to study due to the hip padding which has shown its face once again. Straight away I can go back to the 1700’s and see where Gaultier has snatched inspiration from, and I have to say, executed it very well.Gaultier has given fall Hollywood glamour, spoken through the pastel silk he used, the asymmetric corseted playsuit not to mention the cape that trails, only a true diva could wear this creation. Even the model has outrageous hair. This collection has a sexy feminine vibe, opposed to Galliano’s take on the exaggeration. Gaultier has made brought big hips back provocatively, showing the world this addition to your body and how padding can make you even sexier. In contrast to the 80’s shoulder pads where the padding was placed to create broader, manly shoulders, this piece has in fact done the complete opposite and made the models body appear more feminine. These two designers have taken two different directions of fashion exaggeration, at both extremes. Galliano surrounded his pannier with comfort and importance to the clothes in way that you know it is there and Gaultier has put it out there for the world to see.

The third designer I looked at was the Louis Vuitton AW09 by Marc Jacobs collection. This is the last one I chose because it has a direct contrast to both of the previous collections. Working with simplicity Jacobs has simply placed additions onto sections of his garments. Marc Jacobs has ruched, ruffled and poufed the fabric of this collection As in this photo for example, the wrist of the model appears to have rounded in all directions. I feel this is the most modified and inventive way of bringing past fashions forward. Looking down the runway it is clear and easy to identify the different padding styles and ballooned styles, the differences are the positions. Padding moved from hips to shoulder, emphasis moved from bum to wrist. Jacobs has come and poured his imagination to the catwalk and somehow brought life to and sophistication to deforming the body.

As creative director of Louis Vuitton, Jacobs has kept the LBD’s or the simple trouser suit and brought them to life. He shows, sexy doesn’t have to be “glamour”, and sophisticated doesn’t have to be boring. The designers of the past had the right idea, flaunt the manipulation of fabric and you’ll always look amazing.Accentuating and exaggerating the body through garments started a long way before the Fall collections of 2009, these particular desires of the body have been modified and resurrected for decades, and will continue to do so. While Gaultier never fails to surprise, with his imagination running wilder as seasons pass, I am impressed with the level of personality he has put into each and every design of his fall collection. His inspiration from strong women forms of the past have pushed this view of the “Women in control” it’s another powerful statement he has made through his art.

These three designers have definitely revived styles of the past, in their own signature styles, each piece as fabulous as the last, ready to be used as inspiration for future designers.
[1] book
[2] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/219059/French-farthingale
[3] http://www.myfairelady.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/side-view-french-farthingale.jpg
[4] http://www.farthingales.on.ca/images/tudor_1.jpg
[5] http://www.sewingcentral.com/images/tv141.jpg
[6] book
[7] http://www.allgreatquotes.com/fashion_quotes.shtml#
[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Galliano
[9] http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/F2009RTW-JNGALLNO