1950s fashion at Pallais Galliera

1947. Christian Dior transforms the feminine silhouette forever, making the women forget the austerity of the post war years and embrace the ‘new look’ that inspired generations of fashion designers to come.

The New Look was “direct, unblushing plan to make women extravagantly, romantically, eyelash-battingly female.” Vogue, 1957

 Yet, Christian Dior was not the only couturier who showcased the marvels of tailoring during the golden age of haute couture, that gave the world such names as Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Balmain and many others. Their names have truly become synonymous with elegance and luxury, their business drove the French economy of the time. The exposition gathers 100 dresses and accessories, retracing the history of the feminine silhouette from 1947 to 1957.

Manufacturing desire: Branding Style from Armani to Zara

‘… fashion is based on creating a need where, in reality there is none. Fashion is a factory that manufactures desire,’ Bruno Remaury.

Books on fashion and luxury are oftentimes not easy to find, especially when you’re a cash-strapped student aspiring to make it in a mythical industry that for an newcomer looks like an array of closed doors. Here’s a brief review to one of the most comprehensive guides to the basics of fashion marketing Mark Tungate’s ‘Fashion Brands: Branding Style from Armani to Zara’.

Death becomes her

From weddings at London’s Victoria & Albert, to burrials at the Met. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is set to explore the darker side of fashion, with an exposition focusing on mourning attire, opening on October 21.

The upcoming exposition will focus on a century of mourning and will bring together the pieces that are part of the complex etiquette of grief. Death Becomes Her will feature approxomately 30 dresses, as well as a selection of mourning jewellry and accessories.