LA MODA - FASHION
Clothing
Humans often wear articles of clothing (also known as dress, garments or attire) on the body. In its broadest sense, clothing includes coverings for the torso and limbs as well as coverings for hands (gloves), feet (shoes, sandals, boots), and head (hats, caps).
Articles carried rather than worn (like purses and umbrellas) normally count as accessories rather than as clothing.
Humans also decorate their bodies with makeup or cosmetics, perfume, jewellery and other; cut, dye, and arrange their head, face and body hair (hairstyle), and sometimes their skin (tattoo, scarifications, piercing). All these decorations contribute to the overall effect and message of clothing, but do not constitute clothing per se.
People wear clothing for functional and/or social reasons. Clothing protects the body; it also delivers social messages to other humans.
Function includes protection of the body against strong sunlight, extreme heat or cold, and precipitation; protection against insects, noxious chemicals, weapons, contact with abrasive substances -- in sum, against anything that might injure an unprotected human body. Humans have shown extreme inventiveness in devising clothing solutions to practical problems.
Sociology
Social messages sent by clothing, accessories, and decorations can involve social status, occupation, ethnic and religious affiliation, marital status and sexual availability, etc. Humans must know the code in order to recognise the message transmitted. If different groups read the same item of clothing or decoration with different meanings, the wearer may provoke unanticipated responses.
- Social status: in many societies, people of high rank reserve special items of clothing or decoration for themselves. Only Roman senators could wear garments dyed with Tyrian purple; only high-ranking Hawaiian chiefs could wear feather cloaks and palaoa or carved whale teeth. In many cases, there were elaborate systems of sumptuary laws regulating who could wear what. In other societies, no laws prohibit lower-status people wearing high status garments, but the high cost of status garments effectively limits purchase and display. In current Western society, only the rich can afford haute couture. The threat of social ostracism may also limit garment choice.
- Occupation: military, police, firefighters usually wear uniforms, as do workers in many industries. School-children often wear school uniforms, college and university students wear academic dress. Members of religious orders may wear uniforms known as "habits". Sometimes a single item of clothing or a single accessory can declare one's occupation and/or status -- for example, the high toque or chef's hat worn by a chief cook.
- Ethnic, political, and religious affiliation: In many regions of the world, national costumes and styles in clothing and ornament declare membership in a certain village, caste, religion, etc. A Scotsman declares his clan with his tartan; an Orthodox Jew his religion with his (non-clothing) sidelocks; a French peasant woman her village with her cap or coif.
- Clothes can also proclaim dissent from cultural norms and mainstream beliefs, as well as personal independence. In 19th century Europe, artists and writers lived la vie de Bohème and dressed to shock: George Sand in men's clothing, female emancipationists in bloomers, male artists in velvet waistcoats and gaudy neckcloths. Bohemians, beatniks, hippies, Goths, punks and Skinheads continued the (counter-cultural) tradition in the 20th century West.
- Marital status: Hindu women, once married, "wear" sindoor, a red powder, in the parting of their hair; if widowed, they abandon sindoor and jewelry and wear simple white clothing. Men and women of the Western world may wear wedding rings to indicate their marital status.
- Esercizio numero 1 In your ‘quaderno’ answer the following questions in full sentences: 1 What is another name for clothing? 2 Clothing includes coverings for which parts of the body? 3 Would carrying an umbrella be considered a clothing or an accessory? Explain your answer. 4 What else do people do to enhance their appearance? 5 People wear clothing for two reasons. What are they? 6 What does ‘Wearing clothing for functional reasons’ mean? 7 List 6 social reasons as to why people wear clothing? 8 Translate into Italian all the words in bold except for the list given in the social reasons (Social Status etc.).
Modern fashion design is roughly divided into two categories: Haute couture (Alta Moda), and Prêt-à-porter(Ready-to-wear -Pronto a essere indossato).
A designer's high fashion collection is meant exclusively for private customers(i clienti) and is custom sized, cut and sewn. To qualify as an official "haute couture" house, a designer or company must belong to the Syndical Chamber for Haute Couture, a Paris-based body of designers governed by the French Department of Industry that includes American, Italian, Japanese, and other designers as well.
A high fashion house(La Casa d’Alta Moda) must show collections(Le Collezioni) twice yearly(Collezione Primavera-Estate and CollezioneAutunno-Inverno) with at least 35 separate outfits(Capi di abbigliamento) in each show. It is often shown on the catwalk(La passerella) and in private salons(Saloni privati).
Ready-to-wear collections are not custom made. They are standard sized which makes them more suitable for larger productions. Ready-to-wear collections can also be divided into designers collections(Eg. Calvin Klein) and confection collections(Eg. Target).
Designer collections have a high quality(Alta qualità), a superb finish(Rifiniture superbe) and a unique cutand design(Un taglio e un design esemplare). These collections are the most trendsetting (dettano la moda) compared to Haute Couture and Confection.
Confection collections are the ones we see most commonly in our shops. These collections are designed by stylists (gli stilisti). The brands that produce these collections aim only for a mass public.
What is the difference between a stylist and adesigner?
A stylist inspires his/her designs on existing things, trends and designer’s collections.
A designerstarts from scratch; he/she develops a unique concept and translates this into garment collections, other lifestyle related products or a statement in various other types of media. Some designers approach their work just as a fine arts painter or sculptor.
Inspiration (Ispirazione) for fashion designers comes from a wide range of things and cannot be pinpointed exactly. However, just like all artists, they tend to keep an eye on things going on world-wide to inspire themselves towards making their future clothes lines.
A typical design team is made up out one or more: designer(s) (Stilista), pattern maker(s) (Modellista), sample maker(s) (Campionarista), buyer(s) (Acquirente) and salesperson (s) (Commesso/a). For presentations and catwalk shows the help of hairdressers(Parrucchieri), make-up artists (Truccatori), photographers(Fotografi), modeling agencies(Agenzie di Moda), the model(Indossatore (male)/ Indossatrice (Female) and other support companies/professions is called upon.
Esercizio numero 2
1. In your ‘quaderno write all the Italian words that appear in the text. Make sure to include the English equivalent.
2. Choose five words and make up a sentence for each of the words.
Modern Australia has a unique fashion style that is able to be clearly distinguished from European fashion lines. Whereas European fashion has a more tailored approach, Australian fashion has a more casual approach.
Fashion is distinguished from dress by its nature in that is been fashioned or created, often by hand, and it reflects the prevailing styles in 'polite society' rather then being based on function. Fashion can be defined by colour, cut, cloth, garment type, garment styles and interpretation of looks.
Many of Australia's top designers have been inspired by an extraordinary range of Australian cultural influences. In turn, Australian creations, such as those by Wayne Cooper, Collette Dinnigan, Akira Isogawa, Lisa Ho, Martin Grant, Carla Zampatti, Easton Pearson, Michelle Jank and Nicola Finetti are in global demand.
Tessuti e Colori (Cloth and colour)
Chinese and Japanese silks and Egyptian cottons
Chinese silk embroidered shawls and Chinese surcoats brought into Australia by Chinese Australians in the late 1800s through to the 1930s have influenced the choice of cloth, cut and colour of Australian fashion. Women in the 1920s and 1930s wore silk and embroidered evening coats and over blouses, made of chiffon, georgette or velvet which borrowed heavily from the prevailing Chinese influences in cut and colour as well as using locally sourced materials.
These items were worn over decades and have a place in place in the living memory of women's wardrobes, such as a tangerine coloured georgette evening coat, labelled by Freebody & Debenham in 1920, with long sleeves and the hem set off by broad bands of figured black & tangerine ground velvet.
Japanese silks have also been influential - evident in Akira Isogawa's collections of the 1990s based on his mother's kimonos. In 2002 Isogawa reinterpreted a turn-of-the-century hand-ruched silk taffeta frock to create a shawl from silk velvet. Isogawa's work is distinguished by his use of transparent fabrics, layering of garments, unusual combinations of textures and fabrics and his re-use of antique kimono fabrics and traditional Asian textiles.
Silk organza and other light weight silks are a favourite cloth for Nicola Finetti and Collette Dinnigan. Finetti and Dinnigan dresses are renowned for the way they drape and sculpt bodies in a wearable albeit subtle cut, often to sensual dramatic effect. In 1995, Collette Dinnigan was the first Australian to mount a full scale ready to wear parade in Paris as invited by the 'Chambre Syndicale du pret-a-porter des courtiers ets createurs de mode'.
Cut and garment type
The choice of colour and cloth in combination with an outdoors life and a 'greater freedom' with which Australians express themselves has contributed greatly to an Australian sense of fashion, in the cut and garment types.
Australian women know what they want to wear and their choice may vary considerably from what European and American women wear. They want to be comfortable and favour a casual attitude. Australian women tend to be tall, with good figures, which means they can wear pants and jackets, for instance, with flair and style.
The story of Italian fashion began on 25th February 1951 when Count Giorgini staged a fashion show for an international audience in Florence, by opening up his palace for fashion shows, providing a fantastic, courtly setting steeped in history for the presentation of fashion collections.
Cinema too was influenced by Italian fashion: a classic case was the wedding of Linda Christian and Tyrone Power in 1949 for which the bridal dress was chosen in Rome. All of this went towards creating a stereotyped yet realistic image of the Land of the Beautiful, of Art and of Love. Dress took on the role of a charm for just like in ancient fairy tales, it was the magic means that made transformation possible.
In the Sixties everything changed: social roles and status changed in these years of protest and industrial boom. It was now clearly understood that through dress every woman could share the magic and interpret the myths of her own time, meaning that dress had now to be seen as creation and design. New styles in manufactured garments came onto the market and women across the world began to dress stylishly at a low cost. International acclaim for Made in Italy fashion reached its height with the triumph of “Prêt-à-porter” (Ready-to-wear) in the Seventies and Eighties when Milan became a fashion landmark.
For Italians, fashion is an instrument of social compensation, whereby class is determined according to what one wears; elsewhere all of this is inconceivable: beyond the confines of Italy, fashion is only a tool for confirming social status.
Esercizio numero 3:
1 What is fashion?
2 What does the expression ‘to be in fashion’ mean?
3 Why is fashion so important to people?
4 Who decides what is on fashion?
5 What does fashion tell us about a person?
6 In which way does the environment influence the way we dress?
7 What does ‘wearing a uniform’ tell us about people?
8 ‘Italian people dress better than Australian people’. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain your answer.
9 ‘Fashion is not expensive; everybody can afford to be fashionable’. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain your answer.
Esercizio numero 4
Using Prezi (preferably) or PowerPoint please summarize the Timeline of Italian Fashion in date order.
Italian Fashion Timeline
1952 Antonelli
1953 Capucci (Interfoto)
1954 Pucci (ph. Scrimali)
1959 Veneziani (ph.R.Relang)
1963 Baldini (ph.R.Relang)
1967 Davitti (Arch.Fiorentini)
Dolce & Gabbana 1997
1998 Milan Collections
1998 Milan Collections
Ferragamo, 1998
Ferré, 1998
Ferré, 1997
Dolce & Gabbana, 1998
Armani, 1997
Valentino, 1998 / 1881
The Cerruti company, producer of top quality woollen fabrics, is founded in Biella and begins its collaboration with renowned European fashion houses, which continues to this day.
1910
The Trussardi top-quality leather glove manufacturing firm is founded.
1918
Adele Fendi establishes a fur business in Rome, which in time will acquire world wide recognition for its innovative treatment of pelts and their imaginative fashioning.
1920
The Italian born Elsa Schiaparelli designs herself a black sweater with a trompe l'oeil white collar and bow. Noticed by a fashion buyer she decides to attempt selling her unusual creations and is instantaneously successful.
1923
The 25 year old Neapolitan shoemaker, Salvatore Ferragamo, immigrates to the United States were he studies footwear manufacturing before opening a shoe store in Hollywood. His hand-made, one-of-a kind shoes soon fit the feet of stars, such as Gloria Swanson.
1930
Schiaparelli's handful of Armenian knitters has grown to more than 2,000. Perfectly at ease in the world of artists and intellectuals her designs, which have more to do with art than style, were greatly influenced by Surrealists, such as Cocteau and Dali. Her sensational designs include a coat inspired by Dali's City of Drawers. Although she introduced the 'pagoda' sleeve, created hats in the shape of veal cutlets, zipper decorations and fabrics patterned with news clippings, she is best remembered for her use of that very deep and startling colour which she named "shocking pink".
1936
Salvatore Ferragamo returns to Italy and sets up his business in Florence, were his American made fame continues to flourish, serving customers such as Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret. Besides his exquisitely tooled creations, he is credited with having invented the platform sole and wedge heel, which have had a recent comeback in fashion.
1948
Ottavio Missoni, son of an Italian sea captain and a Serbian countess, is in London, as a member of the Italian Olympic team, where he meets his future wife and business partner Rosita. At the time Missoni was a sports-wear manufacturer. He is recognised as the inventor of leg zips on track suits.
1950
The marquis Emilio Pucci opens his couture house. The entry of this descendent of Italian and Russian nobility into fashion was purely accidental. In 1947 after having been photographed by Tony Frissell wearing ski clothes of his own design, Lord & Taylor commissions a women's ski-wear line for them. Within a few years his abstract, boldly coloured prints achieve international recognition and are a must for every fashionable lady. Today they are collectors items.
Roberto Capucci opens a small atelier in Rome and presents his collection in Florence with great success. His extremely original and daring designs, of an architectonic cut, focus on the effect of the dress rather than the wearer, making him a true loner in the Italian fashion world.
The twenty-year-old Nino Cerruti decides to launch the prestigious, family textile firm into the world of fashion. In order to arouse interest in his line he commissions four famous playwrights to write one-act plays which he produces with actors wearing costumes of his design.
1951
The Fontana sisters, who have raised their mother's small dressmaking establishment to haute-couture level, begin to sell their magnificent evening gowns in the United States. They design Ava Gardner's costumes for the Barefoot Contessa, President Truman's daughter's wedding gown and are also favourites of Jacqueline Kennedy.
1952
The official anniversary of contemporary Italian fashion. In July of this year Gian Battista Giorgini presents his collection in the historic White Room of the PittiPalace in Florence.
News of this event spreads around the world, initiating the Made in Italy fashion phenomenon.
1953
Ottavio (Tai) Missoni and Rosita marry and begin to work together. With four knitting machines they produce knitwear for other labels, until Rosita decides that they must produce their own line. With Rosita creating the shapes and Tai filling in the colours they quickly build their multi-coloured, sophisticated woollen empire.
1957
Mariuccia Mandelli, originally an elementary school teacher, presents her first collection calling it "Krizia", a name taken from Plato's dialogue on women's vanity. Her creations made of photo-printed fabric immediately attract the attention of the press.
1959
After several years in Paris, working as general design assistant at Guy Laroche's, Valentino Garavani, better know as Valentino, returns to Rome to open his own atelier, with moderate success.
1961
Fresh from his experience as a window dresser and stylist in Milan's Rinascente department store, Giorgio Armani becomes an assistant in Nino Cerruti's men's wear manufacturing firm.