Redemption Through Fashion

          Prior to May of 1940 France had been one of the most powerful nations on the face of the earth. That quickly changed as Rommel’s Panzer units rolled their way through northern France, forcing the evacuation of the British and French militaries at Dunkirk. When the German army turned to the south and headed for Paris, the fate of France had already been sealed. They would be another nation to fall victim to the expansionist goals of Nazi Germany. In less than a month the French went from being the cultural center of the universe to an occupied territory. The French lived in a repressed condition that would not be alleviated until the Allies liberated them in August of 1944. After the war ended the following year France attempted to reassert itself as a world power, the most important manner in which they did this was by drawing upon its rich tradition of culture, which had always revolved around fashion.

          To support the previous statements the formal gown presented on the home page will be analyzed. This gown was a creation of Spanish designer Christobal Balenciaga, who had moved his operations to Paris before the war in order to be at the center of the fashion world. This long gown is made up of silk and satin, with several decorations, all of which, along with the colors, are of great significance to the different messages presented by this dress and will be elaborated upon further.

          The first feature of the dress that is noticed is the assortment of colors used in the top portion of the gown. These colors are usually associated with the spring season, a period of the year in which many of nature’s beauties are reborn after a winter of hibernation or death of vegetation. Similarly, France in 1945 was trying to be reborn from the “winter” of repression inflicted upon it by the Nazi occupation. The rebirth of France desired was two pronged, first was the need to once again become a global leader and protect its interests abroad. France had been humiliated by its swift defeat and after liberation needed to regain credibility with its own citizenry and also with its colonies which they rightfully feared would eventually revolt against them. After the war France also wished to be reborn as the center of the fashion world, New York had assumed the role of being the fashion leaders during the Second World War, as all Parisian styles had been cut off from the Western world.  Designers in Paris saw this as a personal challenge and worked to reestablish the city as the leading source of new styles.

          The assortment of colors used in the outfit is also critical as they serve as a statement of freedom from their oppressors. During the occupation designers had been restricted from using certain colors under penalty of imprisonment. An example of the colors that the designers were restricted from using was the combination of red, white, and blue. The Germans refused to have the leading designers creating outfits that could have some overt patriotic meaning. The designers were also not allowed to use the color red by itself. They were well aware of the strong Communist sentiment in France and did not want the red of the Soviet Union displayed on the bodies of their subjects. For designers in Paris to be able to use not only these colors, but whatever colors they pleased, symbolized the freedom that they had achieved not only within their profession but also as a society on the whole. The exaggeration of the use of multiple colors is a message to the world that despite the fact that the French had lost their freedom for a period of four years, not only had it been regained, but that it was stronger than ever.

          Another feature of the gown that is indicative of French society is the length of the gown as it goes down to about the ankle. The length of this gown is important because it represents the long tradition of French culture. As stated earlier, for centuries prior Paris had served as the center of the fashion universe; this served as a piece of stability that never faltered, that is until the Nazi occupation of the French capital. After the liberation France wanted to reconnect with its past traditions, one manner in which this occurred was the reintroduction of long skirts and dresses. These majestic symbols were intended to tap into the past of French culture, as a woman walked by with her flowing gown it would conjure images as beauty, class, and most importantly past glory, which is the primary element upon which France hoped to rebuild itself.

          The final tell tale detail about the gown is the use of silk and satin. The use of these materials is important as a result of the goals of French society as a whole, one of which was to make a smooth transition back into their status as a world and cultural force. The delicate nature of these materials indicates the delicateness of the political and social situations in France after liberation. The matter of who would come to power in this newly liberated France was in great debate, would it be De Gualle or another elected official. Also in doubt was what form of government would be assumed in France, there was a strong Communist sentiment among the population. These materials represent how France would have to tread carefully, as the climate was ripe for great unrest throughout the nation, and any tear in the fabric could set it off.

          In conclusion, one looks at a simple dress and often fails to recognize the fact that it is not simply fabric and a design. A tale is told by the design, one that can reveal details not just about individuals but also of an entire society. This is true of the dress designed by Christobal Balenciaga in 1945, it tells the tale of a society that once great had been brought down into ruins. It does not simply state this and leave the society to fend for itself, it stands as a symbol of hope staring out into an empty space where the future of a once powerful and great people would be decided.

Bibliography

Baudot, Francois. Fashion: The Twentieth Century. Paris: Editions Assouline, 1999.

Meij, Ietse. Haute Couture & Pret-A-Porter Mode 1750-2000. Waanders Uitgivers: Gemeentemuseum, 2001.

 Peacock, John. Fashion Sourcebooks: The 1940s. London: Thames and Hudson, 1998.

Squire, Geoffrey. Dress and Society: 1560-1970. New York: The Viking Press, 1974.

Steele, Valerie. Paris Fashion: A Cultural History. Oxford: Berg, 1998.