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August 23, 2019
So I went back to Dallas to see the Dior again - it's that good. But more than anything what I'm struck with is that without Dior, there would have been so much missing. Balenciaga, the Givenchy, the Yves St. Laurent, and even John Galliano would never have existed. But as well, there were peripherial designers around Dior that also never would have existed.
In the same way that Churchill is credited with saving Western Civilization, Dior is credit for bring fashion back to Paris. And as much as New York wanted to remain the fashion capital, Paris is where it really belongs. There's a tradition of well-made clothing that is done by hand that is maintained not only by the people who purchase these clothes, but also by the ladies and men as well who are trained
and have knowledge of what it takes to make beautiful clothes. That is the one thing that World War II did not take out of France, and don't kid yourself, France was literally raped after World War II.
Dior brought the light back in. But here's something else to think about as well. Had it not been for Dior, YSL may never have been discovered, and had he not, he may not ever had his own house, and we would never have the likes of the Le Smoking or the Mondrian dress or the Dovima dress or
any of the gorgeous looks of YSL.
And had fashion not returned to Paris, we might not have had the wonderful looks of Givenchy - we might not even have Audrey!
Without Dior we wouldn't have had the designers who lived off the fashion world revolving around Paris like Balenciaga, Jean Patou, Pierre Balmain, and Jaques Fath. These designers would most likely have been wannabes in a fashion world away from the hub bub of fashion. Instead they were major designers that brought even more fame and beautiful fashion to Paris.
For sure there is one designer that never would have come back from her solitude after World War II. During World War II, Chanel had an affair with a low-ranking intelligence officer. After the war, she escaped to Switzerland where it was rumored she kept house with her lover from World War II.
Finally in the mid 1950's the dress silhouette taking over Paris got to her, and she had, had enough. The dresses were manipulated around artificial figures that although feminine were nothing realistic. Her view of fashion was that it could be beautiful, feminine, flattering AND comfortable - what a concept. But alas she was in a completely other country - what could she do.
The fact is that she was persona non grata in France. It was clear that she had more than consorted with the enemy and was giving them everything she could and knew about France during World War II, so she was a traitor and was wanted in France for treason. She couldn't even return.
But return she did. And with the help of Churchill and the Duchess of Windsor (what a combo!), she returned and was granted clemency and was not prosecuted. My thinking on this is that the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (the former King Edward VIII of England) were known to be fond of Hitler and were pursued as spies of sort, if not people who could give the Third Reich valuable information about their opponent.
This would cause a lot of consternation with the current monarch, Elizabeth II. It was enough that their last name for generations had been Hanover (from the Georges that were imported from Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg which doesn't sound very English to keep the British line going after Commonwealth mess and Elizabeth I leaving no clear descendant). The name Hanover was perceived to be so offensive during World War II that it was changed to Windsor, and from henceforth the
House of Windsor has ruled England. The fear was that Chanel might have (and probably did) information that would be at the least scandalous if not down right dangerous to the House of Windsor and with Elizabeth as young as she was wanted to keep stability, she couldn't have anyone blabbing about how treacherous the in-laws were. Therefore Chanel was not prosecuted for treason.
So she came back to Paris and in 1954, showed the famous Chanel jacket.
The French press panned the dress and considered it dumpy and a failure.
The American press couldn't get enough of it, and because of the American market, the jacket became hugely famous.
But as all fashion needs and must have change, the jacket hadn't changed much from 1954 to 1982.....until a young designer was appointed creative head of Chanel and transformed the line from
this to this
 
And once again the house was in the news.
Here's the amazing thing about the original design, it is so classic that it can be updated in about a gazillion different ways, but the points of the jacket that make it so special are still there.
Details like the trim, the beautiful buttons that the original designer wanted to be like jewelry, the chain at the bottom to weight the jacket, the classic design that can fit almost any figure (inspired by the famous Austrian boiled wool jacket by the Geiger family), light weight yet very comfortable to wear, but durable. The idea that a jacket could be made from such a comfortable fabric as the loosely woven
bouclé and yet made sturdy enough to last for decades is the magic and sign of a great designer.
Today the jacket is not made with the profiles of the original jacket nor of the profiles of the original make-over by Karl Lagerfeld, but it keeps those same wonderful traits: elegant, comfortable, flattering, and most of all expensive looking all the while being like a great friend that is the garment you go for in your wardrobe over and over.
 
These variations can go the complete scale of imagination. This is what Karl Lagerfeld brought to the label so much so that today even the doyene of the music divas as well as the grande dame of New York Society can be seen in this style of jacket.
The striking difference here was exemplified in a great New Yorker magazine cover.
Teaching this jacket is so much fun because I get to watch the light bulb of creativity and admiration for the original designer who developed the techniques used to make this jacket one of a sewists ultimate sewing projects. And when finished one of her favorite garments.
On this trip to Dallas, I took the opportunity to take some students along with me to view some of the more beautiful clothes that are made, and the inspiration that these garments can provide. More than anything, this is a chance to get real about the pricing of well-made garments. We are all exposed so much to the cheap end of the retail garment industry, that we forget that there are garments that are much better
made than that, but they cost a lot of money. I'm not trying to say that these garments aren't worth it. Exactly the opposite: These garments are well worth it, but they are also a very much clearer indication as to the worth of our own sewing. It's hard to put our own sewing in perspective when all we see is the latest fast/cheap fashion from the mall. Seeing well-made clothing by internationally well-know designers is a treat that no sewists should
ever pass up.
Some of our stops for this were really fun.
Here is a beautifully constructed decoration on a sleeve from Giorgio Armani done with bias roleux (that's bias cords to us), and anchored with bias casing. All very intricate and beautifully
executed.
 
Here is a Zac Posen who is King of the darts! These darts are beautifully placed to make fitting even the most difficult figure a dream - and the price tag to go along with it - $1,490!
Here's another Zac Posen that shows the intricacy of the dart work that he does with his garments.
And here's the piece we came to see:
This shows a lot of the beautiful detail these jackets are known for. The intricate trim, the buttons to use as jewelry and the gorgeously intricate fabric. All executed with the expertise of masters of the fine art of dressmaking.
And the price tag that goes with it.
Remember, this is the price without the lining, without the chain, without the delicate working of the lining to the bouclé and most of all without the elegance of the original jacket. This is not the jacket I teach. The one I teach costs even more than this, and is only sold
in London, Paris, Milan, Riyadh, New York, Tokyo and other major metropolitan areas. Even at the designer boutique in Highland Park in Dallas, the jackets are not lined.
This fall I'm teaching this jacket series again. The techniques used in this jacket aren't hard, however they are time-consuming, hence the reason the RTW jacket at Neiman Marcus now runs $9,600! Even in RTW, the hand work is intricate, exacting and it is most of all time-consuming. The jacket techniques actually aren't hard, however they are packed with hand work, which is perfect for we sewists,
because this is something we can do , and the more hand work we add, the more authentic and elegant the jacket looks.
If you are interested, you can always contact me (simply respond to this email) or you can contact Bernina of OKC at 405.840.8911 to make reservations for your class. Here is a document on the description of the class and supplies, patterns, etc., needed for
class. and Here's a more thorough document on the jacket.
If you're looking to step up your sewing, or simply want the classic of all classic jackets for your wardrobe, there's no greater time than now.
Or as I like to call it the FQJ for short. This is that famous jacket from France that everyone wants. From the grandest of grande dames of high society to the most forward of music divas, all of them find the jacket not only appropriate for […]
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I get this lots of times in my class and it’s one of those things that students don’t even know to ask – where’s the shoulder?! I guess it shows how fashion has so moved the goalposts that basic things like the shoulder placement aren’t really considered. […]
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I find this article very interesting, and like a lot of articles today about trade schools it tells a similar story – that story is that a lot of kids who are bright, and some even have college degrees, opt for trade school, where most parents would shudder […]
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PS - I do a lot of posting on Facebook as both Claire Kennedy and SewingArtistry - if you want to friend me to check out the goodies over there for free!
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