Fashioned from nature

A recent visit to the 'Fashioned from Nature' exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum was very inspiring and insightful as it covers centuries of fashion that has been inspired by the natural world. It also shows how the fashion industry has plundered the natural world, to devastating effect. It includes stunning embroideries, intriguing techniques and beautiful prints and leads to a slightly uncomfortable feeling where you are appreciating the fashions of the past but also realising the effect that they have had on nature.

The silk dress below is from 1733 and uses a stunning print inspired by nature, depicting fantastical, over-sized fruits and flowers. The white ground sets off the vibrant colours.

The exhibition continues through to the 18th century where manufacturing came into mass production and shows the principle fibres being produced at that time (flax, cotton silk and wool) and how they were made. It also shows how man's greed for feathers, furs and even bones - such as whalebone that was used for corsets - was incorporated into fashion of the time. The dresses below use pretty floral prints but also show how much fabric was used in a garment. I was intrigued by how much fabric could be gathered into such a small waist.

The international trade in exotic materials such as feathers and fur increased dramatically during the 19th century and London was a hub for the sale of both. Concerns about the brutality of the trades meant that local campaigns were established to oppose the trade. 

Items made from feathers included dramatic shoulder wraps and large feather fans.

Colour plays a large part in the novelty and change of fashion and raw materials with natural beauty were prized for clothing and accessories. The earrings below were made from the heads of Honeycreeper birds, and were very popular in the late 19th century.

Among the many birds imported to ornament dress, the ones with iridescent feathers were the most desirable. Peacocks, honeycreepers and hummingbirds had stunning natural colours that changed in the light.

As well as feathers, beetle wings were also used to decorate dress. Over 5000 green beetle wings were used to decorate this dress to create a natural jewel effect.

The starling on the hat below had its feathers added to with feathers from another bird to suggest a larger, more exotic species. On the right you can see an X-ray of the hat.

The 19th century saw new methods of transport and the spread of cheaper books and periodicals as well as the opening of museums which created greater opportunities for people to learn about nature. The book below shows a stunning imprint of sea life which would have inspired many textile designers.

The fluctuating supply of raw silk meant that a search for man-made alternatives was needed. By spinning glass it creates a soft, fine flexible thread that only breaks when strong pressure is applied to it. Glass is cheaper than silk and the colours don't fade. It is also waterproof and fire-proof and was manufactured for furnishing from the 1830s. Below is a sample of a skein of fabric made from spun glass.

The exhibition continues upstairs where it shows how more modern techniques were used in the production of fashion as well as contemporary innovators who are directly addressing the issues caused by the fashion industry. The two dresses below were early examples of synthetic materials made to look like natural fibres, but they used harmful chemicals and treatments. 

The dress below is designed by John Galliano and was inspired by Christian Dior's vision of women as seductive hot-house flowers.The garment uses a vibrant purple colour with red gloves and incorporates ruffling and tulip petal skirt. Even the belt and hat were inspired by florists materials.

This Philip Treacy 'Windswept Veil' was inspired by high winds yet at the same time the feathers seem to grow around the head and form an organic green curtain. There is a stunning delicacy to it.

The dress below was designed by John Paul Gaultier in 1997 for his 'Russia Collection', and it appears to have a leopard skin draped over the front of it. But look closer....

....and you will see that the dress is made up of thousands of beads that create the leopard print. The gown took over 1000 hours to create! See how the head of the leopard creates the bodice of the dress.

Alexander McQueens last fully realised collection imagined a world of climate change. His collections often expressed his concern with ecological awareness and in this collection the models wore complex digital prints of amphibious skins.

The Gucci handbag below uses a menagerie of creatures and includes a metal fox head and two stag beetles that have been silk-screened in gold onto calf skin. The designer was inspired by 'Theatre of Insects', a source book that inspired some of the 17th century textile designs.

Designer Michelle Lowe-Holder sources end-of-line and vintage haberdashery to create her handmade jewellery. This dramatic ruff is made from end-of-line ribbon.

Scientists in Sweden and Britain created this wearable paper made from unbleached wood pulp, finished using natural dyes. Energy and chemicals are reduced at every stage.

Diane Scherer trains the roots of plants to grow in intricate structures, creating a 3D textile. When the roots are fully grown, she removes them from the soil and cuts off the plant stems. See the dress below left and the process, below right.

I highly recommend a trip to this museum to appreciate the good and bad side of fashion and to see how much we have progressed over time.

Undressed

On Sunday afternoon I went along to the Victoria and Albert Museum to check out 'Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear'. It's a temporary exhibition which follows the evolution of underwear design from the 18th century to the present day, with over 200 examples of everything from everyday items, to the luxurious and custom-made. The exhibition covers the notions of the ideal body through the ages. The beautiful corset below shows how tiny the waists were expected to be!

The exhibition also highlighted how lingerie still influences the fashions of today. London Fashion Week is in full swing and several of the collections use underwear influences with a new twist.

Preen uses corsets in their Autumn/Winter '17 collection, but layer them over chunky-knit sweaters.

This beautiful camisole top from the V & A collection uses soft silk and delicate lace trim.

The Christopher Kane Autumn/Winter '17 collection also uses delicate lace as shirts and dresses, but pairs them with an oversize knit in pastel pink, or layers it with a dramatic white fur-lined coat.

 The silk and lace negligee from the exhibition, below, is just stunning in its delicacy and attention to detail. I love the v-shape that the lace creates.

Erdem used a similar type of lace and bias cut-style to create flowing dresses in shades of lilac in his Autumn/Winter '17 collection.

The example on the below right shows how large knickers have also been a part of underwear history, great for holding in the stomach area and contouring the body.

Large knickers were also represented at London Fashion Week, at the Anya Hindmarch Autumn/Winter '17 show, but they were more like baggy bloomers than body con fashion. She also included knitted play suits, all in a fabulous Alpine style.

The Undressed exhibition closes soon, and I recommend going along there before it goes.

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

I finally made it to the Alexander McQueen exhibition at the V & A Museum and it was stunning! I've been dying to see it for ages and it was well worth the wait. This is the first retrospective of his work to be shown in Europe and includes pieces from his graduate show, right through to his final collection Autumn/Winter 2010. Not surprisingly the exhibition was displayed with drama and a sense of spectacle, with each collection shown in a different room and a setting befitting the clothing it showcased.

McQueen left school at 15 to become an apprentice on Saville Row and then went on to study fashion at Central Saint Martins where he learned how to be a fashion designer. This combination of highly proficient and inventive tailoring, mixed with a sense of inspirational and highly original fashion design, meant that each collection was a masterpiece. And they were stunning to see up close where you get to see his workmanship and tailoring as well as attention to detail and, of course the surreal and dark elements that gave him his trademark look.

Dark Gothic feathers and a smudge of red lipstick against pale white skin.
Birds and feather motifs became an inspiration for a few of his collections.

Mc Queen returns to his ancestral roots with a line of tartan outfits accessorised with stunning face masks decorated with Swarovski crystals.

These collections were shown in display cases reminiscent of a Victorian museum and included the ghostly bride as centre stage with floor length tiered antique lace and an antler headpiece.

His Spring/Summer 2001 collection  included the reworked kimono in richly-embroidered silk. Each item was displayed in a mirrored booth as if in a music box.

The famous spray-painted dress from his Spring/Summer 1999 show was centre stage in one room, surrounded by endless items of clothing and accessories from his shows and displayed as if in a cabinet of curiosities. There were also many different screens showing his fashion shows over the years, each one was so theatrical. I could have spent hours in this room.

The Spring/Summer 2010 collection was his final, and is beautifully space-age and sculptured with prints inspired by reptile skin. This was where his famous 'Armadillo' shoe was first shown.