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dresses

Hawthorne & Heaney visits the Night & Day Exhibition

November 29, 2018 by Intern

Hawthorne & Heaney visits the Night & Day Exhibition London Hand EmbroideryBeautiful sequined gown, early to mid-1930s. Sequins became popular in the 1920s, inspired by the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. (1922)

The 1930s followed the decade of the roaring 20’s, with the Wall Street crash in 1929, the years that followed saw a great deal of change for Britain and America. With the 1930s, came the beginning of WWII, the end of the Jazz Age and a dramatic change in fashion in accordance with the economic and political transformations of Western society.

Hawthorne & Heaney visits the Night & Day Exhibition London Hand EmbroideryEvening Gown and Capelet, early to mid 1930s, satin. Black and white was considered a very chic colour combination in the 1930s, promoted by designer Elsa Schiaparelli. (1890-1973)

This exquisite exhibition is based around a single collection (courtesy of Cleo and Mark Butterfield) consisting of 1930s daywear and eveningwear. The exhibition began with an array of classic dresses, would have been at the height of fashion in the 30s. The impact of the Art Deco movement (which took its name from the international Arts Décoratif et Industriels Modernes held in Paris in 1925) on fashion in the 30s was profound; it was characterised by highly stylised natural and geometric forms. Something that struck us as soon as we walked in was how much the fabrics used to construct the garments were angled towards the act of wearing; specific fabrics such as satin and crepe were used to glisten in the lights of a nightclub – the wonderful art of using materials for their glamorous properties!

Hawthorne & Heaney visits the Night & Day Exhibition London Hand EmbroideryEvening Gown, early 1930s, Satin. Wonderful ruffled open back gown with gathered bow motif.

Glamorous. Chic. Timeless. Three words that instantly spring to mind when a vision of floor length satin and crepe gowns appeared like a mirage through the walls of the fashion and textile museum. These liquid satin, bias cut gowns – pioneered by Madeleine Vionnet – ooze sophistication and sensual night-time glamour. On the dance floor of the 1930s, everyone was equal; all class, economic and racial differences were left on the side lines.

Hawthorne & Heaney visits the Night & Day Exhibition London Hand EmbroideryEvening gown, early to mid-1930s, satin. A salmon-pink bias cut gown with beaded swirl motif. The caplet sleeves emphesise the feminine fluidity of the gown.

Cinema became part of everyday life in the interwar years; Cinema buildings popped up all over the country; housewives would be able to view a matinee screening and still be home in time for the children! The silver screen was an immense factor in the glamorisation of evening wear fashion in the 1930s and the rise of ready to wear garments; cheaper fabrics such as lamé were favoured over traditional embroidery, which was not quite as decadent but almost as lustrous.Hawthorne & Heaney visits the Night & Day Exhibition London Hand EmbroideryEvening gown, early 1930s, satin. The glamorous style was reinforced by Hollywood during a decade of luxurious films that provided the much needed escapism from the realities of daily life.

In the room called ‘Whistle! While you work’ it was clear that the major shift in working class women becoming mass consumers was aided by media outlets such as magazines, it was explained how this shift has been an important factor in how we shop today. The popularisation of department stores and the philosophy of ‘make do and mend’ in the austerity of The Depression also led to a much more accessible ‘Ready To Wear’ trend rising. This revolution in ready to wear clothing could be seen of as a factor in our current fast-fashion crisis.

Hawthorne & Heaney visits the Night & Day Exhibition London Hand EmbroideryEvening gown and jacket, mid 1930s. Heavy embroidery of the previous decade were discarded and replaced with cheaper fabrics such as lamé.

The 1930s gave way to the act of shopping (usually in department stores) and window-shopping becoming part of popular culture. The advancement of technology and women in the workplace (pre marriage, of course, due to the ‘marriage bar’ forcing women to resign from their jobs when wed) meant that fabrics could now be produced on a much larger and therefore cheaper scale.

Hawthorne & Heaney visits the Night & Day Exhibition London Hand EmbroideryThe 1930s were a golden age for the art of the portrait photograph. On show was a vast selection of portraits from 3 leading studio photographers; Dorothy Wilding, Madame Yevonde and Paul Tanqueray.

The finale of the exhibition wowed us with a patriotic display of all things red, white and blue to commemorate the coronation of George VI. An interesting note which helped us imagine the atmosphere of the day was added in the exhibition guide: ‘Hotels were full to the seams and many people who wanted to catch a glimpse of the royal coach resorted to sleeping on pavements and in the parks, creating camps and latrines, which author Virginia Woolf likened to scenes of the Crimea.’

Hawthorne & Heaney visits the Night & Day Exhibition London Hand EmbroiderySome Day My Prince … Will Come! A section of the exhibition celebrating the coronation of King George VI on 12 May 1937; all things blue, red and white lined the streets of Britain.

The exhibition was a delightful insight in to all things 30s, from the glitzy gowns of the dancehall floors to the realities of women being barred from the workplace: a truly comprehensive experience!

Hawthorne & Heaney visits the Night & Day Exhibition London Hand EmbroideryDress, late 1930s, crepe. Blue was a popular colour of 1937 as it was considered patriotic. ‘Marlborough blue’, in partocular featured heavily in this year and was named after the royal palace.

By Jessica Strain. All photos by Jessica Strain.

Exhibition details:

Night & Day: 1930’s Fashion and Photographs

Fashion and Textile Museum

83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF

Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 11am–6pm

Thursdays until 8pm

Sundays, 11am–5pm

12 October 2018 – 20 January 2019

£9.90 adults / £8.80 concessions / £7 students

Children under 12 are free

 

Filed Under: Art, Embroidery, Fashion, Film, TV & Theatre, London Tagged With: dresses, embellishment, embroidery, eveningwear, exhibition, fashion and textile museum, glamour, gowns, London, Night and Day:1930's fashion and photographs, photography, sophistication

Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams

December 21, 2017 by Natasha Searls-Punter

View this post on Instagram

Runway through the years #Dior #runway #couture

A post shared by Tasha Searls-Punter (@tashasearlspunter) on Dec 21, 2017 at 3:44am PST

Every now and then, there is an exhibition that we feel we just have to see, and usually one holds out until it (hopefully) comes to London. However the risk of missing out on ‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ at Musee Des Arts Decoratifs was one that was too great and we felt compelled to go. So last month, Natasha made the trip to Paris to see the much hyped display.Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery

The exhibition begins with some history about Christian Dior’s family and his life before setting up the house as an art gallery owner and fashion illustrator. A brief introduction to the facets of the house it followed by the first main gallery. In this room, each section is divided by colour, each cabinate displaying a pallette with a variety of dresses, 12” minatures and accessories.

Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams

As an embroiderer, one of the most outstanding aspects of this exhibition was the level of detail you could see in the gowns and the emphasis that was placed on showing off the incredible textures. These were reflected in the papercut flowers and foliage that hung from the ceiling in a few of the rooms which were inspired by the fragrances that make up Dior’s famous perfumes.

Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
dior 1
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams

Some of the textiles could be descibed as quite tradtional beading, whilst others would be considered to be more experimental, playing with feathers and layering but all were undeniably beautiful.

Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams

They also had an in house embroiderer demonstrating some tambour beading onto a panel of one of the gown and chatting with the public about what she was doing. The piece was framed up in a large slate frame, with one end complete and, the other drafted on. The drafts and drawings for the piece were hanging to one side of her with a partically completed gown on display behind her. The finished gown was part of the final gallery to put the whole process into context.

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Tambour beading demonstration #Dior #tambour #embroidery

A post shared by Tasha Searls-Punter (@tashasearlspunter) on Dec 21, 2017 at 3:28am PST

Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams

The white gallery was reminiscent of the layout of the Savage Beauty exhibition at the V&A museum in London where you were dwarfed by the pieces, however here the emphasis was placed purely on the cut of the garments. Each one is the toile of a gown we had already seen in the body of the exhibition to explain the development of each piece and the alterations process it has been through to get to the final design.

Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery

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Floor to ceiling toiles #dior #paris #dressmaking

A post shared by Tasha Searls-Punter (@tashasearlspunter) on Nov 10, 2017 at 2:41pm PST

Final last gallery was all the real show stopping gowns, the space itself adds to the gravity of the items on display. They enhanced the experience with moving light displays across the walls which gave the impression of gold snow, unashamedly playing up to the couture fairytale.

Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Hawthorne & Heaney visit Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams

View this post on Instagram

Dior: designer of dreams was magical! #paris #fashionexhibition #dior

A post shared by Tasha Searls-Punter (@tashasearlspunter) on Nov 9, 2017 at 10:45am PST

It would be fair to say this exhibition was excellent, going around it all took at least 2 and a half hours going through it all but one could have stayed much longer. The amount of pieces on display and the generous space that was given to each one made it a very leisurely experience. I really enjoyed the way they played with scale in the lay out, starting off the with minatures gallery, then allowing you to get up close with the real sized pieces and then emmersing you in the white and final galleries.

If you would like to read another perspective on the exhibition, have a read of Tina Isaac-Goizé’s thoughts for Vogue here.

‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ is on show at Musee Des Arts Decoratifs in Paris until 7th Jan 2018 so catch it while you have the chance!

Filed Under: Embroidery, Fashion Tagged With: beading, couture, Designer, designer of dreams, dior, display, dresses, embroidery, exhibition, feathers, gallery, house of dior, layering, musee des arts decoratifs, paris, ribbon, tambour, textiles

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion

October 13, 2017 by Natasha Searls-Punter

When a major fashion exhibtion comes to London, we love to go and see what it is all about and the Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion Exhibition currently on at the Victoria and Albert Museum does not disappoint. Based in the fashion and textiles section of the museum, the exhibition goes through from the beginnings of Balenciaga as a brand, through to current designers that Balenciaga has influenced.

Starting downstairs, most of the historical garments and accessories are displayed with accompanying notes and toiles. There are a few pieces which have a video animation next to them of how the pattern goes together to make the garment function which are very informative and really demonstrate the complexity of the designs:

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#balenciaga @vamuseum #patterncutting

A post shared by Tasha Searls-Punter (@tashasearlspunter) on Oct 13, 2017 at 1:28am PDT

This accompanies the actual garment which it explains as well as a calico toile of the garment. A few pieces from the collection have been x-rayed as can be seen in the back of the next video which shows the many layers that go into a piece like this and the hidden support within some of the ‘simpler’ looking gowns.

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@vamuseum #balenciaga #fashion #london

A post shared by Tasha Searls-Punter (@tashasearlspunter) on Oct 13, 2017 at 1:32am PDT

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion London Hand EmbroideryX-ray photograph of silk taffeta evening dress by Cristóbal Balenciaga, 1955, Paris, France. X-ray by Nick Veasey, 2016. © Nick Veasey

They have a section which is dedicated to the fabric choices and embroideries used in some of the historical Balenciaga pieces. These include a wonderfully rich example of silk shading on a gown with an impossibly tiny waist and a very decadent textured jacket. The base embroidery of the jacket is demonstrated by an embroiderer from Paris based embroiderers Lesage recreating the design. See below for a snippet of the tambour beading over long silk stitching.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion London Hand EmbroideryHawthorne & Heaney Visits Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion London Hand EmbroideryWild silk evening dress (detail), Cristóbal Balenciaga with embroidery by Lesage, 1960 – 2, Paris, France. Museum no. T.27-1974. © Victoria and Albert Museum, LondonHawthorne & Heaney Visits Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion London Hand Embroidery

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A little tambour beading demo from one of the videos at the #balenciaga exhibition on now at @vamuseum #embellishment #handembroidery #london

A post shared by London Embroidery School (@londonembschool) on Oct 13, 2017 at 1:35am PDT

Going through the exhibition, the different approaches to each of the pieces are explained as Cristobal Balenciaga applied both tailoring and dressmaking techniques to his pieces. He was know for his surgical precision, often pictured in a lab coat measuring and remeasuring sections. A selection of traditional tailoring tools are displyed including shears, pressing ham, chalk shaving box and tracing wheel.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion London Hand EmbroideryCristóbal Balenciaga at work, 1968, Paris, France. Photograph by Henri Cartier-Bresson. © Henri Cartier-Bresson/Magnum PhotosHawthorne & Heaney Visits Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion London Hand EmbroideryMoving upstairs, the exhibition focuses more on Balenciagas lasting legacy and those he has inspired. Against the dombed ceiling, three videos of current designers such as Mollie Goddard and Gareth Pugh who speak about how Balenciaga has influenced them and their design work. A series of parallels are drawn between contemporary designs and historical Balenciaga pieces such as the below by Hussein Chalayan and Oscar De La Renta which are likened to textured coat and silk work dress previous mentioned.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion London Hand Embroidery Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion London Hand Embroidery Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion London Hand Embroidery Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion London Hand EmbroideryThis exhibition is a well rounded insight into the Balenciaga brand with lots of lovely couture examples and the technical specification to go with them which is interesting for those with and without exisiting fashion knowledge.  Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion will be running at the Victoria and Albert Museum‘s Fashion and Textiles Gallery Space (Room 40) until Sunday 18th February 2018 so if you have the opportunity to see it, it is worth the visit. Tickets cost £12.00 and some concessions are available.

All images and videos courtsey of Natasha Searls-Punter (@tashasearlspunter) unless otherwise stated.

Filed Under: Embroidery, Fashion, London Tagged With: Balenciaga, beading, bespoke, couture, design, dresses, dressmaking, embellishment, embroidery, fashion, gowns, London, pattern, pattern cutting, Shaping Fashion, silk shading, silk work, Tailoring, tambour beading, toiling, tools, V & A Museum, VAM, victoria and albert museum

Hawthorne & Heaney at the V&A’s Undressed Exhibition

August 18, 2016 by Natasha Searls-Punter

The Victoria and Albert Museum has such a great reputation for its fashion exhibitions and their new underwear epic ‘Undressed’ does not disappoint.  The exhibition is in the fashion section of the museum and is split between the historical pieces below and contemporary pieces on the first floor.

Hawthorne & Heaney at the V&A's Undressed Exhibition London Hand Embroidery

For me the historical pieces are always the most intriguing as you start at the 18th Century corsets and work you way through. A great example of this is this baby blue corset made of cotton twill and silk lined. It is reinforced with whale bone and metal busk with machine lace and hand embroidery details. The embroidery on this piece is quite simple with the long fanned stitches around the hips and bust but it is very effective all the same. Most of the corsets are over 200 years old so it is amazing that they have survived to be displayed.

Hawthorne & Heaney at the V&A's Undressed Exhibition London Hand Embroidery

Moving forward there are some lovely lace examples from the 20’s and 30’s such as the above brassiere and negligee below. They demonstrate the development of the technology in this area and to see the intricacy that they were able to achieve.

Hawthorne & Heaney at the V&A's Undressed Exhibition London Hand Embroidery

Along side the more prim and proper pieces are those which have a sense of humour such as the knickers pictured below. They belonged to a society Lady from the 1930’s who moved to the far east and commissioned these knickers as a fun item to have. They turned out to be to be quite useful, as the story goes, when she needed an ice breaker with other ladies she met, she would lift up her skirts and flash them a look at her hunting themed knickers to their great amusement. The hunting theme is achieved by lace applique of machine lace onto silk chiffon.

Hawthorne & Heaney at the V&A's Undressed Exhibition London Hand Embroidery

Hawthorne & Heaney at the V&A's Undressed Exhibition London Hand EmbroideryThe exhibition also offers a selection of garters, stocking and other underwear additions as well. There are some great examples of embroidery on these as there are greater opportunities to be create with them.

 

Hawthorne & Heaney at the V&A's Undressed Exhibition London Hand Embroidery

Moving upstairs, the focus is more on how underwear has progressed and its other interpreations such as into outwear.  The piece below is reminisant of 17th Century fashion but is a piece from the Galliano show for Givenchy haute couture 1996 where underwear becomes outerwear. The embroidery on this piece is quite stunning with the romantic colouring of the stitching onto sheer muslin.

Hawthorne & Heaney at the V&A's Undressed Exhibition London Hand Embroidery

Hawthorne & Heaney at the V&A's Undressed Exhibition London Hand Embroidery

There is also a short video with interviews and insight into the design process with designers such as Fifi Chachnil and La Perla if you need a little sit down after all the lingerie.

Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear is at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London SW7, until 12 March 2017. vam.ac.uk. Click here for another review from respected Dress historian Lucy Worsley for the Guardian.

Filed Under: Art, Embroidery, Fashion, London Tagged With: bra, corset, detail, dresses, embroidery, exhibition, fashion, knickers, lace, underwear, undressed, V&A museum

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