The most glamourous of decades was probably the 1950's and this beautiful film [ see bottom of post !] beautifully illustrates the creme de la creme of fashion designers.
Christian Dior, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain, Jaques Fath, and of course Coco Chanel.
Christian Dior.
Probably more than anyone else, Christian Dior redefined the look of women after the war years, with his bell suit and tiny waists. Grace Kelly was a great fan of this style. A master at shapes and silhouettes, he died in before the decade was out in 1957.
Cristóbal Balenciaga.
A big fan of oplulent glamour, the spanish designer neverthless went the opposite direction to Dior with sleeker silhouettes and less emphasis on the waist. His tunic dress paved the way for Chanels chemise.
Jacques Fath.
Fath originally sprung to worlwide fame with his exquisite gowns worn by Moira Shearer in The Red shoes. Also Rita Hayworths infamous Gilda dress was a Fath creation.With his chic young Parisienne styles with plunging necklines and hourglass figures, Fach took Diors New Look to a younger audience. Fath also died tragically young of cancer in 1957.
Pierre Balmain.
Mentioned in Peter Sarstedts song "Where do you go to my lovely", he was incredibly well known. His pure french style of elegance and grace was the envy of all designers.He popularised the Stole, which women took to draping over their evening dresses.
Coco Chanel.
Not a big fan of Diors flowery dresses, Coco Chanel remained at a low profile for some years after the war, concentrating on Couture fashion, but ,it goes without saying that Chanel blew her competion away with her famous come back in 1954. Her Boxy Suit defined the later sleeker look of the 1960's and marked an end to her high fashion days. As ever she was ahead of her time. Her easy to adjust Chemise dress was a particular favourite with ordinary women, cherishing comfort, but also showing off a lushness of femininity. She may have hung out with the odd nazi but she was a genius.
A Chemise Dress by Coco Chanel.
Chanels 1954 Collection.
Coco Chanel in her studio in 1956.
