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Inspired by Isadora Duncan's dance, Madeleine Vionnet created dresses such as this chiffon evening dress for the summer. She understood, like no other, how to celebrate a woman's natural shapes as the material caresses the body's every move.
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Madeleine Vionnet
(1876-1975)
"When a woman smiles, then her dress should smile too." This was Madeleine Vionnet's inspiration when she opened
her boutique in Paris in 1912. With her creations made of textile, Madame Vionnet strongly influenced the fashion
trends of the twenties and thirties: She liberated women from the restraints of the corset. Her discovery of the bias cut
made it possible for material to cling flowingly to a woman's curves. Issey Miyake, a recognised designer and contemporary of
Madame Vionnet's commented: "The first time I saw a dress by Madeleine Vionnet, it made me think of a
reincarnation of the Nike statue. Madame Vionnet had captured the most beautiful aspect of classic Greek aestheticism, i.e.
the human body and motion."
The fashion designer devoted more than a quarter of a century to innovative creations. Madeleine Vionnet's creations and
effects came to an end with the start of the World War II.
60 years after her last fashion show, an investor revived her name with luxurious offices on Place Vendome and a new boutique in
Madame Vionnet's former fashion house on Avenue Montaigne.
In this context
VIRTUOSO CRAFTMANSHIP:
Wood/Metal here.
Glass here.
Fabrics/Leather here.
Painting/Photography here.
Please also take a look at our Online-Shop and find some very exclusive accessories and distinctive works of table art.
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An exciting model by Vionnet is this silver lamé evening dress and ivory coloured silk tulle.
In an elegant, romantic and very feminine way, this creation appears almost to unveil the female silhouette.
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Madeleine Vionnet created this fluffy evening dress out of black silk-satin in the year 1938. The fashion designer added
bird motifs to the robe in black sequin embroidery.
A psychological analysis according to Jung may lead this to be interpreted as a bad omen or Vionnet's premonition of the
imminent war. At the same time it symbolises criticism of the pomp and vanity of the so-called "Rich and Beautiful",
and of those people who abandon themselves exclusively to worldly pleasures.
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A French evening dress in Vionnet style from the year 1938:
Ivory crepe de chine, embroidered with pearls and metallic thread, flows pleasantly around the female curves.
The waistline makes a very natural impression in contrast to the fashion at the beginning of the 20th century.
The deep V line into the back is equally characteristic of evening fashion in the thirties.
Text: Corinna Keller
Photos:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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