OUGD601: Vogue by the Decade (1940's)

The 1940’s in Vogue Mini Documentary - narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker 

Elsa Schipperlli wrote ‘needles and guns’ for US Vogue after fleeing from the invasion of France in 1940 and touched on all the magazines wartime preoccupations. It wad the US government that extended the look of the decade, the restrictions on materials (specifically valuable materials) lead to a ‘new fashion credo’ for women of few, simpler and better. Ultimately, quality as a philosophy lasts. This was also a way to not be surpressed by the implications of war, or the government in terms of fashion, dress and lifestyle. 

The magazine became one small part of a global network, all looking to each other for information on whats happening overseas. American Vogue at this point focused outside the world of fashion, highlighting the issues at the times effecting everyone. Creatives would go and get first hand accounts/ experiences/ representations of the war. Irvin Penn was a prioner of war and spoke to the magazine about his experiences. Lee and Carl Erickon sketched and recounted the exodus of refugees from Senlis, France to Paris. The magazine was just a platform for people to speak/input work to allowing the viewer to get a cohesive understanding of the time they’re living in.

The magazine did put the spotlight on the changing role of women, encouraging women to work during the war and visually showing how a womans work can be everywhere. However, this was short lived in war time as an article titled the ‘warriors return’ showed the men returning from war and returning to their higher position of power, and women back being demoted to house wives. 

Germans suspended publication of French Vogue in 1940 and the void was filled by American Designers, rather than the couturiers that Paris was most known for producing- even Chanel closed her Maison temporarily in 1939. 

(Claire McCardell - the mother of American Sportswear)

A soft curvy line was already forming in fashion prior to the conflict in Europe, however Dior chose to pioneer this and ‘the New Look’ was introduced as a way to celebrate emancipation from war and set the world off into the new style of ‘look’, especially regarding womens shillouette. The collection was one of the most influential in fashion history and has contributed to Christian Dior’s status within the world of fashion. (Forward thinking and fresh, echoing what society needed at this point in time- A CHANGE). Rich symbolism within the new look, despite being influenced from the shapes of Dior’s mothers time, he was saying what the world needed was love and Dior delivered it in the form of the dress, and Vogue captured it through their images informing the world of the newness (informing of trends) with a radiant positivity surrounding it. This is for the people and for emancipation, not necessarily to sell the dress, Vogue at this point used Dior’s New Look as a tool of communication informing society of the possibilities of this new age, away from oppression, restriction and war.