Island Style
UH fashion exhibits show styles from WWII era
By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer
There are some striking, though disconcerting, similarities between the mid-1940s and 2001: uncertain times, economic woes and a fashion industry that's trying to find the appropriate tone and message to share with the world.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
So perhaps it's not surprising that influential fashion icons such as Kate Moss, Chloe Sevigny and Winona Ryder are fascinated by the '40s. These style-savvy twentysomethings are passionate about the era, though of course they interpret period pieces, wearing them in their own way.
More than 150 mini-mannequins show off haute couture of the 1940s in "Theatre de la Mode" at the UH Art Gallery.
Now we in Hawai'i have an opportunity to explore '40s fashions, from haute couture to everyday wear, at two exhibits at the University of Hawai'i, Manoa.
In 1945 , Paris was still reeling from Nazi occupation. People had little food, fuel or medical supplies, let alone clothing. Yet the spirit of French fashion was strong, and designers were desperate to reassert themselves.
The shortage of materials rendered a couture show impossible. So the innovative French fashion industry, in collaboration with artists, hair dressers and accessories designers, staged an exhibition of original couture designs presented on 150 miniature mannequins, placing them in nine elaborate hand-painted stage sets.
"Theatre de la Mode" (Theater of Fashion) toured Europe, New York and San Francisco that year and then disappeared for the next 50 years.
UH has worked for the past seven years to secure "Theatre de la Mode," and it is the most expensive exhibit ever presented at the university. Appropriately, the exhibit coincides with Hawai'i's French Festival.
| Couture Ordinaire: American Fashion of the 1940s | |
| • | Mondays-Fridays 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Sundays noon to 4 p.m. |
| • | Through Nov. 8 |
| • | UH Costume Gallery, Miller Hall, Room 112 (within easy walking distance of the art gallery) |
| • | Free |
| • | Information: 956-2234 |
| • | On-campus parking is $3 on weekdays and Saturdays; free on Sundays. |
Theatre de la Mode |
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| • | Mondays-Fridays 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays noon to 4 p.m. |
| • | Through Dec. 21 |
| • | UH Art Gallery |
| • | Free, but donations accepted |
| • | Information: 956-6888 |
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He has made several trips to the exhibit, "and every time I go back I see something else. It's trippy what they had to do to make each garment work," Sanada said. "If the designs were cranked out now, they would still look good. Fashion is timeless."
His favorite? "The shoes — they were so hot." Indeed, the tiny shoes are au courant, with ankle straps and platform soles.
Designers who worked on "Theatre de la Mode" include the biggest names in fashion in the '40s: Balmain, Hermes, Schiaparelli, Nina Ricci and more. The name "Dior‰" seems conspicuously absent. However the young Christian Dior was then working for Lucien Lelong, so his designs appear under that couturier's name.
"Theatre de la Mode" is a true showcase of the designers' creativity and ingenuity. Inadequate traditional materials such as silk, wool and linen gave way to use of surprisingly effective synthetics mimicking satin, brocade, shantung and even crepe. From the leather shortage came the cork platform sole.
The exhibit offers a snapshot of the social forces shaping clothing of the time. There was a resurgence of femininity as women returned to the home after being part of the wartime work force, said Linda Arthur, who holds a doctorate and is a professor of apparel product design and merchandising. Overalls gave way to glamorous suits and day dresses for ladies who "did lunch."
A tool for learning
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
Arthur said the exhibit will be used as a learning tool for design and merchandising classes, as well as history, market research and women's studies classes.
The UH-Manoa's Costume Gallery features everyday fashions of the 1940s on life-size mannequins.
Moss, Sevigny and Ryder would probably spend hours at these exhibits, checking out new ways to wear their vintage clothes. As for me, I can hardly wait to experiment with some draping techniques a la Lucien Lelong and Jeanne Lafaurie.
While "Theatre de la Mode" is a show of 1940s Parisian haute couture, the Costume Gallery at UH is showing what the average American woman wore during the period.
The exhibit features seven life-sized mannequins dressed from saucy hats and gloves to platform shoes with pieces from the UH costume collection, said to be among the most extensive in any university in the nation.
Arthur, curator of the collection, worked with independent study students to choose the garments and accessories.
During the war, Paris designers were cut off from New York, leaving the Americans to devise their own styles. This brought about the birth of American sportswear as streamlined style grew out of utilitarian needs.
Skirts were shorter, just below the knee, because of fabric shortages. Manufacturers relied on synthetics such as rayon and acetate because supplies of natural fibers were diverted for the war effort.
Garments in the exhibit include a suit with a cape inspired by a military cloak but featuring couture details, as well as velvet evening ensembles and a floral rayon dress. They are rich in embellishments: applique, sequins, decorative pockets and covered buttons.
Melissa Mendonca, a senior majoring in merchandising, helped put the finishing touches on a brown suit with frog buttons. She was surprised to see Asian influences in the garments of the period.
What is old is new again. And with these exhibits comes the potential for inspiration. A visit to UH is a must for Hawai'i fashionistas.
