THE MAIN HISTORY OF FASHION DESIGNER

The history of fashion design refers to the development of the fashion industry which designs clothing and accessories. The modern industry, based around firms or fashion houses run by individual designers, started in the 19th century with Charles Frederick Worth who from 1858 was the first designer to have his label sewn into the garments that he created. [1]
Dress designed by Charles Frederick Worth for Elisabeth of Austria painted by Franz Xaver Winterhalter
Before the mid-19th century the division between haute couture and
ready-to-wear did not really exist. All but the most basic major pieces of female clothing was made-to-measure by dressmakers and seamstresses dealing directly with the client, and fitting to her shape. Hats, gloves and similar accessories were mostly made ready to wear and sold in shops as now. Tailors worked with men in the same way.
The design of these clothes became increasing based on printed designs, especially from Paris, which were circulated around Europe, and eagerly anticipated in the provinces. Seamstresses would then interpret these patterns as best they could. The origin of the designs was the clothes devised by the most fashionable figures, normally those at court, in the capital, together with their seamstresses and tailors. Though there had been distribution of dressed dolls from France since the 16th century and
Abraham Bosse had produced
engravings of fashion in the 1620s, the pace of change picked up in the 1780s with increased publication of French engravings illustrating the latest Paris styles. By 1800, all Western Europeans were dressing alike (or thought they were); local variation became first a sign of provincial culture and later a badge of the conservative peasant. [2]
Around the start of the 20th century fashion magazines began to include photographs and became even more influential. Throughout the world these magazines were greatly sought-after and had a profound effect on public taste. Talented illustrators - among them Paul Iribe , Georges Lepape, Erté, and George Barbier - drew attractive fashion plates for these publications, which covered the most recent developments in fashion and beauty. Perhaps the most famous of these magazines was La Gazette du Bon Ton which was founded in 1912 by Lucien Vogel and regularly published until 1925. [ citation needed]
Before 1900
Couture beginnings. Rose Bertin (July 2, 1747 – September 22, 1813) was the dressmaker to Marie Antoinette, Queen of France. Sometimes called sarcastically the "Minister of Fashion", she opened a shop in Paris and had a considerable influence on Parisian style, until this was drastically changed by the French Revolution , from which she fled into exile to London for some years. [3]
An outsider to the French Court, Marie Antoinette relied on Bertin's meticulous designs to help her "to combat her enemies with style". Marie Antoinette's unique fashion preferences such as masculine riding breeches or simple muslin shift dressed, contrasted sharply with her elaborate gowns as the Queen attempted to create a persona that would allow the citizens of France to connect with her and her lifestyle. Although Marie Antoinette's attempts were largely unsuccessful, the ways Bertin helped the Queen articulate herself through fashion were groundbreaking and set a precedent for monarchs who followed.
An Englishman living in Paris, Charles Frederick Worth (1825 - 1905) is usually seen as the first designer in the modern sense of the term, with a large business employing many largely anonymous tailors and seamstresses. A former draper, Worth's success was such that he was able to dictate what they should wear to his customers. Launched into the spotlight as the
Empress Eugénie 's primary designer, Worth used his royal connections to gain recognition and clients. The proclamation on February 1, 1853 by
Napoleon III that no visitors would be received to his court without formal dress meant that the popularity of Worth-style gowns became overwhelming. Ornately decorated and constructed from the finest materials, Worth's gowns are well known for their
crinolines (cage-like metal structures that held the dress out in a stylish shape). Throughout the early 20th century, practically all high fashion originated in Paris and to a lesser extent London. [citation needed] Fashion magazines from other countries sent editors to the Paris fashion shows.
Department stores also sent buyers to the Paris shows, where they purchased garments to copy (and openly stole the style lines and trim details of others). Both made-to-measure salons and
ready-to-wear departments featured the latest Paris trends, adapted to the stores' assumptions about the lifestyles and pocket books of their targeted customers.