Structure and Silhouette Designers

[neverlovethisway]

I didn't know where to put this, but I'd just like to ask, I'm doing this art project on garments...and my topic was "Structure and Silhouette". I was wondering which designers should I study and explore, whose collections always focused on the structure of a dress, rather than the style and cut. My teacher recommended Issey Miyake; do you guys have any suggestions other than Dior.

 

[Caffeine]

Mr. Balenciaga?

 

[lucy92]

one immediate designer that comes to mind for "Silhouette" would be stella mccartney. i think she has popularized the "triangular" Silhouette (ie skinny jeans, longer oversized sweater together). this silhouette has really trickled down to pretty much everywhere (even walmart had skinny jeans until they were pulled from the stores recently).

it might be easier to focus on costumes for "structure" or historical dressings ie. a spanish farthingale or hoopskirts.

 

[nqth]

Def. Balenciaga.
I think also Andre Courrege, Jacques Fath, McQueen.

 

[Scott]

^ditto.

also,Boudicca....tremendous part of their work. Olivier Theyskens--his own label and during his tenure at Rochas. Bernhard Willhelm's early work was of a great emphasis on structure and silhouette. Go on http://www.Momu.be click on collection connection in the collection section....it'll take to the gallery of their collection museum. There's alot of great early pieces of BW like his strong circle skirts and frock coats. Actually,I think you could do research on most all Belgian designers. Robert Cary-Williams is another one. Hussein Chalayan. Yohji Yamamoto. Shelley Fox.

Ah...it seems the web site is down at the moment. Check back,though.

Also,I would include cutting techniques in your research too. It's really big part of how silhouettes are created.

 

[mariemaud]

very interesting thread...

 

[MUXU]

balenciaga(of course) chalayan like scott said. such an experimentalist..so is mcqueen.

silhouette wise. i really like vionnet's works..though chanel took most of the glory of that decade..i think vionnet was the real deal.

there are other avant garde designers from the 60s i think you can check out..i cant recall the names at the moment.

i dont understand why you should leave out the cut, because the cut and the shapes of a single piece of fabric makes the whole garment.
yamamoto, rei kawakubo, vionnet etc...great cutters!

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Def. Balenciaga.
I think also Andre Courrege, Jacques Fath, McQueen.

That's an excellent list. You could also add Pierre Cardin and Capucci. Capucci's work was especially known for being architectural.

If you are also talking about silhouette then you must absolutely look at Christian Dior. Dior was obsessed with changing his silhouette rapidly from season to season always trying to find a new "line", H-lines, Y-lines, 8-lines, A-lines, etc

 

[Scott]

^that's a great list as well and that reminds me....

elsa schiaparelli! embellishment and detail was a big part of her style but I think alot of people overlook the fact that she was also a great constructivist as well. remember the skeleton dress? at the moment in time,only she was capable of such a silhouette.

and I totally agree with MUXU. cutting is such an important element in the silhouette. it can make or break you,really.

another designer you can look at too,is a smaller designer but a very strong one nontheless....her name is Claudia Hill and she's based in Berlin. Her clothes are like buildings.

there's another good,highly innovative designer who works on a foundation of knitwear....Aliona Yurtsevich of Company of Unorganized People.

 

[Scott]

completely forgot about,Tao [SIZE=-1]Kurihara of CdG...as well as Jun Takahashi of Undercover and Yukinori Maeda of Cosmic Wonder....all are great at silhouette. Not to mention,Anne-Valérie Hash.
[/SIZE]

 

[MUXU]

just remembered...rudi gernreich. his infamous top less bathing suit

 

[Pastry]

I suppose Dior, Balenciaga, and Alaia are the three biggies, right? they seem to cover the 20th century in a nutshell.

 

[JJohnson]

How about Issey Miyake?

 

[ultramarine]

Old school Christian Dior ... he did invented the "new look" ... from noawadays ... the japanese ... and about silhouette ... hum ... maybe someone who does everything tight tight like Dolce or Gucci by Ford?

 

[neverlovethisway]

Wow! O_O

Thank you so much for your ideas!! This has been really helpful to me!! Thanks!!

 

[ibimus]

Balenciaga, Viktor&Rolf, and Dior. 'New Look' is a pretty obvious one, but it really was a revolutionary step in fashion.

 

[zamb]

I am recommending the couturier charles James, more than any of the old couturiers (including balenciaga which we all love) James was a master of structure and silhuette.

 

[JJohnson]

Hedi Slimane seems to be very structural...very lean and slim...

 

[Diorling]

Narciso Rodriguez

 

[Caffeine]

completely forgot about,Tao [SIZE=-1]Kurihara of CdG...as well as Jun Takahashi of Undercover and Yukinori Maeda of Cosmic Wonder....all are great at silhouette. Not to mention,Anne-Valérie Hash.
[/SIZE]

I don't think that Tao is there yet. She is still experimenting, and her themes change each season. It's not as clear as, say, Balenciaga's.