"business suits. Women's fashion was revolutionized and simplified in 1926 by the French designer Coco Chanel, who published a drawing of a simple black dress in ""Vogue"" magazine. She famously said, ""A woman needs just three things; a black dress, a black sweater, and, on her arm, a man she loves."" Other designers contributed to the trend of the little black dress. The Italian designer Gianni Versace said, ""Black is the quintessence of simplicity and elegance,"" and French designer Yves Saint Laurent said, ""black is the liaison which connects art and fashion. One of the most famous black dresses of"
"Black Givenchy dress of Audrey Hepburn The black Givenchy dress of Audrey Hepburn is a little black dress designed by Hubert de Givenchy and worn by Audrey Hepburn in the opening of the 1961 romantic comedy film ""Breakfast at Tiffany's"". The dress is cited as one of the most iconic items of clothing in the history of the twentieth century and perhaps the most famous ""little black dress"" of all time. Audrey Hepburn was a close friend of French designer Givenchy, referring to the designer as her ""best friend"" while he considered her his ""sister"". In 1961, Givenchy designed a"
"She introduced her famous ""little black dress"" in 1925. Other major Paris designers of the period included Jean Patou, Elsa Schiaparelli, Madeleine Vionnet, Cristobal Balenciaga, who fled the Spanish Civil War and opened a shop on the Avenue George V in 1937; Jacques Heim, and Nina Ricci, who opened her shop in Paris in 1932. By the late 1930s, the dismal economy had greatly reduced the number of customers. The fashion house of Paul Poiret, which had dominated Paris fashion before World War I, closed in 1929. In the Pavilion of Elegance at the 1937 Exposition, only twenty-nine designers remained"
"often cited as a Chanel contribution to the fashion lexicon, a style still worn to this day. In 1912–1913, the actress Suzanne Orlandi was one of the first women to wear a Chanel little black dress, in velvet with a white collar. In 1920, Chanel herself vowed that, while observing an audience at the opera, she would dress all women in black. In 1926, the American edition of ""Vogue"" published an image of a Chanel little black dress with long sleeves, dubbing it the ""garçonne"" ('little boy' look). ""Vogue"" predicted that such a simple yet chic design would become a"
"by René Lalique. New designers challenged the old design houses was challenged, notably Coco Chanel who put her own perfume, Chanel No. 5, on the market in 1920. She introduced the ""little black dress"" in 1925. Other major designers of the period included Jean Patou, Elsa Schiaparelli, Madeleine Vionnet, Cristobal Balenciaga, who fled the Spanish Civil War and opened a shop on the Avenue George V in 1937 Jacques Heim, and Nina Ricci, who opened her shop in Paris in 1932. By the late 1930s, a dismal economy had greatly reduced the number of customers. The fashion house of Paul"
"comfortable enough for them to perform daily activities with comfort and ease. The camellia had an established association used in Alexandre Dumas' literary work, ""La Dame aux Camélias"" (The Lady of the Camellias). Its heroine and her story had resonated for Chanel since her youth. The flower was associated with the courtesan, who would wear a camellia to advertise her availability. The camellia came to be identified with The House of Chanel; the designer first used it in 1933 as a decorative element on a white-trimmed black suit. After the jersey suit, the concept of the little black dress is"
"little black dress for the opening scene of Blake Edwards' romantic comedy, ""Breakfast at Tiffany's"", where Hepburn plays a leading role alongside actor George Peppard. Her necklace was made by Roger Scemama, a French parurier who designed jewelleries for Givenchy. Audrey took two copies of the dress back to Paramount, but the dresses, which revealed a considerable amount of Audrey's leg, were not suitable for the movie and the lower half of the dress was redesigned by Edith Head. The original hand-stitched dress is currently in Givenchy's private archive, whilst one copy Audrey took back to Paramount is on display"
"on trips—and, flying in the face of moral conventions of the day, she flaunts an extra-marital liaison, perhaps even her homo- or bisexuality, or cohabits openly with a partner. Also by Chanel, the celebrated little black dress came out in 1926. A straight sheath with 3/4 sleeves and no collar, the crêpe de Chine tube all in black (a color previously reserved for bereavement) was the perfect evocation of ""garçonne"" style, erasing the forms of the female body. Copied many times over, this ""Ford signed 'Chanel'"" as Vogue magazine dubbed it, referring to the mass-produced American car, would become a"
"sheath dress throughout her career: for this habit she was nicknamed ""little black sparrow"". It was thought that the dress helped audiences focus more on Piaf's singing and less on her appearance. In an incident at London's Covent Garden theatre in 2004, a director fired the then-obese soprano Deborah Voigt from an opera because she could not fit into a ""little black cocktail dress"", replacing her with the slimmer Anne Schwanewilms. Little black dress A little black dress (LBD) is a black evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often quite short. Fashion historians ascribe the origins of the little"
"that replaced the opulent, over-designed, and constrictive clothes and accessories of 19th-century fashion. The Chanel product brands have been personified by fashion models and actresses, including Inès de La Fressange, Catherine Deneuve, Carole Bouquet, Vanessa Paradis, Nicole Kidman, Anna Mouglalis, Audrey Tautou, Keira Knightley, Kristen Stewart and Marilyn Monroe. The House of Chanel is known for the ""little black dress"", the perfume No. 5 de Chanel, and the Chanel Suit. Chanel's use of jersey fabric produced garments that were comfortable and affordable. Chanel revolutionized fashion — high fashion (haute couture) and everyday fashion (prêt-à-porter) — by replacing structured-silhouettes, based upon"
"interest to the dress. The black Givenchy dress of Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in ""Breakfast at Tiffany’s"", designed by Hubert de Givenchy, epitomized the standard for wearing little black dresses accessorized with pearls (together called ""basic black""), as was frequently seen throughout the early 1960s. The dress set a record in 2006 when it was auctioned for £410,000, six times its original estimate. Betty Boop, a cartoon character based in part on the 1920s ""it girl"" Clara Bow, was drawn wearing a little black dress in her early films, though with Technicolor later, Betty's dress became red. Diana, Princess"
"Madame Agnès Madame Agnès was a French milliner who designed hats that were popular from the late 1920s until the 1940s. Her shop was located on the Rue Saint-Honoré. A sculptor, she associated with people in the art circles of Paris, France. Madame Agnes styled hats that were both abstract and unique. She preferred wearing only black fashions. In 1929, Madame Agnes wore black satin frocks designed by Vionnet. Her clothes were embellished with bright jewelry like red coral, jade or lapis lazuli. An illustration from 1927 depicts Madame Agnes' Congo inspired hats with a model wearing a slave collar."
"be worn to any event in the late afternoon as long as the accessories matched the time of day. This practical and fashionable garment became a popular uniform for progressive elite women in the 1920s. During the 1920s, French couture's clientele consisted mainly of American department stores that reproduced French designs and promoted French designers. This caused French designers to create dresses to appeal to American buyers. Since cocktail parties originated in the United States, French designers created their own version of a cocktail dress. However, unlike the strict, professional cuts of American-styled dresses, the French designed much looser and"
"Nettie Rosenstein Nettie Rosenstein (1890 - March 13, 1980) was an American fashion designer, based in New York City between c.1913 and 1975. She was particularly renowned for her little black dresses and costume jewelry. Born Nettie Rosenscrans in Salzburg, Austria in 1890, she and her family migrated to America in the 1890s and settled in Harlem, New York. Her family was Jewish. In 1913 Nettie married Saul Rosenstein, who ran a women's underwear business, and began dressmaking as a home business. After being approached by the I. Magnin department store in 1919, she began wholesaling. By 1921, she owned"
"Romantics such as Byron, Shelley, and Keats, due to its melancholic aura. As the Victorian era began, black transitions from a color of art to one of grief and mourning – widows were expected to wear black for at least four years – and also for service livery, as the uniform for maids. In 1926 Gabrielle ""Coco"" Chanel published a picture of a short, simple black dress in American ""Vogue"". It was calf-length, straight and decorated only by a few diagonal lines. ""Vogue"" called it ""Chanel's Ford"". Like the Model T, the little black dress was simple and accessible for"
"the miniskirt also came from the Paris couturier Coco Chanel,who declared the style ""disgusting"" despite being herself famed for supporting shorter skirts in the 1920s. Owing to Quant's position in the heart of fashionable ""Swinging London"", the miniskirt was able to spread beyond a simple street fashion into a major international trend. The style came into prominence when Jean Shrimpton wore a short white shift dress, made by Colin Rolfe, on 30 October 1965 at Derby Day, first day of the annual Melbourne Cup Carnival in Australia, where it caused a sensation. According to Shrimpton, who claimed that the brevity"
"American woman's wardrobe. One such design was the ""little black dress"" designed to go from day to evening with low-cut evening necklines combined with daywear silhouettes and materials. Her designs also included printed dresses with gloves to match, and she was also known for her accessories and striking costume jewelry. Nettie Rosenstein announced her second retirement in March 1942, inspiring a tribute in TIME Magazine. However, this retirement did not last long, as she resumed fashion design a few years later, winning a Coty Award in 1947. She was the designer responsible for First Lady Mamie Eisenhower's dress commissioned by"
"Marie-Louise Carven Marie-Louise Carven (31 August 1909 – 8 June 2015), born Carmen de Tommaso, was a French fashion designer who founded the house of Carven in 1945. She was noted for her designs for petite women, her use of lightweight fabrics such as lace and pink gingham, and for being one of the first couturieres to launch a prêt-à-porter line. She was the first Paris designer to patent a push-up bra. Marie-Louise Carven was born Carmen de Tommaso on 31 August 1909 in Châtellerault, France. However, she strongly disliked her given name, and when she founded her business, she"
"the designs of many couturiers of the time. Simple felt hats, turbans, and clouds of tulle replaced the styles of headgear popular in the 20th century. It is also notable that the first real fashion shows were organized during this period in time, by Jeanne Paquin, one of the first female couturiers, who was also the first Parisian couturier to open foreign branches in London, Buenos Aires, and Madrid. Two of the most influential fashion designers of the time were Jacques Doucet and Mariano Fortuny. The French designer Jacques Doucet excelled in superimposing pastel colors and his elaborate gossamery dresses"
"bold colors and expressive complexions showcase every aspect of a woman’s personality: from the sexy vixen to the girl next door,” said Emmy Cortes, the event organizer in a press release. “I feel that his artwork echoes the range of the classic “little black dress” from the formal gala to the casual dinner with a friend.” Little Black Dress is an annual international event that allows fashion designers the opportunity to raise money for Stop Cancer, the charitable organization chaired by former Paramount Pictures President, Sherry Lansing. In September 2008, Black’s series, “JUNOESQUE”, created specifically for the 7th Annual Little"
"virtual uniform for women of taste, famously comparing its basic lines to the ubiquitous and no less widely accessible Ford automobile. The spare look generated widespread criticism from male journalists, who complained: ""no more bosom, no more stomach, no more rump ... Feminine fashion of this moment in the 20th century will be baptized lop off everything."" The popularity of the little black dress can be attributed in part to the timing of its introduction. The 1930s was the Great Depression era, when women needed affordable fashion. Chanel boasted that she had enabled the non-wealthy to ""walk around like millionaires""."
"and freedom of movement, this creation represented a major shift for the family business. Étienne Valton was also inspired by this nursery rhyme for the brand's name, and he registered the trademark ""Petit Bateau"" in 1920. In 1937 the Petit Bateau panties received the ""Grand Prix of Innovation"" at the Universal Exhibition of Paris. They gradually became more accessible and became part of the everyday life of women, emancipating them from the thick woollen undergarments worn in the nineteenth century. Today 3.5 million pairs of Petit Bateau cotton panties, the iconic product of the brand, requiring 2,520 metres of pure"
"Dessès gown to the Academy Awards. Similarly, Jennifer Lopez wore a vintage moss green Desses gown, made with 50 yards of chiffon, to the 2006 Academy Awards. The fashion designer Jean Dessès brought also out a perfume called ""Kalispera"". Jean Dessès Jean Dessès (6 August 1904 – 2 August 1970), was a world leading fashion designer in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. His designs reflected the influences of his travels, specializing in creating draped evening gowns in chiffon and mousseline, based on early Greek and Egyptian robes. Born Jean Dimitre Verginie in Alexandria, Egypt, to Greek parents, Dessès originally set"
"Pierre Cardin Pierre Cardin (; born Pietro Cardin; 2 July 1922) is a French fashion designer. Cardin is known for his avant-garde style and his Space Age designs. He prefers geometric shapes and motifs, often ignoring the female form. He advanced into unisex fashions, sometimes experimental, and not always practical. He founded his fashion house in 1950 and introduced the ""bubble dress"" in 1954. He was designated UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 1991. On 16 October 2009, Cardin was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Cardin was born in San Biagio di Callalta"
"Jean Louis Jean Louis (born Jean Louis Berthault; October 5, 1907 in Paris, France – April 20, 1997 in Palm Springs, California) was a French-born, Hollywood costume designer and an Academy Award winner for Best Costume Design. Before coming to Hollywood, he worked in New York for fashion entrepreneur Hattie Carnegie, where the clientele included Joan Cohn, the wife of Columbia Pictures studio chief Harry Cohn. He worked as head designer for Columbia Pictures from 1944 to 1960. His most famous works include Rita Hayworth's black satin strapless dress from ""Gilda"" (1946), Marlene Dietrich's celebrated beaded souffle stagewear for her"
"editor-in-chief of the ""French edition of Vogue"" in early 1927. Main Bocher's decision to become a couturier grew out of his years as editor at ""Vogue""; he realized that his critical eye and his feeling for fashion might also serve him as a designer. Mainbocher's innovations include the short evening dress; the famous beaded evening sweaters; the strapless evening gown; bare-armed blouses for suits; the costume-dyed furs (black mink and black sealskin); novel uses for batiste, voile, organdy, piqué, linen, embroidered muslin; the waistcinch; mantailored dinner suits; bows instead of hats; the principle of the simple dress with lots of"
"Black Dress charity event, featured 6-foot tall portraits of celebrities including Keira Knightly, Eva Green, and Marion Cotillard in little black dresses. The Los Angeles Times made mention of Black's work, ""Young Hollywood-inspired pop art paintings by L.A. artists Biagio Black..."" In a press release Black stated, “These pieces range from cool to dark dreams. Iconic, distant, soulful. These women are pop culture royalty. The fact that these classism killers are fashionable is inevitable. These iconographic works offer images in simple hi-contrast forms that follow essence,” notes Black. In 2009 Black received a commission for a portrait of fashion designer"
"Jean Barthet Jean Barthet (1920–2000) was a French milliner who first rose to prominence in the 1950s as hat maker to Hollywood and French film stars, also designing hats for films such as ""The Young Girls of Rochefort"". He helped to define fashionable hat styles – including the bucket hat, pillbox hat and fedora – that predominated throughout the 1960s and collaborated with major couture houses. With a career spanning more than 40 years, he remained a favourite hatmaker of Sophia Loren (both for film and personal wear), also creating hats for Michael Jackson's 1988 world tour. Jean Barthet was"
"sad day but Sonia Rykiel leaves behind her an extraordinary legacy."" Sonia Rykiel Sonia Rykiel (; ; 25 May 1930 – 25 August 2016) was a French fashion designer and writer. She created the Poor Boy Sweater, which was featured on the cover of French ""Elle"" magazine. Her knitwear designs and new fashion techniques led her to be dubbed the ""Queen of Knits"". The Sonia Rykiel label was founded in 1968 upon the opening of her first store, making clothing, accessories and fragrances. Rykiel was also a writer and her first book was published in 1979. In 2012, Rykiel revealed"
"re-released to mark the 50th anniversary of ""Breakfast at Tiffany's"". One of three dresses designed by Givenchy for Hepburn for possible use in the film sold at auction by Christie's on December 5, 2006 for £467,200 (~US$947,000), about seven times the reserve price. The ""Little Black Dress"" by Givenchy, worn by Hepburn in the beginning of the film, is cited as one of the most iconic items of clothing in the history of the twentieth century and is, perhaps, the most famous little black dress of all time. A second ""little black dress"" in ""Breakfast at Tiffany's"", along with its"
"beads. One of the most notable sheath dresses of all time is the black Givenchy dress of Audrey Hepburn. In 1961, Hepburn wore a Hubert de Givenchy black sheath dress in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. By this time, her dress became known as the little black dress. On May 19, 1962, Marilyn Monroe sang happy birthday to then president John F. Kennedy for his 45th birthday. At the event, Monroe wore a Jean Louis sheath dress that is described as ""skin and beads"". The dress was made nude toned, backless, and clad with crystals. Monroe was sewn into the"
"among the American elite. While French couture relied on travel and American department stores, American designers relied on fashion magazines, such as ""Vogue"" and ""Vanity Fair"", and the need to dress semi-formally for cocktail hour. In 1948, Christian Dior labeled this business-casual dress with the term ""cocktail dress"". This allowed department store to advertise specifically “cocktail” garments and accessories, increasing the growth of fashion stores. The craze for cocktail culture drove sales in cocktail merchandise as well, such as cocktail and martini-printed fabrics. The American cocktail dress could be anything from a ""little black dress"" to a floral-printed dress or"
"André Courrèges André Courrèges (; 9 March 1923 – 7 January 2016) was a French fashion designer. He was particularly known for his streamlined 1960s designs influenced by modernism and futurism, exploiting modern technology and new fabrics. Courrèges defined the go-go boot and along with Mary Quant, is one of the designers credited with inventing the miniskirt. Courrèges was born in the city of Pau within the Basque region of the Pyrenees. He wanted to pursue design in art school but his father, a butler disapproved his passion as he wanted him to be an engineer. Courrèges attended École Nationale"