With this weekend being Easter, I wanted to gather a collection of spring-inspired fashion history. At first, I considered perhaps focusing on things worn at Easter, but that was slightly stifling. So, I decided to go in a different direction and find my favourite spring/Easter inspired pieces- aka my favourite purple pieces! There aren’t many surviving purple pieces from the past, so these date from the modern period. (Perhaps because purple was long limited to royalty? More on that in a later post!) So from modern royals and haute couture, these are my favourite spring inspired fashion history pieces!
Look 3 Dress, Christian Dior by John Galliano (seen in Dior: Designer of Dreams, 2019)
This dress is possibly the most “spring” dress that I have ever seen in my life. It is also one of the most difficult pieces to research. (Why, oh why, are there not entire online catalogues of collections? I understand for older collections, but certainly anything 2005 and forward should be simple enough…) You can find this dress in John Galliano’s 2010 A/W Haute Couture collection! (Note: Ready to Wear and Haute Couture are separate, if you are searching.) As you can see from this Vogue article on the collection, where you can see other looks, it is an entire flower collection!
I was a little surprised at first to find out that this was a Galliano piece. His pieces tend to be very out there, with a “Vegas showgirl but make it fashion” vibe. This piece, while slightly whimsical, doesn’t seem to have his normal edge. And quite frankly, I think it is why I enjoy it so much. The combination of the silk organza flowers in the skirt, and the petal like top, it perfectly says spring! And although white clothing slightly scares me, it gives the ideal spring look here.
Queen Alexandra’s Embroidered Chiffon Evening Dress, by Doeuillet (seen in Royal Women, 2019)
Queen Alexandra is one of my favourite royals, fashion and otherwise. Wife to King Edward VII (meaning Queen Victoria was her Mother-in-Law), she lived an interesting life which reflected in her fashion. And lucky for us, many pieces from her wardrobe still survive today. (Here’s my chance to plug Inside the Royal Wardrobe by Kate Strasdin, an indepth look at Alexandra’s wardrobe…) And this particular gown was a standout in the Royal Women exhibition, no easy feat.
Although I’ve included this dress here for it’s gorgeous purple colour and the Easter connection, it had a very different meaning for Alexandra. Her oldest son died of the flu in 1892, and she wore mourning colours for the rest of her life. She wore a muted palette of half-mourning colours for the remainder of her life. Once one was out of full mourning (black) clothing, one could wear grey, lilac, and lavender. I still loved being able to see this incredible gown in person, though. Georges Doeuillet was a leading French couturier of the late nineteenth/early twentieth century, and his work was impeccable. And it may never have been worn- it was ordered before Edward VII died in 1910 and was set aside when Alexandra returned to full mourning.
Look 47 Dress, Christian Dior by Raf Simons (in Dior: Designer of Dreams)
And of course, another dress from The Garden in Dior: Designer of Dreams! Although this is not a Galliano creation but rather the creative director who followed, Raf Simons. Unsurprisingly, The Garden highlighted the success of Dior perfumes. Christian Dior found a lot of inspiration in his mother’s gardens, and you can see the evidence in both Dior fashion and cosmetics. The first Dior perfume was launched in 1947 (the same year as the fashion line); the Miss Dior perfume, named for his sister Catherine, was quickly loved. And if you follow Dior perfumes in the twenty-first century at all, this dress will look rather familiar…
Simons created this dress for Natalie Portman, the current face of Miss Dior, in 2012. He “created a bountiful field of flowers in the manner of a pointillist painting for this dress, which was worn by… Portman. The haute couture ateliers created special hand-embroidered bows to adorn limited edition bottles of Miss Dior.” (Dior, Cullen and Banks, p. 125) It is stunning to see in person, and the florals are subtle but still more than present. I also appreciate Simons’ nod to the New Look with the tapered waist and wide hips. A lovely spring look!
What are your favourite spring inspired fashion history pieces?
Cheers,
The Historian
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