A new exhibition at one of our favourite galleries, Manchester Art Gallery, explores the legacy of the First World War and the general impact it had on the roles of women in society and, predominantly, womens’ fashion as a whole.
The exhibition is part of a wider series of events – 14-18 NOW, which over four years (the centenary of the War) aims to educate a new generation about the challenges and the effects of Wartime Britain.
The exhibition includes new designs by fashion designers inspired by museum collections and the changing roles of women during the First World War. From fashion Grande Dame Vivienne Westwood to contemporary British icons such as Roksanda, many designers have created one-off pieces that have the plight of World War women at the heart.
The exhibition begins with an exciting collection of pieces from the Manchester City Galleries archives. Covering pre- and post-War, the tableux include day and evening dresses and showcase the dramatic shift from Edwardian decadence to cleaner, simpler 1920s styles.
A woman’s Royal Naval uniform from 1918 also whet our appetites.
Dame Viv took a 2006-2007 number (Innocent, Look #39) and remade it with a 2016 twist. Printed iridescent sequins adorn this silk jumpsuit, which gathers at the sleeve, waist and ankles. Westwood said of the exhibition and the war itself, “Our rotten financial system creates poverty for the many and riches for the few… we still have the same system in place [as World War I] – a war ecomony.”
Two designers, Roksanda and Holly Fulton, use the story of the Munitionettes (commonly known as the Canary Girls) whose skin often turned yellow as a result of working with hazardous chemicals. Roksanda has created an empowering canary yellow frock with frou-frou-ish sleeves and translucent vertical panels. She said “Fashion & Freedom gace me a better understanding of what women went through to gain independence – something taken for granted today.”
Fulton uses a similar palette with organza fabric. Her piece adopts her trademark symmetrical patterns, taking inspiration from the mesmeric shapes created by shells in factories. Laser-cut ovals feature handmade embellishments.
We’re big fans of Sadie Williams’ futuristic collections, so this reimagined Red Cross uniform had us spellbound. Williams wanted to pay homage to the ‘super women’ of the Red Cross with this glistening gown made from lurex and tracksuit material.
Korean-born, London-based designer J JS Lee usually uses her own experiences as inspiration, so this project was a challenge for her.
Emilia Wickstead sought inspiration from dazzle camouflage – the complex geometric patterns painted on ships during the war.
The climax of the exhibition is a selection of outfits created by students at five British universities, working under the same brief as the aforementioned designers. They too sought inspiration from the plight of World War women, canary girls and dazzle ships; they also reimagined asylum uniforms, researched Victorian workhouses and studied the silhouettes of the time, from Edwardian through to post-War fashion.
