Looking For Inspiration - Visiting “The Museum at FIT”, NYC

"Fashion" by BP, December 2015

The winter break and another occasion to take advantage of the New York City. Since Basia expresses a big interest in sewing I took her to The Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) http://www.fitnyc.edu/22937.asp

http://fashionmuseum.fitnyc.edu/

We strolled through “Faking It: Originals, Copies, and Counterfeits” exhibition organized by Ariele Elia, compered look-alike pieces, admired the beauty of textiles, appreciated splendor of a plain cut and simply enjoyed a worm hall in a cold winter time.

At the entrance there were two outfits from 1966 - an original by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel and a licensed copy. We couldn’t say which was which.

Beginning chronologically with a 1903 we saw an elegant, purple velvet dress by Charles Frederick Worth. A big demand for his brand created a market for copyists.

Further down we saw how Madeleine Vionnet implemented various initiatives to stop coping her designs, such as marking her label with her thumbprint in order to authenticate each creation. Unfortunately, this did not entirely discourage copying, as can be seen in an unapproved imitation of her “Little Horses” dress from 1924. Likewise, in an effort to battle unauthorized copying during the 1930s, the Fashion Originators “Guild of America registered fashion designers” work. An example of a black fringe evening dress with the registered label and sketch is included in Faking It.

From the beginning the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture struggled with maintaining the exclusive couture, while promoting it through press coverage and licensed copies. After World War II the couture industry began to re-stabilize. Nevertheless the high demand for Christian Dior’s 1947 collection led to many unauthorized copies of his silhouette. Faking It uses a Nettie Rosenstein dress from that same year to illustrate such copying.

Throughout the 50s, couturiers relied seriously on department stores that would purchase couture garments for the purpose of producing licensed copies. The exhibition features more than ten examples of various authorized couture copies from department stores around the world.

Once Coco Chanel said, “Fashion should slip out of your hands. The very idea of protecting the seasonal arts is childish. One should not bother to protect that which dies the minute it is born.” Chanel's tweed suits were so recognizable, she saw copies of her designs as a form of publicity. A selection of six Chanel originals and copies from the 1960s to the 1980s is featured on display.

A special display case in Faking It places authentic designer bags next to their matching imitations. Examples include bags from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, and the CFDA x eBay anti-counterfeit campaign, “You Can’t Fake Fashion,” along with shoes by Christian Louboutin. Next to it video showcase detailed photos that illustrate how to spot a counterfeit.

In 2007 runway show, Yohji Yamamoto debuted a newly created “YY” logo that was presented prominently on a number of garments and pieces of luggage. The logo was strangely identical to the familiar Louis Vuitton monogram, and some audience members thought it was referencing Vuitton’s origins as a designer of luxury luggage. Was Yamamoto mocking the French brand and making a comment about consumerism? Or - applauding the power of a venerable luxury brand? No lawsuits resulted from Yohji Yamamoto’s new logo, but it did flirt with crossing the line of trademark infringement. Recently, a designer Brian Lichtenberg created a humorous interpretation of the Hermes logo with his “Homies” collection. Fashion lawyers are still debating whether this is a case of trademark infringement or protected speech as legitimate parody.

CHECKERED collection - Yves Saint Laurent’s “Mondrian” dress. Copies ranging from dresses to boots popped up in the wake of Yves Saint Laurent’s 1965 collection. In Saint Laurent’s original “Mondria Copies ranging from dresses to boots popped up in the wake of Yves Saint Laurent’s 1965 collection. In Saint Laurent’s original “Mondrian” dress, the rectangles and grid lines are separate pieces that have been sewn together.

Picture with a Campbell soup dress - René Magritte’s painting, The Son of Man (1964), depicts a man in a bowler hat and suit with a green apple covering his face. Shortly after The Son of Man was first shown, Italian designer Krizia referenced it in a sequin-appliquéd sweater. Almost a decade later, designers continued to draw on Magritte’s surreal imagery. The dress from Bloomingdale’s has a repeat pattern based on his 1966 painting, Decalcomania.

Andy Warhol began painting portraits of Campbell’s soup cans in 1962. Fortunately, the Campbell’s Soup Company looked upon this, not as copyright infringement, but as a form of free publicity. In fact, Campbell’s went full circle by creating this promotional dress that references Warhol. One could purchase the dress by mailing in $1.00 and two soup can labels.

Old from 20th, greenish dress - UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION OF MADELEINE VIONNET’S “LITTLE HORSES” DRESS

Couturier Madeleine Vionnet fought copying of her designs on several fronts. For her “Little Horses” dress, she collaborated with embroiderer Albert Lesage to create a difficult-to-copy beading technique. Nevertheless, her beaded horses were reproduced in this unauthorized version, though the lower portion of the dress was eliminated.