Suffragettes to Supermodels – A Century of Fashion from 1910 to 2010 - Review

Above: Manchester Gallery of Costume

The exhibition was presented at Platt Hall, a beautifully English 12th century Georgian house, nestled within a span of green fields. The quaint setting, in comparison to other clinical Art museums in bustling cities, was very unique. However, this was a house in its original state, meaning that exhibition space was split between various rooms. This made it difficult to travel from Suffragette to Supermodel without stumbling into a different room and getting Kate Moss mixed up with Emily Davidson.

Unfortunately, a wide selection of the pieces were clustered together in poorly-lit cabinets – which made it difficult to see their striking designs clearly. However there were a selection of pieces that were well worth the visit: 

Above: Silk Dress, 1780

A silk gown from 1780, which exemplified typical dress of the time. It included a full skirt, pleated into a corseted bodice. The waistline was risen higher than the natural line to produce a neoclassical silhouette. By the 1830’s, corsets emerged that moulded the natural figure rather than encouraging a rigid shape. In the first decade of the 19th century, the fashionable woman briefly discarded her ‘stays’ altogether to adopt garments that emphasized the desired long and lean silhouette.

 

Above: Green beaded 'Norman Hartnell' evening dress, 1927

A green, beaded evening dress from 1927 with heavy bead-work which would have dazzled off the artificial lights of a ballroom. This style would have been the height of sophistication - and a statement against the previous structure of feminine dress. Today, relaxed styles of dresses are often considered casual or informal – which led me to reflect how difficult times in history can provoke outrageous fashion trends. 

Alexander McQueen, Body stocking in printed silk jersey, 2010

An unusual reptilian bodysuit from 2010 – screen-printed with raw edges. The designer, Alexander McQueen, was recognized for his themes of fantasy and rebellion within his theatrical runway shows.­ McQueen was hailed as one of the most influential couturiers of the 21st Century before his death in 2010. The clingy shape leaves little to the imagination, which led me to wonder how shapes and silhouettes of female fashion will continue to evolve in years to come.

All three of these pieces opened my eyes to the radicalization of women’s fashion though the ages. They are radically different in their shape and structure, which reflected how the historical events provoked women’s attitudes (and the way they chose to present themselves) to change.