Image via Couture Troopers

Since Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Fridays this year, I am sharing my final Fashion Friday of 2020… on a Monday.  Hah!

I got such a great response from Fashion Jeopardy last month, I knew it had to be the finale for the year.

Today’s theme is symbolism.

There are so many iconic symbols in fashion that have shaped moments, trends and what we’ve learned from designers about getting dressed.

Let’s dive in!

1) Which luxury brand began as a saddlery?

Hermès

This is pretty obvious considering a horse is part of their logo, but when people think of Hermès, they primarily think of Birkins. And while that IS their modern-day hero piece, Hermès began in the 1800s as a saddlery.

Their first product was a harness, introduced in 1837.  For almost a century the horse – not a glamorous woman – was the only client for Hermès.

They still make between 400-500 saddles per year by hand.  That attention to detail and expert craftsmanship working with leather is the reason why Birkins are so expensive – and so highly coveted.

It takes 48 hours to create one standard Birkin bag.  Only one artisan works on a bag – it does not get passed around to multiple craftsmen.  It’s estimated there are about 200,000 of them in the world (Victoria Beckham reportedly has over 100).

I love this origin story because it’s actually quite common – most luxury brands began as highly specialized artisans in an adjacent field to what they now produce.

2) Who invented Madonna’s cone bra?

Jean Paul Gaultier

This piece of fashion history is so fascinating to me because the cone bra defines Madonna almost as much as her music!

Gaultier is such an interesting cat.  Raised by all women, he began sketching at a very young age.  He actually invented the cone bra at the age of 13 – for his teddy bear.

A talented young artist, he sent his sketches to Pierre Cardin and was hired as an assistant.  The rest is history.  After 50 years of designing, he retired in 2020.

Most people are familiar with his fragrance line.  We all know those bottles shaped like mannequins – they were all the rage in the 90s.  I actually preferred the men’s fragrance to the women’s.

Gaultier’s work is legendary on the catwalk and the subject of several museum exhibits, but he also made his mark on Hollywood.  He created all of the costumes for The Fifth Element, among other films.  What I love about this story is that Prince was supposed to have played the role made famous by Chris Tucker.  While his rigorous touring schedule was ultimately blamed for him turning down the project, Gaultier’s meeting with Prince to discuss wardrobe did not go well.

When Gaultier tried to explain his ideas to Prince – one of which was a flesh-colored bodysuit covered with long hair – he kept repeating “faux cul, faux cul” [fake ass] so Prince would know he’d be entirely covered.  However, Prince misinterpreted this as “f*ck you” and while he was more amused than offended, he walked away from the project.

You can view Gaultier’s sketches for The Fifth Element here.

3) Who frequently used birds as inspiration in his designs?

Alexander McQueen

If you follow even a fraction of McQueen’s work, you know that he not only used feathers frequently in his designs but in some cases, large, taxidermied birds as well.  Birds, talons, wings, flight.  They were all paramount to McQueen.

The most famous example was probably his Spring/Summer 1995 collection.  It contained some absolutely breathtaking full feathered numbers, as well as a massive headpiece of 3 hawks worn by model Jade Parfitt.  The hawks were positioned in attack mode a la Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.

That particular show is the one I most wish I could go back in time and see in person.  Entitled Voss, the models were patients of an asylum, encased in a glass cube with padded walls.  They could not see the audience as they galavanted through the cube.

McQueen told all of his models to “go mental” and the most dramatic result came from model Erin O’Connor.  Wearing a dress made entirely of razor clam shells, McQueen instructed her to destroy the dress.  She walked down the runway ripping the shells off her body until her hands were bloodied.  You can see the carnage on the runway floor – it’s covered in shells.

By the end, the walls of the cubed asylum fell to reveal a second cube that contained writer Michelle Olley wearing a mask and a breathing tube, moths fluttering around her.  Talk about haunting.

You can view the entire collection here.

4) Which designer went from poverty to fashion’s number one designer almost overnight?

John Galliano

First, let me clarify.  Galliano was not an overnight success – no genius in any field ever is.  But after losing his financial backing in the early 90s, his brand was in peril.  André Leon Talley recounts visiting Galliano at a friend’s house, where he found him wrapped up in a sleeping bag on the floor heating up canned meat over a Bunsen burner.

With no money and days away from the F/W 1994 shows, Talley swooped in.  Believing in Galliano’s profound talent, he knew the show must go on.

Talley was able to help him secure $50,000 for the show and convince socialite São Schlumberger to lend them her home for the venue.  What transpired was an earth-shattering collection that not only put Galliano on the map but catapulted his career.  Within a year he would be named the head designer of Givenchy, the first time any Brit would lead the French house.

You can view the entire collection here.