Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees

Harajuku Fashion is Dead

It's hard to find someone who hasn't heard of or even seen Harajuku fashion. It's practically become synoynmous with Japanese culture at this point, an eye-catching postcard for everything Japan has to offer.

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Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees

"I am still human" - Marilyn Monroe

She was a sex symbol, a ‘blonde bombshell’, a figure to represent the sexual revolution of the late 50s and early 60s. Her signature blonde hair and feminine figure has become synonymous with 50s fashion and femininity - becoming a muse for many people to come.

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Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees

The Hunger (1983) and the Bauhaus Movement

Now I will be honest here, is the film good? Not really. It failed in the box office upon its release in 1986, but has grown to become a cult classic over the past 3 decades. It most loved aspect is the aesthetic, it’s combination of 80s cool, 40s noir and an underlying goth attitude. For what it lacks in depth, it makes up the visuals.

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Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees

The Fashionable World of Figure Skating

Costumes are a big deal, and they need to be hand-made in order to sustain the full program. Swarovski crystals are used in abundance, and are hand-applied, often taking 40 hours to fully stone. Even high-end designers can design costumes for skaters, including Vera Wang  (who is a retired figure skater herself) and Roberto Cavalli.

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Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees

Mr Pearl and the History of Corsetry

One cannot talk about corsetry without mentioning legendary corsetier Mr Pearl. Committed to his craft to the point of wearing a corset 24/7 in order to achieve a 18-inch waist, Pearl is one of most iconic and extreme corsetiers in today's world, even creating corsets for designers Thierry Muger, Alexander McQueen and performer Dita von Teese.

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Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees

Teddy Girls - The Fashion of London's Girl Gangs

Whilst their fashion was respectable, their smart dressing made them more intimidating rather than mature. Full of middle-class rebellious teenagers, Teddy Girls were essentially a well-dressed middle finger towards the austere upper classes of their post-war world. Forming gangs and becoming important figures in the media, Teddy Girls are one of the first British female youth subcultures to exist, and one of the most forgotten.

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Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees

The Fashion of Prince

Prince was always a pioneer; pioneering the 'Minneapolis Sound", a mix of funk, rock, pop, synth and new wave, as well as pioneering an unrestricted form of men's fashion. Experimenting with 'post-fashion'; post gender, post human and post race; Prince created a style that forever transformed the world of men's fashion.

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Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees

Punk Fashion And The Bubble-Up Theory of Fashion

Wanting to rebel against ‘common’ ways of thought, the poor British youth were completely helpless in their fight to change reality. Therefore, the only way to initiate change in society was to “transform themselves into directly offensive and threatening beings.” But what was punk all about and how did it reach the runway?

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Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees

The Importance of the 1980s Power Suit

Between 1982 and 1987, the power suit took the focus off a woman’s gender and on to what she could achieve; a ‘uniform’ to demand respect, authority and power in a corporate setting. The power suit is now considered synonymous with feminism, equality and the breaking of gender roles. 

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Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees

Sukeban - The Forgotten Story of Japan's Girl Gangs

They protested against mainstream gender norms and feminine expectations in a male-dominated society. The idea of a woman 'behaving badly' went against the gender norms of how a woman is supposed to act, and provided a thrilling way to challenge society. In addition, the expectations of how a woman dressed were restricting and sexist, and the sukeban weren't going to accept this anymore.

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Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees Fashion History Hannah Schmidt-Rees

Party Monster - The History of the Club Kids

They created a space in which the disenfranchised youth of 1980's New York; gay, queer, transgender, non-binary and different could experience a feeling possibly unfelt during the day; freedom. So, how did this fabulous scene start? Well get ready to get schooled on club kid history.

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