The 1950s Haute Couture fashion at Palais Galliera

Paris has throughout its history shaped fashion styles, lines and colours and has become worldwide known as the World Fashion Capital. However, the 1950s were a crucial period for French fashion. Thus, this time exhibition at Palais Galliera; the fashion museum of paris focuses on the flourishing period of fashion  in France after th second world war.

French fashion wasn’t in a great state before the war, but the 1950s changed all that, especially for the haute couture houses, no doubt aided by the golden age of fashion magazines and amazing fashion photography.

The exhibition depicts the evolution of the female form during this decade, from Dior’s revolutionary New Look of 1947, with its feminine hourglass figure with prominent bust, cinched waist, flat stomach, rounded hips and its extravagant use of fabric, and Balenciaga’s “barrel” line, with its flared back and waist, to the radically innovative Chanel line of 1954 and its simple, straight suits.

With the duzzling success of Dior's first couture collection "New look" along with Balenciaga's tonneau collection, Paris regained its place on the global fashion scene.

The 1950s, largely known for fashionistas as the golden era, dazzeled the whole world with the works of  the aforementioned Dior, Balenciaga and Chanel as well as Givenchy and Pierre Cardin and others now forgotten like Jean Dessès, Madeleine Vramant and Lola Prusac . The French haute couture industry was the first to venture into the ready-to-wear arena, ensuring that these luxury items would become wildly popular for decades to come.

Guests staying at one of the Sister Hotels Champs-Elysées, luckily still have a chance to visit the 1950s Haute couture exhibition as it runs until the second of November just within a walking distance from the Champs Elysée avenue.