What is a bias cut on a dress?
A bias cut is a technique used by clothing makers to cut fabric at a diagonal angle across the weave of the fabric (called the grain) to give the material more softness and elasticity. All woven fabric is constructed by weaving warp and weft threads.
Who is Madeleine Vionnet and the relationship to the bias cut?
Madeleine Vionnet was a revolutionary designer for her time; not as universally well known as Coco Chanel but just as influential to the world of fashion. She is credited with creating the bias cut, a technique of cutting on the diagonal grain of the fabric which creates a sinuous and slightly clingy silhouette.
Who was known as Queen of the bias cut?
Madeleine Vionnet
Madeleine Vionnet at work, early 1920s. Called the “Queen of the bias cut” and “the architect among dressmakers”, Vionnet is best known today for her elegant Grecian-style dresses and for popularising the bias cut within the fashion world and is credited with inspiring a number of recent designers.
What is Vionnet famous for?
Designer Madeleine Vionnet (1876 – 1975) was one of Europe’s greatest couturiers, famous for pioneering the revolutionary ‘bias-cut’ dress, draped expertly over the body, which changed the shape of women’s fashion. Born in Chilleurs-aux-Bois, France, Vionnet worked as a lacemaker’s apprentice from the age of 12.
What is a Vionnet dress?
Madeleine Vionnet French. One of Vionnet’s most triumphant dresses carries the grand patterns of silk around the body, while the fabric twists and tucks back upon itself. The “subject” of this dress is ultimately how it was made and how it works as a composition.
What does bias cut mean?
Bias cut means to ‘be cut on the grain’. Rather than following the straight line of the weave, the bias cut places the pattern at a 45° angle on the woven fabric. At this angle, the ‘warp’ and ‘weft’ threads give the fabric more of an elastic ‘stretch.
When was bias cut first used?
1920s
history of dress and fashion The bias cut of material, a mode introduced in the 1920s by the French couturiere Madeleine Vionnet, was widely adopted in the 1930s and was very effective with the longer skirts, creating a figure-hugging style which then flared out at the hemline.
What does a bias cut do?
Rather than following the straight line of the weave, the bias cut places the pattern at a 45° angle on the woven fabric. At this angle, the ‘warp’ and ‘weft’ threads give the fabric more of an elastic ‘stretch. ‘ The bias cut is popular for accentuating body-lines and creating more fluid curves or soft drapes.
What does bias cut look like?
Say hello to your new go-to wardrobe staple, the bias-cut skirt. That technical-sounding description just refers to how the fabric is cut on the diagonal (or bias), rather than parallel to the weave, creating a garment that drapes more elegantly than a straight-cut piece of cloth.
Why did Madeleine Vionnet make bias cut dresses?
Madeleine Vionnet dresses draped to the curves and encouraged women to avoid the complicated corsets. As a result the bias cut became renown to the Vionnet couture house in the 1920s. The bias-cut dresses were revolutionary because the dresses of that time did not drape to the body as Madeleine Vionnet’s designs did.
What makes a Vionnet dress unique?
Vionnet dresses were timeless masterpieces. Intricately detailed, sensual, and elegant. The famous quote of Madeleine Vionnet states that: “The dress must not be hung on the body but follow its lines. When a woman smiles, the dress must smile with her”.
What is a bias cut dress?
The bias cut dress was the first original dress style in modern fashion history. It requires m ore fabric and usually leaves more waste and depends on more time and skill for cutting and construction. Are bodycon dresses classy for a night out?
What did Vionnet use for her designs?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Vionnet was an innovative cutter who used miniature mannequins to pin fabric together to create her designs.