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L. Bakst. Fashion

Peterburgskaya Gazeta1914/1914

The State Tretyakov Gallery

The State Tretyakov Gallery
Moscow, Russia

FASHION
I have read about a “sad sensation” at a “high-society ball” where “ladies appeared with blue, green, orange, and pink hair”.
Sorrowful amazement at this fact is further strengthened by the “utter unexpectedness of such brilliant victory of futurism in a circle claiming to be an oasis of good taste and style”.
It’s really a pity. Do they know in Russia that a colored wig is nothing more than a final note in that gradual transformation that has been irreversibly changing a woman’s figure for six years already, creating a distinct style of the 20th century? Did they ever notice here how consistently, like the eternal fatal, Fashion follows its destined path, in disregard of sarcasm, scoffing, and resentment?
It’s so easy calling everything ridiculous and insane!
Alas, anachronic short-sightedness and arrogance are still prevalent in Russia, allowing to condemn everything related to Fashion as something accidental (though nothing is accidental in fashion) and negligible. Or they can just say: “It’s been all right until now, why look for anything else! See what they’re up to!”
It goes without saying that all European authors agree that the prevailing philosophical and social ideas, and even the welfare of people, have a consistent influence on fashionable clothing.
And, holding on to this point of view, I believe that costume of the “No progress needed” doctrine proponents should be strictly national, consisting of povoiniks, pinafore dresses, and goatskin boots.
The struggle for equality between men and women has created a daytime women’s costume, dramatically similar to the men’s one. By that I mean the tailleur costume, sporty and simplified one, in which she is able to easily get on a tram or a car.
But her evening costume is the apotheosis of everything strange to the men’s costume. At night, a cult is made of a rich palette of bright colors, as well as barely modest ruffle, and sensual transparency of decorations.
Magnificently bright colors that have penetrated into the modern women’s costume from the legs to the neck couldn’t bypass both the face and the hair. Given such intensity, the color palette of a woman’s costume made a modern woman put on makeup and paint her hair in hues that are able to compete with other, basic colors of the costume.
The harsh dawn of the 20th century’s half will bring to us a new modern lady’s image – “an equally righted androgyne”.
L. Bakst

Details

  • Title: L. Bakst. Fashion
  • Creator: Peterburgskaya Gazeta
  • Date Created: 1914/1914
  • Provenance: Peterburgskaya Gazeta
  • Type: newspaper

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