Sorelle Fontana: Illustrating the Glamour of Italian Fashion

How has Italian style changed from the 1940s to the 1990s? From the 1930s military style with simple, straight lines, following the United Nations' austerity and sanctions in 1935, through to the refined lines of the 1960s and the minimalist, high-tech fashion of the 1990s. This is a journey through the sketches of the Fontana sisters (founders of Sorelle Fontana); an immortal testimony of a style that has evolved over the decades.

This period sees the gradual disappearance of the 8-shape, body shaping, petite and slender silhouettes, and agile skirts cut to just below the knee.The beginning of the period sees beautiful, refined fashion with various silhouettes: redingote, sack, and blended.The second period is more turbulent, with a range of trends.Geometric Fashion, (Optical Art)Mary Quant launches the miniskirt on an international scale. Tights with lace and embroidery are worn with boots of varying lengths.Cold geometry, even in prints;The use of metalic materials by Paco Rabanne;Silver tones by Courreges;The use of plastic materials by Cardin;Selenium shades and astronaut helmets for a spatial linearity inspired by the lunar landing.Missoni invents the "Nude Look" and Irene Galitzine creates the "Palazzo Pyjamas."The boldness and clarity of these silhouettes contrast with a new look derived from the emerging hippie movement.Remote Indo-European roots are revisited, with strong, blurred colors, imperfect handmade prints, long, navy skirts with cotton or patchwork crimps, bandeaus, folk blouses, ruffled scarves, flowers, chains, etc.At the end of the 1960s, youthful controversy and rebellion influenced designers.Alongside the fashion of the "flower-power generation," there are jeans and metal vests, while miniskirts continue to be worn with thick stockings or bare legs.

A Revival of Stylistic Concepts.A return to the fashion of the early 20th century with an elongated, soft silhouette.Unisex clothing and the casual style are born.Comfortable, layered garments, trousers and a choice of skirts: mini, midi, and maxi.Masculine jackets with hot pants, boots, large scarves, and chamois.Trends are varied, with folklore, romantic, oriental, and colonial inspirations, and colors ranging from pastel to vivid shades (post-modern fashion).The use of suede and tassels in the Italian style.Ready-to-wear clothing spreads, thanks to collaborations between major designers and textile industries.A great revival of Italian style and sartorial techniques.There is no single prototype of beauty: a person's image can change according to inspiration and is not limited by the time of day.There is a whirlwind of possible excesses.Trends are taken to extremes and "pop fashion" is born.The "Nude Look" moves from the bodice to the skirt, cut with overwhelming slits.

Reminiscent of the 1940s, 1960s, and 1970s. Varying skirt lengths, smaller proportions and volumes, and less gaudy colors compared to the 1980s. A generalized picture of "poor fashion." Globalization has caught up with the fashion industry, not only in terms of models styled by fashion designers, but also what is to be found in large warehouses and boutiques. High fashion and ready-to-wear clothing create models of apparent poverty, although with precious, refined fabrics and sought-after details. Shapes and styles change rapidly. New fibers (techno-fibers) with technological features and special properties are explored, made from combinations of yarns from different origins. Minimalist fashion made up of matching pieces of clothing is born, rejecting any formal desire for silhouette, cut, and detail, with colors that are deliberately black or off-black. High-tech clothing (a combination of sport and city wear, with agility as its main purpose), "retro," "grunge," and "girly" styles are in fashion. This eclecticism characterizes young fashion.