By the 1860s, stylish American women could see original designs
by Charles Frederick Worth, the first true fashion designer, in
the popular publication Harper’s Bazaar. As other designers
appeared on the scene, their creations could also be seen in new
fashion magazines. By the turn of the twentieth century,
this was the primary method of spreading news of fashion trends
from Paris, the seat of fashion.
At first, the gowns were illustrated with drawings, but as photography
became more sophisticated in the early twentieth century,
the fashion press used more and more photographs of new designs.
At the same time, fashion and art were merging in the eyes of the
artists, who dabbled in many of the arts. These artists not only
painted, but also created textile designs and fashion illustrations.
Some journals of the day printed both fashion illustrations and
photographs, along with short articles on fashion by modern writers.
Until the Second World War, even mainstream fashion journals like
Vogue and Vanity Fair continued to publish fashion
illustration by modern artists, encouraging the connections between
fashion designers and visual artists.
Vogue functioned in America not only to provide sketches
and patterns of fashions derived from Paris models, but also to
promote French couture. One of France’s premier designers,
Paul Poiret, wrote in a special thirtieth-anniversary edition of
Vogue that the magazine "is today one of the best methods
of communication with a distinguished clientele," revealing
the importance for him of reaching the American clientele (Global conference, 2009.)
Have a look at early 1950s fashion magazines on the link below:
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