Daniel Hechter Designs

After World War II, there was a huge push to get women back into the home and the kitchen, to do the traditionally womanly duties of raising children and looking after the house. In magazines, television programs, books and other media, the housewife, or "homemaker," was lauded as the supreme goal -  going against one's "femininity" (i.e., being interested in politics or non-wifely duties) was a neurotic fixation.
1950s fashion was an integral part of this push. Unlike the boxy silhouettes of rationed 1940s uniforms, 1950s fashions emphasized fragile femininity, in the form of soft shoulders, stiletto heels, wrist-length gloves and full, billowing skirts. Even working women's outfits hinted at fragility, with pencil-slim skirts and little hats with veil and feathers.
The "New Look" for 1950s women actually originated in the 1940s, with Christian Dior's seminal collection called ‘Corolle’. This collection contrasted the austere, "make do and mend" aesthetic of 1940s fashion with full skirts, soft shoulders, and a tight waist, emphasizing the bust and the hourglass-shaped figure.
Dior would go on to invent more haute couture 1950s fashions, with names like the Princess Line, the Profile Line, the A Line, and the H Line. His influence remained high throughout the 1950s. Other fashion houses were forced to follow his innovations.
However, this ideal female figure was not possible in nature. Corsets, and "corselettes" (a corset/bra combination) made a comeback at the same time that conical brassieres became popular. Corsets were given names like "Romance" and "Pink Champagne." Advertisements described them as "comfortable," even "revolutionary."
Throughout the 1950s, young women's clothing was also influenced by the rock 'n' roll craze. Full skirts in bright colours become popular for dancing and skirts and pants were pinched in at the waist to emphasise the waist and bust. Young women also wore tight-fitting blouses tucked into slim-line calf-length trousers called 'Capri' pants or 'pedal pushers'. Short ankle socks, scarves tied around the neck and cropped cardigans were also popular.
Movie star fashion influenced the clothing styles of ladies in the 1950s. Screen goddesses like Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly inspired tiny waistlines and full skirts and busts. Slim pencil-line skirts were also popular. Stiletto-heeled shoes emerged in the early 1950s and shoes could be bought in a variety of colours to match any outfit.

The reason I chose the 1950’s as inspiration for this Client Project, is because, after doing relevant research on Daniel Hechter, I found that he started working for the designer Pierre d'Alby from 1958 before opening his own house in 1962 with friend Armand Orustein. Therefore since he started in the 1950’s, I thought of going back to that era and find inspiration that will help me to design garments that will be original and innovative and will best suite the Daniel Hechter Customer’s profile.