Sandwiched by the iconic flapper dresses of the 1920s and the New Look of the 40s, the 1930s is a decade often eclipsed in fashion terms, but a London exhibition celebrating its rich archive is set to put it right back on the agenda.
Opening this weekend at the Fashion and Textiles Museum in Bermondsey, 1930s: Day and Night explores the period that witnessed the birth of the department store, the rise of catalogue shopping, window shopping becoming a bonafide pastime, and how these developments translated to women's wardrobes.
While the exhibition celebrates the enduring influence of high-fashion designers, including Madeleine Vionnet's bias cut and Elsa Schiaparelli's strong-shouldered silhouette, the main focus of the exhibition is to present how their designs affected everyday style.
Popular and original outfits on show include blouses and skirts, trousers and halter-neck tops, and dresses worn with coats, which demonstrated the rising appetite for practical and versatile looks that could be worn from day to night by working women. Many of which are hand-sewn from new lightweight fabrics.
The exhibition also explores dressing for evenings and occasions. As guests enter, they walk through a reimagined nightclub, where floor-length satin and velvet gowns represent the influence of silver-screen style icons of the era, such as Joan Crawford. On these pieces, details like hip peplums, deep V-necks and backless cuts show the progression from the straight-lined androgyny of the 1920s yet are still as relevant today, says Nothdruft.
Also included in the exhibition, which runs until 20 January, is a selection of portraits by famous photographers of the time, including Madame Yevonde, Paul Tanqueray and Dorothy Wilding, while the museum's fashion studio will play host to Cecil Beaton: Thirty from the 1930s – Fashion, Film, Fantasy. This micro-exhibition will feature a selection of his photographs from the 1930s documenting society at the time.