ENGLISH TEXTS
For all these reasons, the parallel development of haute couture and horse racing quickly turned racetracks into“ showcases for these fashion houses and their latest trends.” In the 1930s, this connection gave rise to numerous competitions combining riding, fashion, and elegance. One such event was the“ Most Beautiful Lady Rider” contest held in the Bagatelle park.“ Participants had to wear either a long skirt or riding breeches.” At the Polo Fashion Festival, also in Bagatelle,“ models from famous Parisian couture houses paraded across the polo field.”
Jockeys, their cherished clients The link between fashion and horse racing was also linguistic.“ In couture jargon during the 1930s,‘ jockeys’ was the nickname given to prestigious, high-society clients, ones the houses had to keep happy and who required special attention. Each couture house had around a dozen of them, lending them several dresses per collection on top of their purchases.” The horse has long served as a powerful source of inspiration in fashion history.“ It carries strong and rich symbolism. The image of the horse evokes strength, power, freedom, independence, elegance, military victories, refinement, and nobility.” And it’ s not just the horse, the woman too.“ The image of the horsewoman be- came very significant from the Second Empire onward. English houses like Redfern, Creed, and Busvine created women’ s suits that allowed ladies to ride or hunt. It’ s not uncommon for equestrian references to become the names of models in couture collections, especially at Jeanne Lanvin, with coats like‘ Pour trotter’( For trotting), created in 1929, or‘ La Cavalière’( The Horsewoman), designed in 1933.”
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By Serge Okey
JEANNE LANVIN, A BOUTIQUE CLOSE TO THE RACECOURSE
Lanvin. Four consonants and two vowels, two iconic syllables spelling out the oldest active fashion house. A trained milliner and the eldest of eleven siblings, she quickly put her fairy fingers to work. Active from the age of 13, she opened her first shop at eighteen. A symbol of“ ultimate chic,” black was her color. A timeless“ silk jersey” she quite naturally brought to Deauville during the Roaring Twenties. Like Jeanne Paquin and her great rival Coco Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin understood the advantage of opening a boutique just steps from the racecourse, under the arcades, on the way to the beach. From 1913, the year the wooden stands of the Hippo- drome de la Touques were replaced with new ones in brick and reinforced concrete, models would rush to the Normandy resort to strike a pose.“ The racetrack was a source of inspiration for fashion,” recalls Yves Aublet, a historian of the resort.“ Elegant women came to showcase the finest creations by famous couturières like Jeanne Lanvin, Jeanne Paquin, and later Elsa Schiaparelli. The photos helped fill their portfolios and present the designs in Paris.” If Deauville is sometimes called the 21 st arrondissement of Paris, its historic racecourse is nicknamed the“ fifth Parisian racecourse.”“ As early as the 20 th century, it was already hosting‘ Fashion Weeks,’” the historian explains.“ It brought together a highly eclectic mix: old French noble families, foreign aristocracy, ambassadors, selfmade industrialists, bankers, politicians, actors, writers, models, photographers, and racing enthusiasts,” adds art historian Laëtitia Hedde. Amid this lively world, Jeanne Lanvin chose to open her branch only during the summer- June, July, and August, during the high season. The ultimate luxury:“ A seamstress was present among the small team to carry out alterations on the spot. Prominent and famous clients attending the races needed to appear in a different outfit at
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