1960
In the aftermath of the 68’ protests, new designers like Valentino, classically trained in Paris, gained international recognition designing for celebrities like Jackie Kennedy and Grace Kelly. The new-found freedom and youthfulness that blossomed after these protests was reflected in the fashion of the time. The extravagant ‘Alta Moda’ of the time was, however, incredibly exclusive, and therefore inaccessible to this untapped young market.
1970
In the early 70s Italian fashion houses began to focus on ‘Pret-a-Porter' lines which made it so that fashion was finally in reach for this new demographic. The captive audience gave these brands license to innovate during the late 70s and the 80s. In this new age, houses like Versace and Dolce & Gabbana begin to design for a new independent and sexual young woman. At the same time, Miuccia Prada founds her eponymous Miu Miu, catering to this woman’s edgier younger sister. Karl Lagerfeld begins one of the longest running collaborations of all time at Fendi, a fruitful partnership that continues today. For years, Italian fashion defined what it meant to be cool yet elegantly refined with an opulence that contrasted the effortlessness of Parisian chic. Unlike their gracefully demure French cousins, Italian women wanted everyone to know they cared about how they looked - and know they did.
MODA
Photo by HRYMX, Flickr
Photo of Prada clothing, by Ania Mendrek, Flickr