Paris to New York: The Transatlantic Fashion Industry in the Twentieth Century

The fashion industry has a rich history, with Paris and New York playing significant roles. It has evolved from a negotiation between art and commerce to a global enterprise, with tastes influenced by street and countercultures.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 28 May 2021
Publisher: Harvard University Press

The fashion industry has a rich and innovative history, intricately intertwined with the cities of Paris and New York. This captivating narrative explores the profound connections between art, finance, design, and manufacturing, shedding light on the evolution of this dynamic sector.

Fashion, as one of the world's most influential and lucrative industries, boasts an annual retail value of $3 trillion and is home to iconic figures such as Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent. The question that arises is how this industry has managed to accumulate such immense economic and symbolic capital.

Focusing on the roles of entrepreneurs, designers, and institutions in the two most significant twentieth-century centers of fashion, Paris to New York delves into the intricate history of the industry as a negotiation between art and commerce. In the late nineteenth century, Paris-based firms established the foundation for a global fashion culture, nurtured by artistic visionaries. Meanwhile, in the burgeoning New York industry, mass production took center stage. American buyers, trend scouts, and designers crossed the Atlantic to attend couture openings, where they were captivated by and often accused of counterfeiting designs made in Paris.

On the other hand, Paris couturiers ventured to New York to gain a deeper understanding of American consumer preferences and to forge partnerships with local manufacturers who produced exclusive garments and accessories for their clients. This cooperation and competition between the two continents played a pivotal role in shaping the fashion industry during the early and mid-twentieth century. It resulted in the creation of a hybrid of art and commodity, where fashion became a medium for artistic expression and a means of economic prosperity.

However, the dynamics of the fashion industry began to evolve in the 1960s. The Paris-New York connection, which had been the driving force behind the industry's growth, began to give way to a network of widely distributed design and manufacturing centers. This shift marked a significant diversification of the fashion landscape, as tastes became more accessible to a broader range of individuals, including street culture and countercultures.

Since then, fashion has undergone a remarkable transformation. It has transcended the boundaries of elite preferences and has become a cultural phenomenon that resonates with people from all walks of life. The business of fashion has also expanded globally, with brands and designers reaching audiences across the world through various channels and platforms.

In conclusion, the history of the fashion industry is a testament to the dynamic interplay between art, finance, design, and manufacturing. From the artistic visionaries of Paris to the mass production hubs of New York, and from the global expansion of the industry to its diversification and democratization, fashion has evolved into a powerful force that shapes and reflects society's values, aspirations, and cultural expressions.

Weight: 680g
Dimension: 166 x 241 x 33 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780674237407