Art Nouveau artists: Alphonse Mucha

Alphonse Mucha is the artist most associated with the Art Nouveau style today, and most reposible for popularising it at the end of the 19th century. His images of languid, swirling beauties are synonymous with Art Nouveau in the mind of the public.


Flowers

Mucha's 1895 advertisement for Sarah Bernhardt in the role of Gismonda is credited with launching the Art Nouveau movement, which was so associated with him that it was known as the Mucha style for a time.


Gismonda poster

Mucha's most famous works feature beautiful young women in swirling, vaguely historical or neoclassical robes, surrounded by lush flowers which twine around them.


Poetry

Sarah Bernhardt was so taken with Mucha's work that she commissioned him to design many of her theatre posters.



Mucha also designed popular allegorical posters, such as The Four Seasons.



Mucha is most famous for his commercial work, though he desperately wanted to be known for his serious paintings.



Mucha also struggled against the tag of 'Art Nouveau'. He insisted that he was not confined to a particular style, and that the main inspiration for all of his work was the art and style of his native Czechoslovakia.

How to dress like a Worth:

A Worth beauty in all her glory

The House of Worth, alas, did not design for men, so our aspirational gentlemen who wish to emulate the Worth ideal must content themselves with the very sleekest of white tie attire.

The Worth lady was the picture of classical, feminine beauty. Worth favoured sumptuous ornamentation, so most of his garments featured rich fabrics with ornate patterns, and vast quantities of lace, ruffles, pleats or other trimming.

Rich fabrics, ca 1890

Ruffles, trims, and ornate detailing, ca 1903

Worth's clients included the famously skinny and shapeless Sarah Bernhardt, but it is no secret that he preferred to dress the more curvaceous and Junoesque ideal Victorian figure. The Worth aesthetic is a great choice if you wish to highlight your bosom, waist, and hips.

The Divine Sarah in yellow and black Worth

Corsets and Worth details add curves to Sarah's figure

Lillie Langtry shows off the assets that made her famous, 1888

Langtry's famous figure

Unlike Poiret's clothes, Worth's dresses were finished to the highest standard, so it is much harder to replicate them. Look for lacy, frilly blouses, or structured, corseted bodices. Skirts should be long and trailing, with flared A-line shapes like upturned calla lilies, or slimmer, clingier shapes if you are going for a very late 1910s House of Worth shape.

A flared A-line, ca 1903

An upturned calla lily shape in red velvet, ca 1895

20th century slimness, ca 1912

A later Worth silhouette, ca 1910

Colours: Muted and restrained blues, pinks, yellows and greens. Colours which tiptoe the line between sophistication and pastel-sweetness. All shades of white, cream, and gold. Black (particularly paired with pale pastels or white). Dark red if you are feeling feisty.

Sophisticated sapphire blue

Muted peach and gold, ca 1900

Silver-white with embroidery and gold sequins, ca 1903

Rich goldenrod yellow, ca 1897

Gold and pastels with black, ca 1914


Cream and black, ca 1910

Dark red velvet, ca 1902

Accessories: Long gloves, folding fans

A Worth model tricked out with all the trimmings: gloves, fan, jewellery, and frills, 1893

Hair: In keeping with the feminine aesthetic, pile the hair in a full, loose pompadour bun on the top of the head, and ornament with hair jewels.

The Comtesse de Greffulhe models her black velvet Worth gown with ivory satin lilies in two 1896 images by Paul Nadar

Art Nouveau designers: Worth

Last week we looked at Poiret, the Art Nouveau period designer who catered to the outré, the avante garde, and the forward thinker. This week we look at the designer who was worn by the conservative, the classic, and the supremely elite of the time.

Charles Frederick Worth first made his name as a designer in the 1850s and 1860s, but his fame and taste were such that his creations were the pinnacle of desire for any debutant or Victorian fashionista for decades. He was the father of Haute Couture, and is credited with creating the idea of a couturier - a fashion artist rather than a mere dressmaker.

Worth passed his business on to his sons in the 1880s and 1890s, and while his reputation outlived him for a few years, by the 1910s Worth dresses began to be considered the safe option, rather than the latest word in fashion.

That said, the last flickering gasps of Worth's brilliance and did inspire a number of superbly art nouveau influenced gowns.

Classic Worth designs of the 1890s: extravagant fabrics and trims, superb shaping, and striking patterning.

A Worth design from a magazine of the 1890s

Art Nouveau swirls woven en disposition on a ca 1900 Worth evening gown.

Large scale Art Nouveau flowers on a ca 1903 Worth gown


1912 Worth glamour

How to dress like a Poiret

Oooh la la!

To dress like a Poiret, aim for a straight, column shape, with a high waist. Long, slim dresses, or long skirts worn under empire-length dresses are all great.

A Poiret design

Poiret models on parade

Layers are perfect for creating the Poiret look: throw a kimono over a simple dress and tie a scarf below the bust, wear a mid-length dress over a long skirt, or tack a piece of fabric to the bottom of a knee-length dress, to give the impression of one dress layered over another with a split train.

Draping and layers


A sleeveless kimono worn over a modern evening robe. Instant Poiret!

A long slim skirt, a modern blouse, a sash, some ribbons in the hair, and Art Nouveau a la Poiret is achieved!

A fancy scarf pinned to the front of a plain dress (bonus points if you have a matching one for the back of the dress) creates the 'tabard' look seen in Poiret's fashions.

A modern take on the Poiret style


An original Poiret design

Poiret was very influenced by 'exotic' textiles and garments, so add some Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Egyptian, or Arabic flair to your outfit. Exotic looks are a great way for gentlemen to add interest and period details to their costumes, instead of going for more formal suits.

Poiret shows off his collection of exotic textiles

Poiret does the Near East and the Caucasus


Poiret does Arabian nights

Poiret does exotic bird person (is this the original human chicken?)

Poiret also used the Ancient Greeks and Romans as an influence, so add a classical twist to your outfits for Art Nouveau Poiret chic.

Draping, tunics, and all white classicism.

Layers and Pompeiian fresco inspired colours.

Poiret's styles are the perfect excuse for non-girlie ladies to not wear skirts. Harem trousers! Poiret basically invented them (or at least popularised them in the West), and the versions he did are much more flattering than the ones that are currently stylish (though those would do in a pinch). Just pair them with a loose tunic dress, and perhaps a turban in your hair.

Denise Poiret in harem pants

If you are feeling really ambitious, you could try recreating one of Poiret's famous 'lampshade' tunics. Just take a dress with a moderately full knee length skirt, and make a circular hoop out of wire or black poly piping (very cheap at hardware stores) and sew it in to the bottom of your skirt.

Fur trim helps

In terms of fabrics and colours, go for whites and creams with strong accents, unusual colour combinations, bold prints, and metallics.

Dark red and nile green

Bold woodblock print.

Pink, lavender, lilac and black

Lots of this year's fashionable colours were used extensively by Poiret: burnt oranges, mustard yellows, grass greens, cobalt blue and silvers and bronzes all work.

Yellow, teal, coral and cobalt

For hair, headbands, turbans, scarfs and ribbons wrapped through the hair add a great Poiret touch, and a feather never goes amiss.

A turban with a jewel and feather plume.

An exotic hat

Accessories include long, dangling necklaces (though be aware that these can be a hassle for dancing in), bangles, bracelets worn high on the arm, and ankle bracelets if your ankles are visible.

Jade bangles and a bead necklace.

This has it all. Colours prints, turbans, feathers, tunics, wraps. Love it!