News archive

Published 13 November 2009

The Second World War years were among the most controversial in French dress history

At a time of extreme clothing shortages for most people, Paris couture salons were able to remain open in occupied France, producing wildly extravagant outfits to cater for collaborationist circles, while in the Vichy Zone textile manufacturers struggled to keep open and allied themselves to Pétainist circles.

Lou Taylor, Professor of Dress and Textile History, at the University of Brighton, has organised a conference in Paris to bring together researchers from across Europe to discuss this contentious and complex period.

Presentations will be made on the work of the great Paris couturiers and the Lyon textiles manufacturers during the Nazi occupation. They will focus particularly on the making of extravagant hats and accessories such as rayon scarves printed with the portrait of Maréchal Pétain, who was head of the collaborating Vichy government, set against the handbags with secret pockets used by women in the Resistance.

Presenters will include leading specialists, Dominique Veillon from the French research centre (CNRS), and Fabienne Falluel (Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris,) as well as French postgraduate students.

Professor Taylor will discuss the Vichyist imagery on luxury French fashion textiles produced at this time and four of her postgraduate students will offer a session discussing the war-time work of the Royal couturier, Norman Hartnell.

Postgraduate student, Jane Hattrick, will discuss the intent of the British Board of Trade in 1943 to make Britain rather than Paris the international fashion capital of the world. Marie Maccloughlin will discuss the importance of lipstick to women during the war, and June Rowe will talk about the refusal of most British women between1947-49 to wear Dior's New Look style.

This conference takes place on Friday (13 November) and is supported by the Institute d'Histoire du Temps Présent, the International Business History at the Centre de Recherches Historiques, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris and by the University of Brighton’s Centre for Research Development and School of Humanities.