GREAT DEPRESSION

Great depression: translation

In the United States, the Great Depression had a profound effect on fashion, as people flocked to the movies to escape their worries. Costumes produced by American designer Gilbert Adrian began to influence international fashion. Despite the Depression, designers like Adrian produced some of the most glamorous fashion during the 1930s in response to the psychological needs of society. Under store presidency of Dorothy Shaver, the department store Lord & Taylor began promoting American designers. Known for her mastery in draping and cutting and famous for her bias cut, Madeleine Vionnet was one of the most prolific designers in fashion history. Designers such as Elsa Schiaparelli and Mainbocher left their native countries to set up shop in Paris. The invention of manmade fibers, such as rayon, acetate, and latex, lowered fabric costs and made fashion goods even more accessible to a variety of buyers.