index
Image Gallery

Day 3: Lucy Norris

published on 3 August 2015

For day three of her Tumblr curation, Lucy Norris looks at two works of art celebrating their 75th anniversaries — Henri Matisse's 'La Blouse Roumaine’ and the Ginger Rogers film Kitty Foyle (1940) — and their impact on fashion.

For day three of her Tumblr curation, Lucy Norris looks at two works of art celebrating their 75th anniversaries — Henri Matisse's 'La Blouse Roumaine’ and the Ginger Rogers film Kitty Foyle (1940) — and their impact on fashion.

75 Years: Part One Henri Matisse painted 'La Blouse Roumaine’ in 1940. He was inspired by his love of fabrics and how the embroidery of each Romanian peasant blouse had a unique story woven within it. Today we celebrate the 75th year anniversary of that painting, and the series of sketches and paintings that accompanied the masterpiece. In 1981, Yves Saint Laurent named his Autumn/Winter collection after the title of the painting – and put the blouse firmly on the style map. Designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Tom Ford, Kenzo and Oscar de la Renta have one-by-one have carried forward the legacy of Matisse’s love for the Romanian blouse, into the year 2015.

‘La Blouse Roumaine’ by Henri Matisse, 1940 & Yves Saint Laurent Autumn / Winter 1981.
Yves Saint Laurent Autumn / Winter 1981 & Tom Ford Spring / Summer 2012.
Photographer Unknown
La Hongroise a la blouse verte’ by Henri Matisee & Balenciaga Resort 2010
‘The Romanian Blouse with Green Sleeves’ by Henri Matisse & Oscar de la Renta Autumn / Winter 2015.
Jean Paul Gaultier Spring / Summer 2006 & Inspiration images (Photographer Unknown, Henri Matisse ‘Femme a la blouse Roumaine’ x 2 & the Queen of Romania.
Valentino Spring / Summer 2014. Photography: Craig McDean.
La Blouse Roumaine – Odalisque Debout, Henri Matisse & Harpers Bazaar, December 2005. Photography: Anthony Ward, Styling: Stefano Pilati.

2015 is the 75th anniversary of the film, ‘Kitty Foyle’. This movie gave birth to a style of dress – which Ginger Rogers’s character wore – that was characterized by dark fabric and contrasting light collar and cuffs. The style - now called The Kitty Foyle - was deliberately designed (by Hollywood costume designer Reniếeế) for the big screen, as the large amount of white around the face created a well lit and flattering profile. Today is a pictorial celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Kitty Foyle Dress, and its legacy!

Ginger Rogers starring as ‘Kitty Foyle’.
Valentino Autumn/Winter 2013
Ginger Rogers & Dennis Morgan in ‘Kitty Foyle’ & Chanel A/W 2015
Lolita, VladImir Nabakov, 1955
‘The most important thing about dreams is having one’. Abbey Lee Kershaw photographed by Richard Bush, i-D Magazine A/W 2011.
Catherine Deneuve wearing Yves Saint Laurent in ‘Belle du Jour’, 1967.
Natalia Vodianova photographed by Paolo Roversi.
Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams.
Tumblr Curation by:

Explore

Interview

Interview: Twiggy Lawson on Ken Russell

27 November 2019
Twiggy talks how she made the transition from modelling into acting, with help from director Ken Russell.
Interview

Interview: Olivier Meyrou on Yves Saint Laurent

30 October 2019
Director Olivier Meyrou tells Sarah Kathryn Cleaver about the process of making the 2019 film Yves Saint Laurent: The Last Collections, and the nearly two decade wait for it to be released.
Essay

Essay: John Galliano - Modernity and Spectacle

02 March 2002
Past, Present & Couture: Caroline Evans on the spectacle of John Galliano's fashion.
Back to top