in 1962 and his first boutique in 1966. Other notable designers that were
influential in this decade are Emilio Pucci, Paco Rabanne, Mary Quant, Milo
Schoen, Nina Ricci, Valentino and Franco Moschino. Each of these designers
contributed a form of innovation to fashion development. For example, Yves
Saint Laurent was one of the first designers to create a complete collection
per season, and Emilio Pucci introduced the use of the print in luxury apparel.
The 1960s also witnessed a rapid growth of the Italian influence in fashion
and the expansion of the accessories market, including the Italian invention
of the stiletto.
The social temperance of the 1960s highly favoured fashion. Society grav-
itated towards women’s liberation and fashion became one of the most visi-
ble ways of portraying the new woman. The designs of Chanel, Yves Saint
Laurent and Christian Dior all embodied the new woman’s freedom.
Women’s independence also extended to the adoption of fashion as a trendy
vocation, leading to the emergence of several fashion schools in Europe and
America.
The 1960s was also the first decade of the popular and youth culture move-
ments. People became non-conformist to fashion dictations and began to
express their individual attitudes and mood through their clothing and acces-
sories. British designer Mary Quant played a key role in this social order
through her unconventional approach to fashion. Her eccentric style, intro-
duced at a time when the fashion society craved a revolution, contributed to
her success. The pop culture of the 1960s would later lead to other fashion
culture spin-offs such as the punk culture of the 1980s.
Towards the end of the 1960s, designers also became bolder and more
experimental, using materials such as metal, plastic and wires to design
clothes. These generated great press coverage and became a tool for the later
utilization of haute couturefor publicity rather than for commercial gains.
This decade of great fashion moments also ushered in the era of the
‘Designers as Celebrity’, which is still prevalent. However, fashion designers
were not the only popular group. Other celebrities especially Hollywood stars
and international icons, notably America’s first lady Jackie Kennedy, also
contributed to the growth of fashion in the 1960s.
The seventies
The 1970s was the decade of the growth and prosperity of fashion manufac-
turers, notably the American ready-to-wear mass producers. The advancement
in manufacturing technology and expertise led to rapid design and product
turnover and increased ready-to-wear exports all over the world. Mass
production also began to threaten the fashion leadership position of Paris for
the first time. This was amplified by the decline of the demand for haute
couture, which had its domain in Paris. However, the lack of a single city in
chapter 2 31the history of luxury fashion branding