Top 7 Fashion Designers of 1960

   In 1960s fashion was bi-polar in about every way. The early 60s were more reminiscent of the 1950s — conservative and restrained; certainly more classic in style and design. The late 1960s were the exact opposite. Bright, swirling colors, Psychedelic, tie-dye shirts and long hair and beards were common place. Woman wore unbelievably short skirts and men wore tunics and capes. The foray into fantasy would not have been believed by people just a decade earlier.

It’s almost like the 1950s bottled everyone up so much that the late 1960s exploded like an old pressure cooker. Women were showing more skin than ever before.

For the first time in the 19th Century, London, not Paris, was the center of the fashion world. The British Invasion didn’t stop with The Beatles. It swept into all parts of life, especially clothing.

But actually, lost in the two extremes is the mid-60s, which I think actually had the coolest style, albeit more subtle. I love the long, slender shapes, the bright colors and the young, London look.

The 1960s had featured a number of diverse trends. It was a decade that broke many fashion traditions, mirroring social movements during the time. In the middle of the decade, culottes, go-go boots, box-shaped PVC dresses and other PVC clothes were very popular... The widely popular bikini came into fashion in 1963 after being featured in the musical Beach Party.

Mary Quant popularised the mini skirt, and Jackie Kennedy introduced the pillbox hat both becoming extremely popular. False eyelashes were worn by women throughout the 1960s, and their hairstyles were a variety of lengths and styles. People were dressing in psychedelic prints, highlighter colors, and mismatched patterns. The hippie movement late in the decade also exerted a strong influence on ladies' clothing styles, including bell-bottom jeans, tie-dye, and batik fabrics, as well as paisley prints.

Top 7 Fashion Designers of the 60s

1. Biba 

Founded by Barbara Hulanicki, in the 1960s, Biba lines was aimed at teenagers mostly, and consisted of what we may refer to as today’s high street fashion. Her colour palette was "muddied colours of brown, sepia, grey and plum" . . . dark but rich. Biba's "swinging London look" was affordable couture recreations and includes the following styles:

Mini-skirts

Long tight sleeves

Maxi skirts

 Cat suits

 Gingham print dresses

Triangular head scarves

Swanky wellies 

Today, if you find an authentic Biba dress, it may sell for as much as $1000

 Brighton Museum and Art Gallery celebrates BIBA

2. Givenchy 
 

Though he rose to fame in the 50's Givenchy’s fashion creations and elegant styles still reverberate in today’s scene. This fashion designer's creations were so refined that it helped to define the 1960s refined style of the chic and sophisticated dressing of movie stars. We all remember the elegant Audrey Hepburn . . . She was mostly dressed in Givenchy's clothing whether on or off screen.

His famed designs include:

 Audrey Hepburn’s little black dress of the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany’s".  

3. André Courrèges  

Courrèges was a French fashion designer who made his 'debut' in the Parisian fashion world of the 1960s with his futuristic, youthful but "high fashion label".

 60's Space age fashion designs - Andre Courrèges

His fashion creations include:

Triangle shaped shift dress that was THE defining silhouette of the 1960s

Well cut pants

Halter tops

 Short skirts

Hip-hugger pants

 Sequined jumpsuits

White mid-calf boots

 Vinyl trimmed coats and suits

 Cigarette pant suit 

 It is claimed that he is the designer that created the mini skirt.  Authentic Courrèges pricey high fashion creations is difficult to find today, but cheaper copies of his works may be found if you can ‘wade’ through vintage clothing hunts.

4. Pierre Cardin    
           

The originator of the fifties’ bubble dresses, Pierre Cardin is a very famous 60s fashion designer who created innovative, contemporary designs that bordered on the unusual and futuristic.

He it was that embraced the use of hammered metal jewelry, industrial zippers, and plastics in his creations. His famous styles include:

Thigh high boots

Collarless jackets

Bright coloured mini shift dresses

 The unisex cosmos suit

 Skinny double-breasted suits

 Slim trousers

 Space-age designs 

5. Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent, an influential fashion designer from Algeria, has had a great impact on the European fashion industry right from the early 60s till date, and it’s not uncommon to find that celebrities and models still gush over his designs even though he passed on from brain cancer in 2008. YSL contributed to many of the sixties fashion trends, with some of his most popular clothing being:

Mondrian shift dress

 Pea coat

Safari jacket

Women tuxedos

Blazers

Sheer blouses

Jumpsuit

Women smoking jackets 

6. Emilio Pucci 

This list will be incomplete without the mention of Pucci, "The Prince of Print" whose designs was mostly recognized for his trademark “psychedelic look” - electric colours, bold geometric prints, and 'clean' racy cuts. Emilio Pucci 1960's - "Prince of prints"

Pucci contributed to the '60s trends like no other. Fashionable women and important personalities Jackie Kennedy and Sophia Loren wore his styles and a great fan of his clothing line, Marilyn Monroe, was even buried in one of his clothes.

His popular designs include:

  Palazzo pant suits

Silk headscarves

 Body hugging mini-skirts

Silk jersey clothing

Psychedelic op art tights – a form of printed leggings

Cropped Capri pants

Poplin shirts

Space age inspired air hostess uniforms 

     

7. Mary Quant

No, Mary Quant didn’t invent the "mini" as many vintage fashion enthusiasts tend to believe. Rather, she gave the style its name by popularising it in the 60s! Many of us have the Quant look 'embedded' in our minds . . . the silhouette ensconced in a mini skirt or a mini shift dress; patent boots, coloured opaque tights, a bob style haircut, prominent and dark eye makeup and false lashes. To replicate the Mary Quant look today is a breeze and you'll find a good number of fashionistas adopting the 1960's "quintessential" Mary Quant style. Her designs were pricey and many a woman found them unaffordable. Nonetheless, she was regarded as one of "London’s swinging” group.  

Her designs include the following:

Star style

Colourful raincoats

Boots with detachable tops

 Mix and match separates

Tight mini-skirts

Hot pants

Lounging pyjamas

Dresses/Skirts with matching colourful tights

Finding an original Mary Quant outfit outside of the UK would be like searching for a needle in the haystack, but replication can be achieved by looking out for the right pieces to create the perfect ensemble.    

In the early-to-mid-1960s, the London Modernists known as the Mods were shaping and defining popular fashion for young British men while the trends for both changed more frequently than ever before in the history of fashion and would continue to do so throughout the decade.

Designers were producing clothing more suitable for young adults, which led to an increase in interest and sales. These designs marked a revolution and set a trend. Would you like to try out a few outfits from the 60s? 
Let us know which one and why? 




ABOUT THE AUTHOR


 
  

Priyankur Sengupta is a passionate designer in the making. He also loves to cook & is a foodie. Travelling and styling are his keen interests. He is also a core team member of ExPress Magazine.

The Final day at the Theatre Exchange

The first day of The National Theatre Exchange ended on a very festive note, only to raise the expectations for the following day. Needless to say, the 502 people at the University Institute Hall on the 27th thoroughly enjoyed the time throughout the two presentations, and it all fell on the Mumbaikars to show their mettle to the Kolkata crowd on the following day. It was a very warm couple of days, and before their performance we had a light hearted conversation with the members of team AmyGo. Learning about their superstitions, their first "Hot"(and I mean it literally) experience of Kolkata, their yearning for the Kolkata special Aloo-Biriyani, was all very nice. And although, they were certainly a bit nervous, it was rarely sparking out from the lot, who were going to stage their 29th presentation of "The E.Q".

SCENES FROM THE BACKSTAGE :-

Smit, Moumita and Karan from the left.

Karan Bhanushali

Dhaval Thakkar

"Akhir yeh E.Q hai kya?" (What is this E.Q?)


Those who have been following the regular updates about the National Theatre Exchange, the background about "The E.Q" is no secret, a journey through the life of Albert Herman Einstein. A regular and average student during his early days, Einstein's life and I.Q has been a subject of wonder for his followers worldwide, and nonetheless the ones who have been regularly researching about this great man, are well aware of the fascinating life of this genius. The E.Q or the Emotional Quotient, an Hindi play written and directed by Amatya Goradia explores the three stages of this man's development. His dyslexic childhood, where he was a subject of bullying for his peers and teachers, his eccentric youth where he shrugged away all societal responsibilities in the quest to success, and in the end, the final stage when he finally achieves all the fame, respect and recognition in his life and retires to a desirable yet troubled state of existence.

Karan Bhanushali as Einstein

Einstein is dead, and his contemporary Thomson Harvey, played by Amatya Goradia, has stolen his brain on the look-out to decipher the secret behind his genius. He is ambitious and adamant at the thought that Einstein's brain contains something very different from his peers. Blink! The scene shifts back to the backdrop of the entire ruckus, the Einstein Quotient and his journey with the endless turmoils, disappointments, relationship disputes, and his own conscience troubles! Three Einsteins, Smit Ganatra, playing the young Albert, dyslexic, and weak in his initial stages, with his jocund outbursts of energy and a different aptitude towards creativity; Omkar Kulkarni, the Einstein in his stages of later development, toiling endlessly to get that one break which would not compel him to join the German army, insensitive and pushing away all his emotional attachments, and finally Karan Bhanushali, the matured, successful genius, in his American days of popularity and that final project which killed him from the inside.  All the actors were very well prepared and presented a fine performance throughout. Smit Ganatra's aberrant and childish performance as the young Einstein deserves a special mention along with Karan Bhanushali! The narrative technique was that of a supreme order, and this is that one point which places this play a place higher than most other performances occurring in this city. Entertaining and impressive, rapid and sensitive, coupled with the fine background scores and lights, there was not a single point in this play which failed to hit the soul of the audience. Amatya Goradia, Take a bow!

Amatya Goradia as Thomson Harvey

The dramatic events have been captured brilliantly through the use of appropriate gimmicks and subtle humour, which makes the complex storyline extremely attractive even for the irregular theatre goers! The very jarring emotional scenes woven very neatly into the story, such as the troubled relationship he shared with his wife Mileba, and the controversial affair with Elsa in the later stages of his life were carried out very smoothly! The emotional connection was well established throughout the entire presentation with its subtle handling of amusement and sensitive moments, and the closing stages of the play stands out in this department. The director's interpretation of the behaviour and eccentricities of this great man, may or may not be original, but that is indeed not the point, what matters is the fine-drawn analysis of one of the most complex individuals in the race of mankind, and the smooth dealing of all his personal affairs put in with the gradual development of the genius. Forget the I.Q, the Einstein Quotient is alive more precisely through the Emotional Quotient, because "Asli Duniya mein Asli logo ki bhawnaye kya hai, ye hum bhi calculate nahi kar sakte!" (Even I would fail to calculate all the emotions of individuals living in a real world)

Mumbaikars, Kudos! 

"The difference between stupidity and genius
is that genius has its limits"

One of the very first of its kind, this event made a considerable impact in the contemporary thespian circuit of Kolkata. Here's hoping and looking forward to many more such events of its kind, which will not only improve the conditions of theatre in this city but also re-establish Kolkata as one of the leading cultural hubs of the country, a position which she has recently lost! 


Write up by :- Anubhav Chakraborty.
Photographs by :- Swagato Basak.

Breaking the Judgemental codes

How many times have you had the phrase "Are you mental?" emphatically thrown at you when you have done something out of the box? Indeed, our knee-jerk response to someone doing something jarring or unusual, even if it is to a positive end, is to call them crazy. Barking mad. Lunatic.

Somehow we have taken it upon ourselves to decide what is obsolete and what is significant in the world. Functionality is the basis of our judgement. If you are missing a limb and contributing to the society still, you will get some passing stares here and there. If you are missing, say, both legs, and you are wheelchair-bound, you will get sympathetic glances, pats on the back. If you are quadriplegic, you will have an ill-tempered nurse who may or may not be inclined towards listening to your sob stories at her leisure. The functionality of your body really determines if you are human, half-human, one-third of a human being, or just a piece of flesh to be passed by and ignored. And if you have lost the functionality of your mind, why then you are not human at all. If you are roaming the streets naked with your hair in a knot, you are to be ogled at and made fun of. If you are asked to identify yourself with such a person, you get uncomfortable. How can you possibly think of yourself as someone so dysfunctional, disarrayed? You are normal. Functioning. Working limbs, working mind.

What if you are the abnormal one to those whom you brand sub-normal? Can it be proven for a fact that the people who appear crazy to us because they do not adhere to our norms are simply in touch with a higher truth, or some facet of existence that we, with our "normal" intelligence, cannot comprehend? If the majority decides right and wrong, we must remember the Jewish children in the gas-chambers. We must not forget the old lady in the concentration camp sending out her last prayer. This is not a case of defence for the mentally disabled. This is not a case of defence for the physically challenged. And this is certainly not romanticising the same. This is not to tell you that the cuts on your wrists are beautiful or that your depression sets you apart and transforms you into a mysterious, mystifying creature. This is not what the quotation-pictures floating all over Facebook tell you.

This is an address to the disturbing tendency of mankind to dismiss all that does not conform to the norm or falls short of it. Inability does not render someone worthless, insignificant or in-human. Time and again, we have thrown an appalled "You need help!" to a loved one. Time and again we have heard people ask "Why should I go to a shrink; you think I'm crazy?" And we have comforted them by saying "It's juvenile of you to think that only crazy people go to psychiatrists!"

When will we start saying "It's okay to be crazy"? I am not suggesting that your schizophrenia is absolutely normal or that if you at times want to gouge your friend's eye out, it's okay for you to do so. This is simply to say that in spite of your craziness or with it, whether it is a slow decay like that of depression, the raving of bipolar swings, or the absolutely undignified craziness of roaming the streets naked and quarrelling with thin air, you are human. You deserve compassion. You deserve love. We were all born because we deserved love at one point or the other. This is not to say that you deserve special treatment. You deserve special care when you need it. You deserve to be treated uniquely when there is someone who thinks it appropriate to treat you that way. You are not less of a human being if you need help. You are not weak if you are sick. Compassion is your birth right. We need to live in a world where we can demand compassion from every pedestrian zooming past us. We need to live in such a world because we deserve it.

This is a reminder.
Remember, you are never weak.
You are wonderfully, painfully, so tenderly human.
You might be normal or you might be crazy, but neither makes you shameful.
Remember, you deserve love, very logically so.
You are never a vessel for mockery, and never, ever ridiculous.


Article by :- Shaoni Roy.

WHY INDIANS SPEAK ILL OF INDIA?

“India was known as the golden sparrow. We had the largest reserves of gold in the whole world.
India was like an eagle soaring high in the wide open sky and the shine of whose glory and grandeur spread like the sunshine, through out the world. We have a rich cultural heritage and are the largest
democracy in the world.”- elders to their young ones.

“What the hell ? What do we have here? Nothing. not proper transport facility, neither proper medical facilities throughout the country, there is so much poverty. There is so much garbage and dirt all around, it stinks so much, I wish I was born in some other place. Just look at Australia, New York, China, London, even Indonesia and Thailand are more developed than us. Our fates are just burned. What will happen to our country, only God knows.”- when the same elders talk among themselves , so called wise talk.

How do we define being healthy? If we go by books, it’s the state of being mentally physically and socially sound.

So are these people healthy? Yes of course, thy are no doubt their medical reports will be okay, but
what about their moral report? How can you call yourself mentally sound when you don’t respect your own country, when your minds think so cheap about the country you are born in , your so called motherland. And you call yourself healthy…..

Most Indians are sick. Not by the literal meaning of the term, they are sick from their minds. When you yourself cannot respect your country how can we expect others to respect our country. If someone speaks ill about your family, you feel bad, but if they speak about your country , instead of opposing, you join them in mocking your country.

This is what I want to highlight. The reason why most Indians speak ill about their own country is the mentality. If we look into our political system, our politicians are more interested in playing blame games in the parliament than work for the betterment of the country. No other parliament in the world is there where politicians howl and yell like ill mannered hooligans and if possible strip each other with their words. And this blame game seems to be in the blood of every Indian. We often say Britishers looted us and ruined our economy but we never see what our failure is. This is where blame game starts. Indians are too adamant to accept their own mistake. If a student gets caught cheating, he blames his friend for same, if a political party is unable to fulfill a promise to the mass, they blame the opposition for delay in the work, when a party worker gets hurt, instead of taking him to hospital they start attacking the opposition for revenge blaming them.

This is what is wrong with the Indians. We need to change our mentality, take responsibility for our own deeds and act accordingly. We just cannot sit and criticize others and do nothing. we need to work if we need we need to change situation,just blaming the government and cursing our fate wont work. Actually the people are comfortable enough to sit in their houses and ridicule the system rather than coming out in the open and fighting for our rights. We are not willing to work for our betterment we just enjoy sitting idle and criticizing others. Might be the Britishers did loot us, but they introduced some good measures too, which yet again we refuse to accept. This is what we need to change, our attitude, our mentality.

We are talking of so many government reforms like “Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan” and “Clean India campaign” but the thing is are we doing it whole heartedly? Just cleaning the streets one day when you will get recorded on television doesn’t really serve the purpose of CLEAN INDIA. Our Honorable Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi started this campaign that he would walk upon the steps of Gandhiji and fulfill his desire of clean India. He got various celebrities into the campaign . But what about the general people? As I said mentality is all that we need to change-“another try by Modi to seek votes.” That is the mass reaction.

It also seems that the 200 years of British rule has introduced a gene into the Indian blood, which
gives them the ability of underestimate themselves and overestimate others and praise others while rebuke ourselves. The greatest example of it is our national anthem, which doesnot praise the
country but the british overlord or the queen of England. Same is case with the Indians. They like
rebuking their own country in front of the foreigners just to show their supremacy and gain their good looks and well wishes. Again mentality has to change.



We talk so much of brain drain theory, and blame the government and foreigners for the brain drain of India's but if the Indians would have been not willing to go and help in country development they could not have been taken out of their beloved country.

I hope we all know of “Make in India” campaign. But how many of us have supported it? We prefer
foreign brands, high quality, better goods, yet if an Indian company gives the same product of semi-quality at a lower price, our reaction-“its an Indian company, no brand might be defective, I should
go for the branded product.” So if you cannot help in your country’s growth yet you want to hold the right to ridicule it and say “nothing can happen to India. This country is gone.

Again this is where our mentality has to change. Thus my final opinion is CHANGE.

Change your mentality and that will change your fate.

AUTHOR : Anurag Sengupta