Crisis and Couture: The Commercial and Cultural Influence of Fashion Dolls During Periods of Sociopolitical and Economic Strife
Open AccessDuring the summer of 2020, amid the global outbreak of COVID-19, runway shows were canceled, international travel was banned, and fashion brands were forced to consider alternative methods of presenting their collections. Two luxury fashion houses, Dior and Moschino, decided to pay homage to the 1945 exhibition Le Théâtre de la Mode (The Theater of Fashion), a collection of dolls dressed in miniature garments crafted by France’s finest couturiers (dressmakers) to promote French fashion following Germany’s occupation of Paris. After World War II, France suffered from severe economic instability and limited resources. Its fashion industry had been cut off from the outside world for four years, causing it to lose its dominant position in the international market. Parisian fashion designers wanted the world to experience French excellence notwithstanding financial struggles and limited resources. Thus, they utilized fashion dolls, one of the original forms of sartorial exchange in Western fashion.For centuries, fashion dolls facilitated the dissemination of sartorial traditions in the Western world, carrying with them messages of social status, political affiliation, and national pride. While today’s fashion dolls are often marketed as toys, historical fashion dolls were not intended for play; they originated as luxury objects that facilitated the exchange of fashion trends and traditions. In the case of the Théâtre de la Mode, the dolls created the perception of French prosperity and longevity in the face of war and economic crisis. The Théâtre presented a glamorous miniature world free of pain and suffering. The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic shared similar hardships to those of war. Unemployment soared and fatalities increased relentlessly. People experienced isolation from friends and loved ones with no indication of when the crisis would pass. Dior and Moschino took cues from the Parisian designers of the postwar era and turned to fashion dolls to inspire escapism and nostalgia in consumers during a period of social and economic crisis when luxury fashion would have been the last thing on most peoples’ minds. This thesis explores the many ways in which dressmakers, fashion companies, and even governments have capitalized on miniature fashion, which has captivated the public, particularly during periods of political and economic unrest. Chapter 1 discusses the history of fashion dolls dating back to the late 1300s and explores the political messages fashion dolls carried as they traveled the European continent and journeyed overseas to America. Chapter 2 discusses the commercial and philanthropic roles dolls played in France’s high fashion industry during and immediately after the world wars. Chapter 3 explores the Fall 2020 Haute Couture collection from Dior and the Spring 2021 Ready-to-Wear collection from Moschino, created and presented during the first year of the pandemic. Together, these chapters demonstrate how, throughout Western history, fashion dolls have symbolized luxury, prosperity, and power. Their aspirational appeal underscores their role in the history of decorative arts. By utilizing dolls to market their work, fashion designers have used fantasy and escapism to reinforce national identity and cultural influence during periods of sociopolitical and economic hardship.
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