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Ravindu Ranawaka
AP English 12
Mr. White
Period 2
December 7, 2015

Teaching Fashion History

For my senior project I desire to develop a lesson plan focusing entirely on 20th century
fashion. 20th century fashion is so important to American youths studying modern world history
due to the fact that fashion can be found in every single situation, event, and time period in
history. The fashion industry had a powerful impact on the events that occurred during the
twentieth century. For example during World War II the uniforms for Nazi soldiers were
specifically designed by German fashion designer Hugo boss; during the assassination of former
president of the United States, John F. Kennedy Kennedy's wife Jackie was wearing a pastel pink
two-piece Chanel suit with a black lined pillbox hat. This outfit is now one of the most
memorable pieces worn by a first lady of the United States. This suit highlighted the femininity
and strength of American women as Jackie Kennedys struggle to overcome the pains associated
with her husband's death became associated with the color pink which was adopted as a staple
color by masses of American women. American students need to know about the significance of
different ribbons, coats, jackets, pant styles, and other articles of clothing that help distinguish
military officers during battle; this is important due to the fact that multiple world wars, the
Vietnam War, and other major military events took place during the twentieth century. Students
need to know how fashion can affect the power of major political figures. In 2014 President

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Obama wore a tan suit instead of his traditional and trademark navy blue and black suits
undermining his speech on foreign-policy and altering his public image. The fashion industry is
the third largest industry in the world; as long as human beings continue to wear clothes, Fashion
will be extremely important and relevant in society. I choose to do this for my senior project
because students must learn how fashion has shaped historical events and made the world how it
is today.

The 20th century spawned several revolutionary fashion designers who possess the
astounding ability to influence the universe of fashion for decades after their conception. Coco
Chanel was an extremely influential fashion designer. Emerging to fame in the early 20s after
escaping a life of poverty and pain growing up in a French orphanage, Chanel managed to design
several iconic garments and liberate women from the strict and conservative confines of society.
The iconic Chanel jacket, the two toned shoe, the Chanel bag, the Chanel hat,and the Chanel suit
allowed women to have clothes that gave them the confidence to go up against men and question
the patriarchal ideals stemming from the 19th century; Chanel's designs also encouraged women
to pursue careers in male dominated fields such as business and science.This ties in with the
contemporary feminist movement since women had more of an influence in society while they
were holding important and demanding jobs. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on of the
most powerful women in the world, often wears Chanel two piece suits as a symbol of power and
grace.(Sischy, The Designer Coco Chanel)Cristobal Balenciaga is the revered Spanish fashion
designer who managed to bring a sense of modernity and freshness to a fashion landscape
dominated by tight corsets and old-fashioned gender restrictions on fashion. Balenciaga was also
responsible for pioneering the androgyny movement where the lines between societal
expectations of the genders became blurred. Hailing from rural Spain, Balenciaga managed to

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leave his nation and travel to the urban hub of Paris. He managed to have a strong presence
among the French elite for his masculine designs for woman and his confident and sassy attitude.
He is most famous for his Balenciaga bags which allowed women to carry more items with them
while simultaneously looking stylish which was perfect for the working woman.
(Charleston,"Cristobal Balenciaga) Christian Dior is a prominent French fashion designer who
is now venerated as one of the most influential designers in modern world history. Dior is
known for creating the popular A-line and Y-line dress types which can still be found in
contemporary fashion. He made his designs staples in the households of many of Europes elite.
He rose to prevalence in the late 40s and early 50s, changing the pin up and quaint style of
fashion to an ultramodern and sleek look for women.(Charleston,Based on original work by
Harold Koda. Christian Dior) The most influential avant garde fashion designers in the
twentieth century were the Antwerp Six.The Antwerp Six is composed of six fashion designers:
Marina Yee,Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk
Bikkembergs, and Dirk Van Saene. These designers attended the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in
Antwerp Belgium and migrated to Paris in order to establish a new wave of fashion. Together
they created unique new styles of fashion that allowed for the city of Antwerp to become
extremely notable for fashion design.(Rabkin,The Fashion Trail | Alma Mater of the Antwerp
Six Celebrates Anniversary.)

The 20th century with peppered with fashions that were influenced by famous designers,
race, society, and other factors. Fashion trends in the 20s are inspired by the designer Coco
Chanel's reduction of the length of the hemline. The origins of fashion garments such as the
heavily stylized and popular flapper dress, the bob haircut, and the Slingback shoe are stemmed
in the 20s. Women were becoming more and more liberated in the fashion world and slowly

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began to change their appearance to fit an environment that was modernizing. (The Peoples
History Team, Fashions and Accessories from the 1920s)Coco Chanel was responsible for
shortening the hemline of dresses to expose previously hidden ankles .The 50s emphasizes
designs by Christian Dior, Accentuating slim frames and hip hugging cuts. The 50s made a
tremendous impact on body image by promoting skinny models such as Twiggy, leading
American society to perceive being skinny as the ideal body weight. The 1960s was a period of
time when fashion involved a rapid metamorphosis from a conservative flouncy view on fashion
to an ultramodern sleek look to fit the new half of the century. (Shmoop Editorial
Team,"Economy in History of American Fashion)Hemlines shortened over a foot in a single
season and the trend became a staple in any woman's wardrobe from then until the present day.
Streetwear was becoming intensely popular in the 1960s, leading up to punk and the grunge
movements that correlated with the revolutions in music and entertainment blossoming around
that time. (Victoria and Albert Museum Team, History of 1960s Fashion and Textiles.)The 90s
incorporates popular and streetwear designs alongside the incorporation of brightly colored
clothing made out of cheap fabrics, thus fast fashion was born.

Teaching fashion to students is a daunting task. Teaching in general is an art form that
must be practiced through years of work and dedication.major questions must be introduced
when teaching fashion in contemporary American schools. How can Fashion be taught in
classrooms? Why is fashion relevant in modern day society? In modern times, many teachers
utilize technology and assignments to convey information to their students. The implementation
of technology such as smartboards, iPads, smartphones and more, will bring the traditional and
strict world of the classroom into the 21st-century.(Johnson,Great Teachers Dont Teach) A
progressive and fresh method of teaching must be cultivated in order to suit the special interests

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and needs of the millennial generation. Fashion is extremely relevant in today's society due to the
fact that a majority of fashion capitals are located in urbanized areas where students will
eventually go to find employment opportunities. The major fashion capitals on this planet are
located in four cities New York, London, Milan, and of course Paris. These cities are known to
be the hubs of fashion, anybody who's anybody will flock to these centers during fashion week
every six months to experience next season's designs and styles. However, many fashion experts
predict that other nations and other cities will begin to produce more and more fashion brands,
thus creating new fashion capitals. Many people anticipate the first major fashion brand to spring
out of China, however, many Chinese consumers want to see European brands instead; therefore,
Chinese high fashion brands need to make it big in Europe before branching out. This is why a
lot of Asian brands host their shows in Paris such as Rei Kawakubo for Comm de Garons.
(Friedman,Are New Fashion Capitals on the Rise?) Due to the fact that my school is located in
Simi Valley California, I can safely assume that a large portion of the students that I will be
teaching will continue to live their lives in California. A primary city in Southern California, Los
Angeles, will be an attractive destination to find jobs; Los Angeles is a perfect destination for
acquiring employment in the field of fashion due to the fact that a gargantuan amount of fashion
companies such as rip curl, billabong, juicy couture, and other brands are located in Los Angeles.
Students living in America often find that they can understand a certain subject better if they can
personally relate to it. When discussing issues such as racism and sexism in American schools,
students who have experienced these issues possessed personal links with these problems. In the
case of fashion in the classroom, students need to realize that Fashion is woven into almost every
part of their lives.

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Teaching fashion to American children living in the 21st-century is important because
they need to know how the fashion industry has helped change events in history, bring about
social revolution, and allowed people to survive throughout the existence of the human race.
Doctors, nurses, police officers, and other uniform do people wear clothing that reflect their own
personal profession and status. Fashion can mirror the economy of an area and a time. Fashion
can also provide other historical insight into the lives of individuals living in specific time
periods and locations around the globe. Fashion is one of the largest industries in the world and
employs huge amounts of people. In the United States alone, one in every six people are
employed in the fashion industry in one form or the other. The fashion industry manages to
survive and thrive although many people tend to overlook it. It is important for students to learn
more about this industry due to the fact that it can influence the lives of thousands of people,
From sweatshop workers in Thailand, to rich aristocrats in Paris, to high schoolers in Simi
Valley, California.
Works Cited
Charleston, Beth Duncuff. "Cristobal Balenciaga (18951972)".The Metropolitan Museum of
Art, Oct 2004.Web.Sept 17, 2015
Charleston, Beth Duncuff. Based on original work by Harold Koda. "Christian Dior
(19051957)". The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Oct 2004.Web. Sep 17, 2015
Friedman, Vanessa. Are New Fashion Capitals on the Rise? The New York Times. June 4, sdsed
2015. Web. Sept 17, 2015.
Fury, Alexander. The Enigma of Haute Couture, The New York Times, Mar 31, 2015.web. Sept
17, 2015.
Johnson, Ben. Great Teachers Dont Teach, Edutopia. June 28, 2013. Web. 17 Sep, 2015.

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Rabkin, Eugene, The Fashion Trail | Alma Mater of the Antwerp Six Celebrates Anniversary.
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Business of Fashion. Spt 9, 2013. Web, Sept 17, 2015.

Shmoop Editorial Team. "Economy in History of American Fashion." Schmoop. 11 Nov. 2014.
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Web. 17 Sep. 2015.

Sischy, Ingrid. The Designer Coco Chanel, Time, June 8, 1998.web.Sep 17, 2015.
The Peoples History Team, Fashions and Accessories from the 1920s. Peoples History. July
v

9, 2014. Web. 17 Sept , 2015.

Victoria and Albert Museum Team, History of 1960s Fashion and Textiles. Victoria and
fgfgfdf Albert Museum. Date Unknown. Web. Sept 17, 2015.