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10 Of Fashion’s Biggest Rebels And Rule-Breakers

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Fashion

10 Of Fashion’s Biggest Rebels And Rule-Breakers

Because well-behaved women rarely make history

October 31, 2018

“Well-behaved women rarely make history,” wrote noted historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich in 1976. The same can be said when it comes to fashion. From The Met’s spring 2012 Costume Institute exhibition, “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations”, to the 2015 Albert Maysles film, Iris (as in Apfel), it is the women who have ignored the status quo—be it when dressing themselves or others—who have inspired countless books, exhibitions and documentaries in their honour; and forever influenced the course of fashion.

https://www.harpersbazaar.com.sg/gallery/iconic-women-fashion-rebels-prada/
10 Of Fashion's Biggest Rebels And Rule-Breakers
The Designers: Elsa Schiaparelli
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Elsa Schiaparelli’s most lasting legacies are her signature shade, shocking pink, and her surrealist pieces designed with artists like Salvador Dali—a prelude to the now common collaborations between art and fashion. Schiaparelli’s work upturned traditional notions of clothing and accessories: A shoe as a hat? Why not?

The Designers: Miuccia Prada
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With a similar predilection for challenging what is considered “ladylike”, Miuccia Prada has been credited for making “ugly” chic for decades. Her thought-provoking designs have changed the fashion system, one nylon bag at a time.

Related article: Lady Gaga Gave An Incredibly Powerful Speech At Elle’s Women In Hollywood Event

The Designers: Rei Kawakubo
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The same goes for Rei Kawakubo, who has changed the way we dress, with her avant-garde designs for Comme des Garçons; and the way we shop, with her revolution of the retail experience via Dover Street Market.

The Tastemakers: Diana Vreeland
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Diana Vreeland’s belief that “too much good taste can be boring” translated into words and images that tested the limits of the imagination, adding a welcome irreverence to an industry that often takes itself too seriously.

The Tastemakers: Katie Grand
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Katie Grand’s risk-taking work as a stylist for brands including Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs has seen unconventional choices on the runway and in campaigns; whether it comes to models or outfits.

The Tastemakers: Karla Welch
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Uber-stylist Karla Welch, who has put her clients in neon green fringed dresses (Sarah Paulson in Prada) and disco ball-meets-feather-duster gowns (Tracee Ellis Ross in Chanel) has shaken up the red carpet and the tabloids, proving you don’t have to look like a princess to be best-dressed.

Related article: Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Broke A Royal Rule For A Special Fan

The Muses: Isabella Blow
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One of the most famous examples of the designer-muse relationship is that of the late Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow: She discovered his talent, and her fearless style inspired his designs up to the end.

The Muses: Marchesa Luisa Casati
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Other “eccentrics” who dressed to express—and please—only themselves, and in turn inspired others, include: Marchesa Luisa Casati, the flamboyant Italian aristocrat, who has been cited as an inspiration by Karl Lagerfeld, Dries van Noten and Tom Ford…

The Muses: Edith and Edie Bouvier Beale
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… and Grey Gardens’ Edith and Edie Bouvier Beale, whose madcap influence continue to be referenced in collections from 2008 (John Galliano) to 2018 (Attico).

The Muses: Iris Apfel
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Then, of course, there is Iris Apfel, whose extensive fashion collection and inimitable style have been celebrated in multiple exhibitions (The Met’s Costume Institute, Le Bon Marche) and collaborations (Swarovski, Happy Socks).

Related article: Here’s How To Wear Sleepwear And Make It Cocktail Chic

 

  • TAGS:
  • Amusing
  • Comme Des Garcons
  • Diana Vreeland
  • Edith Beale
  • Elsa Schiaparelli
  • Grey Gardens
  • Iris Apfel
  • Isabella Blow
  • Karla Welch
  • Katie Grand
  • Marchesa Luisa Casati
  • Miu Miu
  • Miuccia Prada
  • October 2018
  • Prada
  • Rei Kawakubo
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MCI (P) 031/12/2022. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. Copyright © 2023 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.