Post-War Revolution: The New Look and New Technologies

Christian Dior's 1947 "New Look" required technical innovation to achieve its dramatic silhouettes. The collection used 20 yards of fabric per dress when material remained rationed. But beyond extravagance lay engineering. Dior's atelier developed new corsetry integrating elastic panels for comfort. Skirts achieved volume through innovative petticoat construction using horsehair canvas and tulle in scientifically calculated proportions.

The democratization of fashion accelerated through technological advancement. Ready-to-wear, previously dismissed by couturiers, became respectable through technical improvement. Standardized sizing, developed through anthropometric studies, made mass production viable. French manufacturers pioneered computer-aided design for pattern grading. The gap between couture and ready-to-wear narrowed through shared technology.

Pierre Cardin embraced synthetic materials others scorned. His 1960s collections used vinyl, metals, and plastics in ways previously unimaginable. This required developing new construction techniques—traditional sewing methods didn't work with non-woven materials. Cardin's workshops pioneered heat-sealing, ultrasonic welding, and adhesive bonding. These space-age fashions required space-age manufacturing.

André Courrèges took modernism further, creating clothes for "the woman of the future." His 1964 "Moon Girl" collection featured flat-seamed construction minimizing bulk, innovative use of synthetics like PVC, and accessories incorporating electronics. While some dismissed this as gimmickry, Courrèges anticipated wearable technology by decades. His precise, architectural approach influenced industrial design beyond fashion.