Necessity is the mother of invention
The Second World War had a massive impact on France. After the Nazi occupation Paris was suffering from shortages of food, heat, electricity and fabric. This had a devastating effect on the fashion industry, an industry which at the time was the second biggest employer in the nation. Many fashion houses closed their doors never to reopen again.
The theatre de la mode was created to showcase the designs using 27 inch dolls rather than live sized models. They were staged using settings that represented Persian streets. The Theatre Del La Mode represents hope, struggle and rebirth, an inventive way to promote the Paris Fashion houses within the limitations of all the shortages. The Chambre Syndicale of Paris organised the Theater Del la Mode which collaborated 53 designers to showcase exquisite designs of painstaking beauty and detail. The designs where worked on over the winter of 1944/45. The final designs included lining, closures, jewelry, hats, shoes and gloves, handbags and many more accessories.
