Chanel to Westwood: Women, Fashion, Innovation

From 1920s Chanel sportswear, to Mary Quant’s childlike mini dresses, to Westwood’s ‘ugly’ shapes and materials – join V&A experts to learn about the impact women had on 20th-century fashion, as innovative designers, artisans, publicists, and clients.

Bookended by two icons, Gabrielle Chanel and Vivienne Westwood, this course explores the radical revisions to the idea of femininity that took place in the 20th century. We will study Elsa Schiaparelli, Chanel’s great rival, who worked with artists to create garments that were Surrealist works of art – and Mary Quant, who took Chanel’s pared-down look into the 1960s. Alongside these will be discussions of lesser-known women designers and artisans whose influence on fashion was just as important, as well as the male couturiers Christian Dior and Yves St Laurent, whose designs led radical shifts in female style in the post-war period.

This course runs online every Thursday for 5 weeks. Not able to attend live? You can also enjoy all of the course content on catch up at a time to suit you - plus you'll get an extra 5 weeks to catch up once the course ends.

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This course is suitable for participants aged 18 and over.