Fashion is an important aspect of Brunant's cultural life and society. Brunanter fashion acquired some note in the 15th century (especially after independence in 1428), and Brunanter textile making and clothing became well-known in the Mediterranean region. By the 17th century Brunant's fashion fell behind the Italian and especially the growing French fashion.
Grijzestad, the fashion capital, gave way to Koningstad in the 19th century, and at the turn of the 20th century, the revived textile industry in Sint-Willemstad gave way to a revival of the fashion industry. Modern haute-couture was born in the mid-1880s with Maison Cosworth. More fashion houses sprang up in the 1920s and 1930s.
The effects of the German occupation of Brunant greatly affected the fashion industry, which struggled in the postwar period. Readymade clothes, in the late 1940s and through the 1950s greatly changed the landscape of the industry as a whole.
History[]
Pre-19th century[]
15th century fashion, from an early 18th c. French print
Fashions in the medieval and early-modern periods were similar to those of southern France and Catalonia. The wealthy could afford fine silks imported from the far east or Arabia, and often looked to Europe for designs.
19th century[]
Brunanter traditional clothing originates in the mid-19th century. For women, the Bergantina, characterized by a long red skirt begins to take hold as the peasants dress, today the typical folk costume. Breeches or slim pants together with a white shirt and a red sash were typical of countrymen. Particularly in the north, a red cap known as a barret (analogous to the French beret) is used.
One of the first couturiers in Brunant was Jean-Jacques Cosworth, who founded Maison Cosworth in 1880, to become the leading fashion house up to the Great War.
Early 20th century[]
1930 Cassals dress
At the turn of the century French fashions of the Art Nouveau period become in vogue in Brunant, and by the 1920s heavily influenced Brunanter fashion. French-born Louis Hermite was one of these early haute couture designers, establishing label Hermite in 1921. Robert Rand was another noted designer of the 1920s, well-known in the interwar period for his designs.
The iconic designer of this period was Julian Cassals; without formal training unlike Hermite and Rand, he established fashion house Cassals in 1930 and became known for his slim, straight dresses which epitomized the period. Contemporary to him was Ingrid Van Draak, a fashion-conscious princess, though she became best known for her form-fitting waist designs in the 1940s.
Postwar period[]
1949 Bidarte dress
By the postwar period both Rand and Hermite had stopped actively designing, and their companies were the first high-quality labels to produce and embrace readywear collections to stay afloat in a difficult economy. Cassals refused to have his company produce an off-the-rack collection, therefore was unable to make significant earnings.
The late 1940s saw the French <<New Look>> penetrate Brunanter design, starting with Traspesian-born Sergio Bidarte. He introduced a style of wide shoulders and slim waists in 1948, and was form-fitting skirts and pants and helping create a sliming figure, comapred to the straight, loose designs of the 1930s. A contemporary of his was Barbara Cowan; the first big female in the Brunanter fashion, Cowan worked extensively with singer and model Anna Lindbergs and Greek model Zafira in the 1960s and 1970s. Cowan's designs were considered to be much more formal and used details and elements from 19th and 18th century design.
1960s[]
1970s[]
1973 Andrea Penley dress
The decade was marked by the use of brightly-coloured designs, in particular flower prints. Andrea Penley was well-known for this, having increasingly bolder-patterned designs as the decade progressed. George Carrington, a contemporary of Penley, became nown for knit dresses and shirts.
At the start of the decade, though, simpler, bold-coloured designs as seen in the previous decade were the norm.
Men's fashion followed trends similar to women. Flower-patterned shirts were in vogue, particularly after 1975, as were wider collars and loose-legged pants.
1980s[]
The 1980s American fashion and trends come to dominate the Brunanter look, in particular due to the work of Gabriele Monk.
1990s[]
Alexandre Sarria became an influential designer, leading Robert Rand from 1991 to 1994 before joining Monk to become head of design.
2000s and 2010s[]
The Sarria fashion house was created in 2000 by Alexandre Sarria, notable for extravagant designs as well as his vintage-inspired readywears. Other notad designers include Jacob Annat, known for his minimalist work at Monk, Jeroen Lauwens, who has led the resurgence of Robert Rand to the forefront, and Amir Joudeh, working on stylish and practical designs.
A number of accessible fashion retailers, such as Traffic, undercover and War have seen success in Brunant and abroad.