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Exhibition: 'Silk and Steel: French Fashion, Women and WWI'

Updated: Oct 25, 2021

Sept 2020 - Sept 2021, Wylie Gallery


Throughout a time of global chaos, with men fighting a devastating war during WWI, women across the world actively sought out and pursued current and modern roles and responsibilities. New opportunities were offered to women within war industries, agriculture, nursing, and transport, which allowed them to receive equal pay, respect and the right to vote. It is believed that especially in France the survival of women’s fashion contributed hugely in life during the Great War. “Women’s fashion needed to adapt to the necessities of new actions, scarcity of materials and ever-present societal morale needs.” Outstandingly, France’s fashion industry responded int he most remarkable way.


The Wylie Gallery held an exhibition titled ‘Silk and Steel: French Fashion, Women, and WWI’, which calls attention to the success of French fashion during the First World War. Designers including Coco Chanel created new clothing and modern linework that was inspired by the military. On account of fabrics and materials being rationed the French fashion industry was able to think of creative and imaginative ways in order to adapt to the scarcity of materials.



The exhibition tells the story of women’s fashion and World War I, highlighting the experience of women’s service during the world war. In addition to exhibiting fashion, the display also features items that help others understand how people reacted to war time conditions, as participants but also in their daily lives. The main focus is fashion, but there’s many other aspects part of the exhibition, such as materials that were used on the battlefield, or objects that were made by women during the war. The most crucial part to take away from the exhibition is having learnt what women had to experience and adapt to during the world war, and how then they managed to guide the way for many possibilities that women have today.

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