How Did Hitler Respond To The Evolution Of Paris Fashion Design

Most of the fashion houses of Paris closed up shop in 1940 because the Germans took over the factories and for the first time, the creation and art of fashion was happening in other countries than in France. Hitler detested Paris fashions and considered them to be pro-Jewish, anti-German, and corrupt. Digby Morton and Irish fashion designer took a traveling fashion show to Bristol, England. He would design Utility clothing for the British government. The Utility Clothing Scheme (CC41) was a British rationing scheme during rationing that they hope was an answer to the shortage of clothing materials, and factories, available for manufacturing. The process of manufacture was completely and thoroughly reorganized and streamlined, and every element

In spite of these restrictions the products produced were of good quality and affordable. Consumers would look for the CC41 logo on products and could be confident that the product not only meet ration and wartime standards but be a reliable product as well. Coco Channel continued to live in her apartment in Paris with her Nazi lover, Hans Günther von Dincklage, but shut down her fashion house in 1939 and did not reopen for 15 years. Once in operation again Channel would be as popular as before and is still open today. Channel detested Elsa Schiaparelli, her rival in the fashion world, as much as Hitler detested Paris fashions. Elsa Schiaparelli, another top designer in Paris, kept her fashion house open. Although Schiaparelli did not design, she kept busy touring giving lectures and raising significant amounts of money for charity work. After the war, Schiaparelli could not adapt to changes in the fashion world and closed the doors in 1954. It did not open back up until 2007 and only recently presented its first show in 2014. Maison Vionnet, a French designer who had enjoyed success with her fashion house after the first World War also collaborated with

One of those reasons was that rubber was in limited supply since it was one of the first things rationed. It was in limited supply because the Japanese had taken over the rubber producing nations of Malaya and the Dutch West Indies in 1942. These counties had been America’s leading sources of rubber. The rubber available was used or recycled for tires. What little rubber available is confiscated and recycled for the war effort. Wood was substituted for the soles of shoes since rubber was not available. The wood soles were not very comfortable since they were hard and were not flexible but lasted longer. Canvas and leather for shoes were also in short supply. It was not long before people could not find their size and had to make do with shoes that did not fit correctly. Between the two people would pick the pair that was too big. Children would eventually grow into them and children and adults alike could stuff the toes of the shoes with rags. Closed-toed shoes with sturdy heels replaced dainty shoes with open toes. While they put extra effort into making shoes attractive with limited resources, as they did with clothing, they were both made to be long wearing so they would not need replacement as often. Also, since people were walking instead of