Madeleine Vionnet clothes were famous for accentuating the female’s natural curves. What influence her designs were the dances of Isadora Duncan, a dance whom people consider her to be the creator of the modern dance. Greek art and Egyptian frescos would inspire Vionnet, which the dresses look to be floating freely around the body. She knew if you cut the fabric diagonal or bias it would be draped to match the curves of a women’s body. She used the “bias cut” to promote the style and flow, combining comfort and movement. Her simple styles imply a profusely process, with the cutting, draping, and pinning of the dress designs on a miniature dolls before making them into a life-size model. The fabrics that she would use to make her designs were crêpe de chine, gabardine, and satin. These fabrics were not common for women’s fashion in the 1920’s and 1930’s. She would buy fabrics two yards wider than necessary so it would accommodate the draping. She had a deep knowledge of just how fabrics move and hang. Her designs were extravagant and sensuous but also simple and modern. She was known as the ‘Euclid,’ of fashion because her gowns drew inspiration from Greek statues.
