America's First Catwalk

11/04/24 • 12 min

The Fashion Fête, a three-day event at the Ritz Carlton in New York, began on 4th November, 1914, offering New Yorkers their first glimpse of what we would now understand as a fashion show.

With Parisian ateliers shut down due to the First World War, the U.S. editor of Vogue, Edna Woolman Chase, had proposed the event as a way to showcase the work of American designers: a novel concept in an industry that traditionally looked to France for inspiration.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Conde Nast (the man) was originally unsure about the precedent Conde Nast (the brand) would be establishing; reveal how Woolman Chase encouraged high society ladies to participate; and reveal how the War also led to other fashion breakthroughs including New York Fashion Week and the Met Gala...

Further Reading:

• ‘The fascinating history of the catwalk show’ (Harpers Bazaar, 2022): https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/a35783366/history-catwalk-show/

• ‘As Seen in Vogue: A Century of American Fashion in Advertising, By Daniel Delis Hill’ (Texas Tech University Press, 2004):

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/As_Seen_in_Vogue/MvilOZhaRkAC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=fashion+fete+1914&pg=PA29&printsec=frontcover

• ‘Paris Fashion in 1917 - AI Enhanced Film during WW1’ (Glamour Daze, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pjw12GSNBM

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The Fashion Fête, a three-day event at the Ritz Carlton in New York, began on 4th November, 1914, offering New Yorkers their first glimpse of what we would now understand as a fashion show.

Further Reading:

• ‘The fascinating history of the catwalk show’ (Harpers Bazaar, 2022): https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/a35783366/history-catwalk-show/

• ‘As Seen in Vogue: A Century of American Fashion in Advertising, By Daniel Delis Hill’ (Texas Tech University Press, 2004):

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/As_Seen_in_Vogue/MvilOZhaRkAC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=fashion+fete+1914&pg=PA29&printsec=frontcover

• ‘Paris Fashion in 1917 - AI Enhanced Film during WW1’ (Glamour Daze, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pjw12GSNBM

Love the show? Support us!

Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY...

... Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.

Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Previous Episode

We ♥ Emoji

Rerun: The first ever emoji set, including the earliest incarnations of 🍷, ❤️, and 💩, was released in Japan on 1st November, 1997. But the only users could send and receive them were owners of a now-forgotten ‘SkyWalker’ handset made by J-Phone. ☹️

Emoji didn’t truly transform written communication in the West until some fourteen years later, when emoji keyboards came by default on iPhone (Android users, incredibly, had to wait until 2013 🤯).

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discuss how unloved 1990s font Wingdings paved the way for graphical communication; ponder whether emojis can be used in legal contracts; and reveal how an obscure internal bulletin board at a University helped to create the smiley, and its opposite, ‘the frowny’...

There are NINE MINUTES more of emoji-based bantz available exclusively to our Patreon subscribers*. What was the OED's Word of the Year, 2015? What are our team's most-used emojis? And does 🙏 represent high-fives, or prayers? Find out now at https://patreon.com/Retrospectors (*top two tiers).

Next Episode

The Men Who Stole Monopoly

Arion, Rebecca and Olly unearth the origins of iconic board-game Monopoly, marketed across the United States by Parker Brothers on 5th November, 1935.

Its roots lay in a game designed by Quaker feminist Lizzie Magie in 1902, intended to illustrate the theories of political economist Henry George. Her concept, called "The Landlord's Game," intended to demonstrate the unfairness of the land system. But, though home-made versions spread across the States, the game was only picked up for official distribution after being spotted by entrepreneur Charles Darrow in Atlantic City.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal how little Magee was financially compensated, despite having a patent on the game; explain why the London version of the board has been played in more territories than the Atlantic City version; and consider the merits of spin-offs Gayopoly, Drinkopoly, and even the ‘Love Actually’ version...

Further Reading:

• ‘Lizzie Magie invented Monopoly, so why haven’t we heard of her?’ (The Guardian, 2015): https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/10/lizzie-magie-invented-monopoly-landlords-game

• ‘The Game of Monopoly is Patented’ (Library of Congress, 2010): https://guides.loc.gov/this-month-in-business-history/december/game-of-monopoly-patent#:~:text=Charles%20B.,Parker%20Brothers%20bought%20the%20game

• ‘The surprising history behind the board game "Monopoly"’ (CBS, 2015): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz5H0cg2uXs

This episode first premiered in 2023, for members of 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴 - where you can also DITCH THE ADS and get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 100 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.

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