Renaissance 1450-1600

The renaissance era saw the revival of the arts. All aspects of life became enriched with finer detail and refinement. This time and its people were all about the opulent lifestyle. Some famous and influential people of this time included artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci (Mona Lisa), and Michelangelo (Sistine Chapel), it was also the era of literary figures like Shakespeare (Hamlet) and Dante Alighieri (Inferno). This was very much a time of development and as the arts developed so did the fashion!

The fashion trends of this era were crazy and creative clearly reflected the style of the time. Lace was introduced for the first time, and was used in a garment called a 'ruff'. This ruff originated from the collar of a shirt or chemise and was worn by both men and women. It later became a separate pieced item.  

Other features like slashing became popular as well. This was when slashes were made on outer garments and then the inner garments were pulled through. These undergarments would most likely have been the Chemise or shirt. The chemise or the under garment would have been a different colour to what ever piece was worn over top.

Slashing

The footwear also had a dramatic transformation from the Gothic style poulaine. The footwear prior to this era was long and narrow at the toe. The trend in the renaissance era was to have a wider toe, or a high sole that could reach up to a ridiculous thirty inches in height. This historic platform is known as a Chopine.  

The shoes got pretty ridiculous.

The translation of the word renaissance is literally re-birth. This was used to define the time because it was the re-birth of the ancient Greek philosophies and teachings. The people of the renaissance adapted the Greek lifestyle and I can see that Sofia Aroha has adapted this style as well. The slashing and and skirts falling from the waist and hips. This is similar to how the doublet would be fitting to the body but be relax at the hips and feature a skirt like hem. 

Sofia Aroha who recently presented a collection at New Zealand Fashion Week showcased a few dresses that took the craziness of the renaissance and created beautifully inspired pieces. These dresses all present us with a 2014 version style of slashing. These dresses especially the blue, have elements of the layering of the renaissance. They're also in two different fabrics and colors much like how the chemise was worn it would be a different colour to the the outer garment. The slashing is also clear when you look at how the silk from the first layer has been pulled through to create the skirt.