Fashion and jewellery often reveal something about how people see themselves or how they want to be seen. For a long time, lavish clothes were primarily the preserve of the aristocracy. This only changed in the 19th century. Inventions such as industrial spinning machines, looms and the sewing machine made fashion more affordable. From the 1850s onwards, department stores also began to appear, offering standardised sizes and a wide range of goods.
Despite its wider availability, fashion still remained a sign of status and prestige. Widely regarded as the first couturier and the founder of haute couture, Charles Frederick Worth was instrumental in this development. He designed his own collections and gave his name to them.
It was no longer simply expensive materials and detailed craftsmanship that determined the value of a garment; increasingly, the designers themselves did so too. Recognisable cuts, silhouettes and patterns thus shaped brand identities, which painting, printmaking and, above all, photography helped bring to a wider audience.
Jewellery also changed in the 19th century. Industrial production made it accessible to more people. In Pforzheim, for example, jewellery had already been produced through the “division of labour” method since 1767, with different workers specialising in different stages of production. At the same time, costly jewellery made from precious metals and gemstones continued to be produced, with the raw materials often extracted under exploitative conditions.
Around 1900, Art Nouveau introduced new ideas. Artists such as René Lalique broke with historical models and combined traditional precious metals with innovative materials such as enamel and glass. Lalique was particularly inspired by nature. Jewellery thus acquired an entirely new visual language.
