Fashion in Brunant

Fashion in Brunant has taken a distinct style since the 18th century.

Pre-19th century
Fashions in the medieval and early-modern periods were similar to those of southern France and Catalonia. The wealthy could afford fine silks imported from the far east or Arabia, and often looked to Europe for designs.

19th century
Brunanter traditional clothing originates in the mid-19th century. For women, the Bergantina, characterized by a long red skirt begins to take hold as the peasants dress, today the typical folk costume. Breeches or slim pants together with a white shirt and a red sash were typical of countrymen. Particularly in the north, a red cap known as a barret (analogous to the French beret) is used.

Early 20th century
At the turn of the century French fashions of the Art Nouveau period become in vogue in Brunant, and by the 1920s heavily influenced Brunanter fashion. French-born Louis Hermite was one of these early haute couture designers, establishing label Hermite in 1921. Robert Rand was another noted designer of the 1920s, well-known in the interwar period for his designs.

The iconic designer of this period was Julian Cassals; without formal training unlike Hermite and Rand, he established fashion house Cassals in 1930 and became known for his slim, straight dresses which epitomized the period.

Postwar period
By the postwar period both Rand and Hermite had stopped actively designing, and their companies were the first high-quality labels to produce and embrace readywear collections to stay afloat in a difficult economy. Cassals refused to have his company produce an off-the-rack collection, therefore was unable to make significant earnings.

The late 1940s saw the french <> penetrate Brunanter design, starting with Traspesian-born Sergio Bidarte. He introduced a style of wide shoulders and slim waists in 1948, and was form-fitting skirts and pants and helping create a sliming figure, comapred to the straight, loose designs of the 1930s. A contemporary of his was Barbara Cowan; the first big female in the Brunanter fashion, Cowan worked extensively with singer and model Anna Lindbergs and Greek model Zafira in the 1960s and 1970s. Cowan's designs were considered to be much more formal and used details and elements from 19th and 18th century design.

1980s
The 1980s American fashion and trends come to dominate the Brunanter look, in particular due to the work of Gabriele Monk.