The 60's changed all that, and the 1970's took it to new levels.īesides Gloria, the designers in this collection are all European: Bert Zuiderveen, Haarlem Massimo Datti, Rome Miguel Diaz, Barcelona Ruben Torres, Paris and Christopher Franck, Denmark. For men, fashion consisted of a gray flannel suit, white button-down shirt, skinny tie and hat. In the 1950s, the age of conformity, individual style was almost exclusively the domain of women’s wear. After WWII men returned from military service anxious to fit in, to be identified with the establishment. To understand how revolutionary this was, consider the historical context. Impacted by the Women’s Liberation and Gay Liberation movements, the other hot trend of 70s men’s fashion was a more gender-neutral expression. Turtlenecks, slim-fitting shirts and jackets, capes and tight-fitting flared pants all contributed to the silhouette.
The new school designers glorified the tall, lean figure. Her most influential and memorable designs were for legendary singer Tom Jones.Īlong with the other designers featured in this collection, Gloria was part of the “new school” of fashion that began in the late 60s (as distinguished from the “old” classic fashion like Dior and Chanel). In the early 1970’s she was designing clothing for men including international celebrities Sean Connery, Sammy Davis Jr., Marcello Mastroianni, Marcel Marceau and Tiny Tim. In 1965 she arrived in London, at the time a magnet attracting talent from around the world.ĭesign work in the UK, Europe and Japan built her reputation. Gloria was a fashion designer, book illustrator and graphic artist. This collection of vintage 70's fashion photos was acquired from the estate of South African-born Gloria Gross.