Christian Dior - Animal Print Powerful

African Influences and Patterns for Royalty

Animal skins were some of the first materials ever used for human clothing. Big, fierce cats with beautiful coats were highly valued and prized. Kings and Queens adorned their lavish homes with animal print rugs as an expression of social status, and hunters believed that the animal prints gave them the power of that animal. Very early images like those from ancient Egypt show ruling women in power adored in leopard print. In modern fashion, this eye-catching style connotes luxury, power, and sexuality. An increased demand for animal prints was seen in the 1930s, as one of the biggest blockbusters at the time, Tarzan the Apeman, was released in 1932. The MGM’s dashing Johnny Weissmuller as “Tarzan”, and Maureen O’Sullivan as “Jane” wore animal print clothing for the majority of scenes. The audience saw it as adventurous, exciting, and attractive. Manufacturers and designers quickly pivoted to produce larger quantities of animal print blouses, scarves, and coats than in previous decades. Fur started to increase even more in demand in the 1940s after Bettie Page, a model and one of the most famous pin-ups at the time, was featured in Jungle Bettie. Page, clad only in a leopard print mini dress, created an uproar for animal prints in the fashion world. The 1940s were also the early stages of the women’s movement and featured themes of status, strength, and independence. In the late 1940s, Christian Dior introduced a new line fully inspired by leopard spots. His obsession with leopard print came from Mitzah Bricard, a French woman born as Germaine Louise Neustadt in 1900. After meeting Christian Dior, she became his personal consultant. He mentioned, “Bricard is one of those people, increasingly rare, who make elegance their sole reason for being.” Dior relied on her for tips to improve outfits by adding accessories or taking pieces away. She ultimately inspired him to adapt the leopard print in his spring/summer 1947 collection. The collection showcased a leopard print silk-chiffon evening gown and day dress. Designers Norman Norell and Roger Vivier followed in the footsteps and advanced Dior’s theme in the 1950s when they designed leopard print halter tops, shoes, and bags. The popularity of animal print further surged during the hippie fashion of the 1960s and the punk rock of the 1970s in which styles were geared towards being wild, funky, and attractive including cheetah, snakeskin, and zebra prints in addition to leopard. Entering the 80s, the overwhelming amount of animal print brought public awareness of cruelty to animals. Animals used primarily for their fur hides were becoming extinct. As a result, faux fur with animal prints became a social statement of conservation and animal rights.

Today’s style of animal print is striking, bold, and expressive, yet well-rounded, taking inspiration from various cultures, esteemed designers, and previous decades in order to make the craze classy yet attractive and conspicuous. I believe animal print represents power, self-expression, and bold energy as the skin prints were usually of powerful and highly valued animals such as leopards, cheetahs, and snakes. I also believe that the eccentric and unique patterns of the prints symbolize wealth, luxury, and high class during the time it became more popular, but has become more widespread and accessible in mainstream fashion for more to make an eye-catching statement. Animal print does hold personal significance to me as I admire the style and how it looks as well as making me feel confident and more mature when I wear it. I enjoyed learning about where this exquisite flair originated from and was quite surprised to learn that it could be traced as far back as ancient Egypt.