Innovativeness and Experimentalism in Shaping European Costume in the 20th and the Early 21st Centuries

The purpose of the article is to examine the problem of innovativeness and experimentalism in shaping costume in the 20th and the early 21st centuries. The research methodology consisted in the application of methods of socio-cultural, art critical, aesthetic, structural and compositional analysis. The scientific novelty of the work lies in defining the basic stages and components that set the trends for the development of experiment in fashion design. The definition of experimental shaping in fashion design was proposed. It was proved that experimentalism acquired its greatest value in modern fashion. Conclusions. The development of experiment in shaping European costume in the 20th and the early 21st centuries was studied. It was emphasized that the focus on experiment was made at certain stages of social development through the example of political, economical, and socio-cultural events. Research and development, the evolution of creative thought also significantly contributed to the updating of new revolutionary attire. The main characteristic features of the innovativeness of women’s images in various periods were determined. Compositional, morphological, constructive and technological properties of the shapes were highlighted. It was noted that artistic, constructive and technological skills are nowadays inferior to the originality of idea, opportunity for unbounded motion, spontaneity of manifestation, naivety and incompleteness. Pragmatism, conformism and «consumerism» led to nearly total renunciation of any strict aesthetic norms; the notion of «fashion standard» almost disappeared, gradually transforming into the concept of «fashion trend» or «fashion fad». All the above mentioned, along with the growing individualization (in response to the globalization of society), created great opportunities for aesthetic pluralism and experiment in the area of fashion design