The Russian revolution of 1917 brought not only political changes to the cultural scene of the country, but also a cultural shift. Because a new way of thinking and of doing things was now reinforced, a whole new approach to art and creative production was put in place. Everything from furniture to fabrics had to be reinvented in order to convey the messages of the new era. Clothing and fashion are always at the forefront of shaping the way people relate to society and to the way they relate to themselves. Thus, in order to push the idea that Russians now lived in an industrial society, new patterns and motifs had to be invented.
The classic, beautiful leaves and flowers of the past were now replaced with mechanical, geometric motifs. To elevate the importance of the new patterns, the creators of these patterns we not seen as artisans, but rather as artists. Many of them, who were mostly women, were actually excited about merging textile creation with the new ideas of the revolution, as these ideas seemed fresh and modern.
The new designs were composed of geometrical shapes (squares, zigzags, grids, diamonds, circles) and often featured symbols such as gears and wheels. Of course, the sickle, hammer and red stars were also present in the sketches. These, however, did not become an instant trend, as they seemed a bit abstract for the average population. The more prevalent patterns featured motifs that were more practical and more related to everyday life. Thus, subjects such as industrialization, airplanes, factories and sports were the iconographic protagonists of the Russian fabric patterns created between 1920 and 1930. These obviously had a propagandistic role. They pushed an agenda of what people were supposed to think about, which is always easier to do than to push notions of how to think.
In perspective, now we can see how these patterns played a role in the new social arrangement of Russia. The patterns suggested a strong lock of human activities, a repetitive sameness, which seems overly-mechanical and industrial. Older patterns that featured natural motifs were also repetitive, but they reminded the viewer of a garden, whereas the new ones, with their blocks and strong lines in Russian constructivist style, imposed a new type of approach to life; one where everything was controlled, nothing went out of line, where everything was predictable and any “imperfection”, meaning stepping out of the rows, was immediately noticeable. Humans were now framed into heavy, dull-rhythm structures.
Details such as patterns, textures or prints are the background for any aesthetic and artistic movement and are a great way to discover the link between the economics, politics and social culture of a time.
In conclusion, it can be said that these pattern are extremely relevant from a historic point of view because they teach us how every detail of the fabric of society is important in order to shape the zeitgeist of a time.
Fraquoh and Franchomme
Further reading:
AC Mood Board: Indian Textile Pattern Book
Attire Club Mood Board: Prints and patterns
Attire Club Mood Board: The history of color systems
AC Mood Board: Vintage fashion magazine covers
AC Mood Board: Ainu aesthetics
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