Jump to the content
Photo by Antonio Schubert on Wikicommons
Lively shapes with floral details are typical of the time of the stylus at around the turn of the century. / Photo by Antonio Schubert on Wikicommons

In this Secondhandbags Blog articles we travel back to the time around the turn of the century as Coco Chanel and too Louis Vuitton themselves were the big players of the European fashion scene. The influence of Art Deco and Art Nouveau on them cannot be pointed out. They skilfully picked up the ideas of time and let their brands become what they are today: legends.

The fresh wind of a turn of the century!

To change from the 19th to the 20th century, the world took up a strange momentum and there was a lot of changing innovations in Europe within a short period of time: industrialization continued to show up and let cities grow as well as chimneys on the edge of these cities to emit more smoke. The first cars soon joined this, with the help of which the big city jungle could be comfortably and without the help of others. The world was explored, now it has been divided: the age of colonization was in full swing. Driven by new ideas and overwhelmed, the world soon fell into a world war, and no less soon after. 


At the turn of this new century, however, a new art movement also found its place in the society of Europe and from then on shaped it for more than two decades. The Art Nouveau art movement in France originated, where it was quickly accepted as Les Arts Décoratifs and soon established itself as a strong trend beyond France's borders. The ideal of the beauty of the youth was now the focus, natural elements in the design and also the representation of naked bodies replace imperial pomp. Formerly punk.

Photo by prae.hu from wikicommons
Alfons Mucha's "fruit" is one of the many contemporary Art Nouveau illustrations. Flowers, ornaments and fruits as far as the eye can see. / Photo by prae.hu from wikicommons

In addition to art objects themselves, everyday objects, architecture, fashion and jewelry were also created that could be influenced by the new forms and ideas. 


Also Louis Vuitton Was child of his time and took up the related ideas of exotism in his patterns for the time. Especially the Monogram pattern it is said to have been influenced by further visual language. At this time, art of Japonism, which, for example, takes up the wave shapes and other elements of classic Japanese art. Thus, the first step towards globalization was also taken in this field. The world exhibitions around the globe documented and spread these ideas in no time and made a cultural exchange that was never seen before. The Vuitton family was also on site for my luggage and exhibited. A jury for competitions for Vuitton was later set up.

Some of our most beautiful Louis Vuitton classics:

New ideas for Europe

The arts & crafts movement from the UK was a model for Art Nouveau: Even here before the turn of the century, simple beauty, usefulness and quality were the basis, machine work was not desirable. The movement is now seen in response to the industrial revolution in the Victorian Great Britain with machine -produced mass -produced mass goods. In France, Art Deco overcame ideas from the so -called Belle Epoque, which focused less on the benefits and was discredited for its extravagant exit. In Germany, Munich was one of the centers of Art Nouveau. The German -language nouveau is thanks to the magazine youth, which was published in Munich at the time.

Photo by Kansallisarkisto on Wikicommons
Youth Magazine Cover from 1896. / Photo by Kansallisarkisto on Wikicommons
Photo by University of Heidelberg on Wikicommons
Youth Magazine Cover from 1896. / Photo by University of Heidelberg on Wikicommons

In fashion, groups such as the Vienna Workshop of the company brought the idea of ​​a free, non -restrictive women's fashion. The big goal of the Wiener Werkstätte was also to train society in such a way that work professions and art become one and find it as wide as possible.


A large innovation of the time on the other hand were the first fully synthetic plastics that soon celebrated premiere in the form of housings for electronics and also as accessories. A particularly beautiful example are bags made of bakelite: it was now possible to make the bags of the bags half -transparent, or the body of a whole Bag to manufacture from this new material. Designs made of marbled bakelite are particularly memorable, the look of the often in beige and Brown made of the bags is unique.

From Silverscreen goddesses and other shine!

The “Flappy Girls” sprayed a special spirit of freedom at the beginning of the century. They went out, did sports, drove car and also smoked and drank any partners independently. The women confidently wore a fashion that was characterized by clear lines and mostly simple cuts and comfort. The particularly extravagant and costly fashionable designs of the time with, for example, fur were withheld from the haute society. However, at least one cloth was at home in every city. The raw material for your own fashionable efforts could be selected. With a little luck, there were even sequins and other, first shiny fabrics! It was also at home many times, worked on the family's first electrical sewing machine with zeal for new designs. The fashion magazines of the time contained drawings, which served as templates for the home work. The Vogue was there from the start, the historical magazines are witnesses to development and an exciting archive for everyone. Coco Chanel Was also on the pulse of the times with their glamorous but comfortable cuts. In 1926 the Little Black Dress, which she devised, was to be admired as an illustration in the American Vogue. 

Photo by Helen Dryden on Wikicommons
Cover Vogue June 1913. /Photo by Helen Dryden on Wikicommons
Photo by Halloween HJB on Wikicommons
Cover Vogue January 1922. /Photo by Halloween HJB on Wikicommons

The goddesses of the Silverscreen era contributed to the rest: cinemas opened their goals before the first home solutions for television and showed the latest trends in films from overseas. What the Hollywood size of Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davies or Mae West wore in the film, soon became style -defining for an entire generation. Katherine Hepburn is also known: she has not been forgotten, especially for her intelligent and idiosyncratic canvas characters. Appropriately, she often wore pants herself, which was extraordinary for women at the time. The roles she embodied and her own personality became an icon of emancipation and the "modern woman".

Some of our most beautiful Chanel classics:

Art Deco in the cityscape

Art Nouveau was also implemented in the picture of many cities. To date, Zurich can also be proud of its buildings, which have been decorating the cityscape and keeping young for more than 100 years. Offers a nice overview https://art.nouveau.world/zurich. Here Zurich Art Nouveau can be experienced virtually and city tours for those interested in art can be planned excellently. After the end of World War II, in many European cities, ideas gave way to timeless and playful architecture of need to make the city centers habitable again as soon as possible and to fill with life. The result was buildings, as they are often built today: the ideas of the Bauhaus, for example, led to reduced lines with purpose -oriented structure. Never again was built with such detail and playfulness as at the time of Art Nouveau.

Photo by ISTE Praetor on Wikicommons
Entrance to the Paris Metro Station Abbesses. / Photo by ISTE Praetor on Wikicommons
Photo by Szczebrzeszynski on Wikicommons
Door hink from the Art Nouveau period. / Photo by Szczebrzeszynski on wikicommons

Villas from the Art Nouveau period are often used today as schools, practices or law firms. They make it thanks to funding and good business, the buildings, which are large and often fallen from time, in a very well -kept building Condition to obtain. The formerly inhabited rooms now offer a public assembly room for larger, regular accumulation of people and thus remain in the focus of memory and inspiration. 


As soon as passing, details can provide details on the doors of this building about belonging to Art Nouveau and thus also about the age of the houses. Colorful glass windows in the Tiffany style were also widespread. Here, too, floral elements, patterns and also the human body served as design inspiration.

Photo by Stefanrevollo on Wikicommons
Art Nouveau Architecture in Strasbourg. /Photo by StefanreviValo on Wikicommons
Photo by Stefanrevollo on Wikicommons
Art Nouveau Architecture in Strasbourg. /Photo by StefanreviValo on Wikicommons

Art Deco in Switzerland

An independent branch of the Art Nouveau was built around 1900: the style Sapin also picked up natural elements, at its center the fir stood. The needle trees of the Jura region have always been of great importance for the people of the area and have now also been the basis for ornamental studies. The trees are evergreen and represent a robust work material and also a renewable energy resource for the cold winter. The symbol with most use is the pine cone, the fruit of the fir tree.


The first attempts on the Swiss side were made in the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds by Charles L’Eplattenier (1874–1946). He formulated for himself and his loyal "Seule la nature est inspiratrice", "Only inspired nature". It became known as Le Corbusier later the lead motif of the movement, including the students of which also included Charles-Edouard Jeanneret. Interestingly, its own work has developed over the years in a different direction: Le Corbusier’s designs are still known for their functionality, but above all for a reduced design. To date, many of his designs seem fresh to futuristic. His furniture is still acted as a design classic and symbolically stand for a modern furnishing style with curved steel pipes as the material of choice. He and colleagues of the Bauhaus finally led the ideas of functionality to the extreme and replaced the floral Art Nouveau through a clear and still modern architectural style.


In Swiss fir style, playful wooden houses with a natural design, but also all sorts of public buildings were built. The La Chaux-de-Fonds crematorium was completed in 1910 and is considered a masterpiece and the most complete example of the fir style. The Villa Fallet is a particularly beautiful example on which the young Le Corbusier also participated. The design is characterized by a clearer line and thus stands out from the many other local European Art Nouveau movements.

Photo by Aline Henchoz on Wikicommons
Villa Fallet in Swiss style Sapin. / Photo by Aline Henchoz on Wikicommons

Unfortunately, the invigorating, positive movement of Art Nouveau came to an early end and had no chance to develop sustainably. The European countries plunged crises into emergencies, the answer were authoritarian regime. The rest is unfortunately also history.


Today the Art Nouveau is often cited after it was in the Sleeping Beauty sleep for decades and was considered unmodern. The patterns find their place on clothes and bags and again decorate many furnishing houses in the form of pillowcases and other home accessories such as candlesticks. Wallpapers with graphic Art Nouveau patterns also manage to give living space a special touch today. Many of these patterns exude a special elegance. Art Nouveau furniture is now also something special and can be integrated into a stylish house. Real classics of the stars of the time are traded high today. Probably the one who has the right Louis Vuitton classic ready, for example to decorate it on a armchair by Hector Guimard. Monogram canvas classic How Louis Vuitton’s Speedy Are also a nice choice as accessory on Art Deco Parties and go perfectly with glitter dress and feather boa.

Some more of our most beautiful classics:

If you cannot currently find your dream bag with us, please contact us. With our Personal Shopper You can also give us a targeted search order to find your dream bag!

Previous Article Next Article

Availability