The humble mannequin that graces the window of almost every clothing retail store in the world these days actually began its journey thousands of years ago. As far back as ancient Egypt and right through Medieval times Kings and Queens were concerned about their appearance. Being the subject of many a painting they of course wanted to look their best. However, a dress fitting would involve them stripping down to their underwear, or further. In order to avoid embarrassment they would have ‘dress forms’ made in their exact body dimensions. Tailors and dressmakers would then use these dress forms to create clothing for royalty and display it them easily once complete.
In the 1700s wickerwork mannequins were in use. They were built out of wicker and filled with leather and stuffing to give them shape. In 1835 wire-framed mannequins came into use, but they were still only used by tailors and dressmakers as dress forms. It wasn’t until a few years later, when several major changes in technology and manufacturing occurred, that we began to see the emergence of the mannequin as we know it today.
The invention of plate glass, along with the invention of the filament lamp and advancements in sewing machine technology were the catalysts that eventually led to mannequins being used in shop windows. The 1880s saw the introduction of the street lamp; and many retail establishments were fitted with window panes, allowing customers to see their wares from outside. New types of sewing machines meant that ready-to-wear clothing could now be produced in larger quantities than before.
The Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s and early 1900s created a new middle class. A new breed of people with the kind of wealth that they wanted to spend on fashionable clothing; a luxury that had previously only been afforded to royalty and gentry. More retail stores began to open, and retailers needed ways in which to display the latest fashions, i.e. mannequins.
Early mannequins tended to be made of wax, wood, or heavy fabric with feet of iron to keep them upright. Papier-mâché and sawdust were used to give them shape. The increased interest in fashion at the turn of the 20th century created a fledgling industry known as ‘window trimming’; this is what we now know as visual merchandising.
Department stores with large shop windows meant that window trimmers now had to be artistic as well as practical with their window displays. Mannequins gradually developed from being a simple display prop to becoming a more realistic form with glass eyes, realistic hair and realistic expressions.
The First World War saw a revolutionary change take place in terms of women’s clothing; bustiers and crinolines were shed in order to make way for more fluid and functional clothing. Mannequins soon became more lithe and realistic to reflect these changes.
In 1930s New York a soap sculptor named Lester Gaba was asked to produce some mannequins for a large department store. They had requested realistic mannequins with the same detail that he could achieve with soap. He created six specimens from plaster, which came to be known as ‘Gaba Girls’. Each ‘girls’ was named and given a party at a prestigious New York hotel where they were dressed in fine clothes and jewels; New York high society loved them! This created enormous publicity for Gaba and the use of mannequins; department stores couldn’t get enough of Gaba Girls.
In the 1940s the Second World War brought about shortages and rationing in all aspects of life. Mannequins started to become more melancholy as window trimmings became more sombre to reflect the mood of the time. However, post-war 1940s saw happy, prosperous looking mannequins with radiant smiles and window trimmings with a more jubilant appearance.
From the 1950 and 1960s onwards new materials became available for use in the production of mannequins. Fibreglass and plastic opened up opportunities for mannequin designers to display their creativity and unique designs. Further advances in technology continue today, so the only thing standing in a mannequin artist’s way is their own creativity and imagination.