Fashion & Costume Design Quiz

Question 1

What is 'haute couture' and what qualifies a fashion house to use the term?

Accepted Answer

Custom-made clothing of exceptional quality — in France, the term is legally protected and only granted to houses meeting strict Chambre Syndicale criteria including hand-sewing and bespoke fittings

Answer

Any high-quality, expensive clothing sold in luxury boutiques

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The latest runway collections from Paris, Milan, and New York Fashion Weeks

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Clothing made from rare or unusual materials regardless of the manufacturing method

Question 2

Coco Chanel revolutionised women's fashion in the early 20th century. What was her most important contribution?

Accepted Answer

She liberated women from corsets and restrictive dress by popularising comfortable, practical clothing using jersey fabric and simple lines

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She introduced synthetic fabrics into high fashion

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She created the first ready-to-wear fashion line accessible to ordinary women

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She introduced the concept of seasonal collections to replace year-round identical styles

Question 3

What is the 'little black dress' (LBD) and who is most credited with creating it as a fashion staple?

Accepted Answer

Coco Chanel, whose 1926 simple black crepe dress was called 'the Ford' by Vogue for being universal and affordable

Answer

Elsa Schiaparelli, who designed black as a colour of rebellion in the 1930s

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Christian Dior, who included a black cocktail dress in his 1947 New Look collection

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Hubert de Givenchy, who designed Audrey Hepburn's black dress for Breakfast at Tiffany's

Question 4

Christian Dior's 1947 'New Look' was described as revolutionary. What did it introduce after wartime austerity?

Accepted Answer

Luxuriously full skirts, nipped waists, and a soft rounded shoulder — a dramatic, feminine silhouette using lavish amounts of fabric

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Ultra-minimal clothing in response to post-war economic hardship

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The first ready-to-wear collection making designer fashion accessible to all

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Trouser suits for women as a feminist response to post-war reconstruction

Question 5

Alexander McQueen was known for what distinctive approach to fashion?

Accepted Answer

Spectacularly theatrical runway shows and collections merging fashion with art, darkness, nature, and historic narrative

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Minimal, functional clothing drawing from Scandinavian design traditions

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Practical sportswear elevated to high fashion through innovative technical fabrics

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Accessible fast fashion that made runway trends immediately available to consumers

Question 6

What is 'prêt-à-porter' (ready-to-wear) and how does it differ from haute couture?

Accepted Answer

Designer clothing produced in standardised sizes that can be bought off the rack without custom fittings — more accessible and less expensive than couture

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Clothing sold in physical boutiques rather than by mail order — any price point

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Pre-worn vintage designer clothing sold at reduced prices

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Clothing designed specifically for the Paris runway that is never commercially produced

Question 7

Vivienne Westwood is known as the godmother of punk fashion. Which movement did her designs help define?

Accepted Answer

The punk movement of 1970s Britain — through her shop SEX on the King's Road with Malcolm McLaren

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The Mod movement of 1960s London

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The New Romantic movement of 1980s nightclubs

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The Grunge movement of 1990s Seattle that reached British shores

Question 8

What is the 'bias cut' in fashion and which designer made it famous?

Accepted Answer

Cutting fabric at a 45-degree angle to the weave, making it stretch and drape fluidly over the body — pioneered by Madeleine Vionnet

Answer

Cutting fabric at a right angle to reduce waste — pioneered by Coco Chanel

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Cutting fabric from the back panel first — a tailoring technique from the 1920s

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Any asymmetrical cut applied to one side of a garment — popularised by Issey Miyake

Question 9

What is a 'capsule wardrobe' concept and who popularised it?

Accepted Answer

A small collection of versatile, essential, high-quality garments that work together — popularised by Susie Faux in 1985 and further promoted by Donna Karan

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A small display capsule used in museum exhibitions of historical fashion

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A seasonal microwardrobe of 5-7 fast fashion pieces replaced every 3 months

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A concept from minimalist Japanese fashion meaning clothing that packs into one bag

Question 10

What is 'costume design' in film and theatre, and why is it considered an art form in its own right?

Accepted Answer

The creation of clothing and accessories specifically to serve a character's narrative, psychology, and historical context — costumes communicate character without dialogue

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The mass purchasing of off-the-rack clothing for cast members to wear in productions

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The historical research into period-accurate clothing used in documentaries

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The design of uniforms and formalwear for ceremonial occasions

Question 11

What is 'sustainable fashion' and why has it become increasingly important?

Accepted Answer

Fashion that considers environmental, social, and economic impact — reducing waste, using ethical materials, and ensuring fair labour practices throughout the supply chain

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Clothing made to last more than one season before being discarded

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Fashion made exclusively from organic or recycled materials regardless of labour practices

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Vintage and secondhand fashion resold through charity shops and thrift stores

Question 12

Which Italian fashion house's signature interlocking double-G logo is one of the most recognised in luxury fashion?

Accepted Answer

Gucci

Answer

Prada

Answer

Versace

Answer

Fendi

Question 13

What is 'draping' in fashion design and how does it differ from pattern-making?

Accepted Answer

Draping creates a design directly by placing and pinning fabric on a dress form; pattern-making creates flat paper templates that are transferred to fabric — two different routes to the same result

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Draping involves hanging finished garments on display; pattern-making creates the templates

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Draping uses heavy fabrics; pattern-making uses lightweight materials only

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Draping is a traditional technique; pattern-making is a modern computer-aided process exclusively

Question 14

The kimono is a traditional Japanese garment. What distinguishes its construction from Western tailoring?

Accepted Answer

The kimono is constructed from rectangular pieces of cloth with no cutting — the fabric is folded and sewn in straight lines, creating shape through the obi belt and how it is worn

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The kimono is fitted using dozens of precise seams to create a tailored silhouette

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The kimono uses curved seams specifically calculated for each individual wearer

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The kimono has no seams at all — it is woven in one continuous piece

Question 15

What is 'fast fashion' and which company is considered the pioneer of the model?

Accepted Answer

Ultra-rapid production of trend-led, inexpensive clothing with short lifecycles — Zara (Inditex) pioneered the model of going from design to store in 15 days

Answer

Luxury fashion produced faster than traditional 2-season cycles — pioneered by Prada

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Sportswear designed for rapid athletic movements — pioneered by Nike in the 1980s

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Fashion that ages quickly due to deliberately poor construction — first used by H&M in the 1990s

Question 16

What is the significance of the 'Met Gala' (Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala)?

Accepted Answer

The annual fundraiser and opening of the Costume Institute exhibition — considered fashion's biggest night, setting the year's most extravagant red carpet trends

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An annual charity auction of vintage designer clothing for museum acquisitions

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A biannual fashion industry trade show held at the Metropolitan Museum

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An awards ceremony honouring the year's best fashion design across all categories

Question 17

Issey Miyake is a Japanese designer famous for which innovative technical approach to fashion?

Accepted Answer

Pleats Please — permanently pleated polyester clothing that is lightweight, packable, wrinkle-free, and machine washable

Answer

Reconstructionist fashion using deliberately slashed and deconstructed garments

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Ultra-minimalist fashion using only white cotton and linen

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Traditional Japanese textile techniques applied to contemporary silhouettes

Question 18

What is 'deconstructionism' in fashion, pioneered by the Japanese 'Antwerp Six' and designers like Rei Kawakubo?

Accepted Answer

Fashion that questions and subverts conventional clothing construction — showing linings, raw edges, asymmetry, and imperfection as aesthetic choices

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Fashion made from deconstructed vintage garments sewn back together

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Fashion that deconstructs gender norms by making identical clothing for all genders

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Minimalist fashion removing all decorative elements to reveal pure structure

Question 19

What did Yves Saint Laurent contribute to fashion that had long-lasting feminist implications?

Accepted Answer

He introduced the tuxedo suit (Le Smoking) for women in 1966 — making formal trousers acceptable and elegant for women and challenging gendered dress codes

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He was the first male couturier to create collections specifically designed by a woman

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He created the first unisex fashion line making identical clothing for men and women

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He introduced trousers to women's fashion during World War Two by necessity

Question 20

What is the significance of the invention of the sewing machine (c.1850) for fashion?

Accepted Answer

It enabled mass production of clothing, dramatically reducing costs and time, making fashionable clothing accessible to wider social classes and creating the ready-to-wear industry

Answer

It had no significant impact — all quality fashion remained hand-sewn until the 20th century

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It was primarily used in industrial textile production — it had no impact on fashion design

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It allowed designers to create more complex tailoring than hand-sewing allowed