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Final Year Thesis

#finalyear #fashionhistory #finalyear

Vienna’s position as an important European fashion city at the beginning of the 20th century was primarily established by Jewish enterprise, and much of its history is now lost because of the Shoa. Yet, the lives of Vienna's creators afford an insight into this history. My thesis examines representations of Jewish femininity, attitudes towards modernity and difference expressed by clothing and photography through the lives of two Jewish career women in interwar Vienna: department store proprietor Ella Zirner-Zwieback and studio photographer Madame d’Ora. Pioneers of their time, they each made a significant contribution to the Viennese fashion industry through their work.

Madame d'Ora (1926) for Zwieback department store, Bildarchiv Vienna

Madame d'Ora (1920) for Zwieback department store, Bildarchiv Vienna

Madame d'Ora (1926) for Zwieback department store, Bildarchiv Vienna

Madame d'Ora (1921) for Zwieback department store, Bildarchiv Vienna

Crepe de chine and silk coat by Maison Zwieback, 1920s, Archive Wien Museum

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