Design and Architecture
Swimsuits, Swimming Pools and the Birth of Modern Body Culture
We explore the evolution of body culture in post-war LA, through the radical designs of Rudi Gernreich, and the rise of the suburban swimming pool.
By Frances Anderton • • 28m ListenRudi Gernreich created Modern fashion to liberate the body; model Peggy Moffitt and photographer William Claxton completed the "Total Look." Hear about it from Peggy Moffitt and Cameron Silver. Also, Daniell Cornell on the beauty and peril of the suburban swimming pool in "Backyard Oasis;" and Sidney Williams and Frederick Fisher on Sunnylands, renewed.
Banner image: Michael Childer, The Hockney Swimmer, 1978, C-print;
In this episode
3 storiesExploring Fashion's "Total Look"
Starting in the 1950's a trio of creatives working in Los Angeles dramatically changed modern fashion and photography: fashion designer Rudi Gernreich, his model and muse Peggy Moffitt, and the photographer (and Moffitt's husband) William Claxton.
Read the story15 minThe Pool as a Cultural Icon
There is perhaps no more purely Southern California image than that of an idyllic suburban swimming pool. That image—and the cultural implications that came with it—is the focus of the exhibition Backyard Oasis: The Swimming Pool in Southern California Photography, 1945-1982 which recently opened at the Palm Springs Art Museum.
Read the story8 minRevitalizing a Desert Architectural Treasure
Sunnylands , the Palm Springs estate of the late Leonore and Walter Annenberg, has hosted a great many dignitaries over the years as a retreat and summit site for world leaders, philanthropists and ambassadors. On March 1 it will re-open to the public after a dramatic restoration and expansion.
Read the story6 min