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History Today: When the bikini was first introduced in Paris and revolutionised women's fashion
On July 5, 1946, Louis Réard shocked Paris — and the world — with the debut of the bikini, a revolutionary swimsuit that would become an enduring symbol of freedom and modernity, challenging social norms and redefining women's fashion — and confidence read more Contestants pose for a group photo for the swimsuit section of the Miss Universe pageant in Cancun, Mexico, May 11, 2007. File Image/Reuters As part of Firstpost's History Today series, July 5 ranks as a culturally transformative date. In 1946, in post‑war Paris, the daring debut of the bikini by engineer Louis Réard stirred waves across fashion and women's liberation. Five decades later, in 1996, Dolly the sheep was born near Edinburgh — the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell. On July 5, 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first Black man to win Wimbledon, and in 1962, Algeria officially attained independence from France after a brutal war. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The bikini debuts in Paris On a sunny afternoon in July 1946, the tranquil elegance of Paris was upended by the unveiling of a swimsuit so daring it would reverberate through fashion — and cultural history. At the Piscine Molitor, a glamorous Art Deco pool in the 16th arrondissement, French engineer-turned-fashion designer Louis Réard introduced what he called the bikini — a two-piece swimsuit revealing the wearer's navel for the first time in swimwear. The aftermath of World War II set the stage for radical change in social norms. Fabric rationing during the war led to minimalist swimwear trends in the 1930s, a precursor to what was to come. Two French designers — Jacques Heim, who launched the 'Atome' swimsuit that left the navel covered, and Réard, who aimed for something far more audacious — seized upon the era's growing appetite for liberation. Réard, who ran a lingerie shop left to him by his mother near the Folies Bergère, was struck by women at St. Tropez tucking in their swimwear at the waist to tan their midriffs. Inspired, he engineered a garment with minimal fabric — just 30 square inches, connected by strings — that would break all sensual and sartorial boundaries. The choice of name was deliberate and provocative. On July 1, 1946, the US had conducted Operation Crossroads atomic tests at Bikini Atoll. Réard seized on the pun — his swimsuit would have a similarly explosive impact on fashion consciousness. Named 'bikini,' it linked a physical revelation with nuclear symbolic force. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Réard needed a grand stage: Piscine Molitor — nicknamed the 'White Ocean Liner' — an Art Deco landmark reopened after German occupation, brimming with Parisian elegance and optimism. To generate maximum attention, Réard scheduled an outdoor press preview on July 5. But no professional model would step forward for such a scandalous design. Finally, he recruited Micheline Bernardini, an exotic dancer at the Casino de Paris. At 19 years old, she became the face of this new swimwear era. Bernardini emerged onto the pool deck wearing a newsprint-patterned bikini that left her midriff — and, shockingly (at the time), her navel — bare. Micheline Bernardini wearing the first bikini in 1946. The new 'Bikini' swimming costume (in a newsprint-patterned fabric), which caused a sensation at a beauty contest at the Molitor swimming pool in Paris. She is holding a small box into which the entire costume can be packed. File Image/Hulton Archive A hush fell over the audience: 3,000 spectators and the press, stunned and captivated. It was the smallest swimsuit ever seen in swimwear, one Réard dared say could 'be pulled through a wedding ring.' The reaction was electric. Conservative European nations — Italy, Spain, Belgium — banned the garment on moral grounds. Catholic leaders denounced it as immodest. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD American newspapers initially ignored the reveal, focusing on the nuclear tests. But gradually, the bikini's shockwaves spread internationally. History Extra noted Réard's flair for publicity — skywriters advertised the bikini above Cannes with slogans like 'smaller than the world's smallest bathing suit.' Media outlets responded: Micheline Bernardini received over 50,000 fan letters, primarily from men, as the suit sparked both fascination and scandal. Despite early resistance, the bikini began to permeate beach culture — first on the Mediterranean and then globally. By the 1950s and 1960s, Hollywood icons like Brigitte Bardot and Ursula Andress wore bikinis onscreen, normalising them and reinforcing their association with youth and modern freedom. Bardot in particular popularised the bikini's French Riviera chic, while Andress's white bikini in Dr. No (James Bond) became a fashion milestone. Still in the US, the bikini remained controversial until the sexual revolution of the 1960s, when increased emphasis on sexual liberation propelled its adoption in mainstream American beaches. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Réard understood that sensationalism sold. He patented the bikini on July 19, 1946, and kept fuelling its mystique through clever marketing: the wedding-ring slogan, skywriting campaigns, flamboyant promotional vehicles (like a Packard 'road yacht' carrying bikini-clad models) and celebrity endorsements. The original design — four triangles, string-joined, newsprint-clad — highlighted Réard's engineering background, merging technical minimalism with striking aesthetics. Its intentional contrast to conservative one-pieces was a statement of modernity. Decades later, Réard's bikini endures. International Bikini Day is celebrated annually on July 5, honouring the radical spirit of Réard's unveiling. The bikini remains a billion-dollar industry and a symbol of feminist empowerment and body positivity — though its cultural journey reflects ongoing tensions around modesty, sexuality and female representation. Academic studies highlight its significance: Réard's garment sparked 'a psychological link between atomic destruction and sexuality,' and scholar Diana Vreeland dubbed it the 'atom bomb of fashion.' He successfully trivialised nuclear dread by fusing it with liberation and desire. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As women reclaimed their bodies and public spaces, the bikini became host, symbol, and testament to a shifting world. Réard's engineering genius and daring marketing acumen ensured its lasting place in history — and in wardrobes worldwide. Dolly the sheep is born On July 5, 1996, at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, scientists made history with the birth of Dolly the Finn-Dorset sheep, the world's first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell. The world's first clone of an adult animal, Dolly the sheep, stands in her pen at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, February 23, 1997. File Image/Reuters Born from a mammary gland cell wired into an enucleated egg and implanted in a surrogate, Dolly shattered scientific dogma: mature cells could be reprogrammed to create a whole organism. Her 1997 unveiling sparked controversy and excitement. Though not the first clone, Dolly proved adult-cell cloning was viable, opening avenues in stem-cell research and ethics. She gave birth to six lambs and lived until 2003, but suffered lung disease possibly linked to premature ageing. Professor Ian Wilmut is reflected in a mirror as he poses for photographs after a news conference in Edinburgh, February 8, 2005. Wilmut who created Dolly the sheep, the world's first cloned mammal, was granted a licence to clone human embryos for medical research. File Image/Reuters Today, Dolly's preserved remains stand at the National Museum of Scotland as a symbol of scientific breakthrough. Arthur Ashe wins Wimbledon On July 5, 1975, Arthur Ashe, an American tennis pioneer, stunned the world by becoming the first Black man to win the Wimbledon Men's Singles title, defeating reigning champ Jimmy Connors in four sets (6–1, 6–1, 5–7, 6–4). Ashe, who had already made history by winning the US Open in 1968 and Australian Open in 1970, overcame discrimination and segregation en route to the Centre Court victory . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD His triumph transcended sport: Ashe became a global symbol of racial equality and leadership, publicly advocating for civil rights and AIDS awareness. His Wimbledon win remains a celebrated milestone in tennis as well as in the struggle for social justice. The main stadium of the US Open tennis tournament is named after Ashe. Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, widow of the late Arthur Ashe, sits next to a plaque that was unveiled at the formal dedication of the new Arthur Ashe Stadium at the at the US Open in New York, August 25, 1997. The tribute included over 40 past champions of the US Open. File Image/Reuters Algeria gains independence On July 5, 1962, Algeria officially gained independence from France after a protracted eight-year liberation war, marking the end of 132 years of colonial rule. The conflict began in November 1954, with the FLN waging fierce guerrilla tactics. It drew international attention for its brutality — both French repression and FLN terrorism. Following a 1962 referendum granting self-determination, France recognised independence on July 3, and Algeria celebrated on July 5 — the anniversary of France's 1830 invasion, symbolically reclaiming the date. The first President, Ahmed Ben Bella, called on Algerians to 'build history with our hands.' Independence Day remains a cornerstone of Algerian national identity. With inputs from agencies
The Guardian
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Pammy's Baywatch showstopper, exploding bikinis and Nasa's banned bodysuit – Splash! review
Four days after a nuclear bomb was first detonated over the Pacific islands of Bikini Atoll in July 1946, the French designer Louis Réard launched a provocative two-piece swimsuit at a poolside party in Paris. The two events might not seem to be connected. But Réard, who had been looking for a name for his design that would embody the tiniest garment imaginable, combined with the most explosive impact possible, hit on the almighty atomic blast as the ideal symbol. And so the modern bikini was born. The world's first bikini now hangs on a mannequin in the Design Museum in London, looking decidedly less earth-shattering than it did back then. Formed from baggy triangles of pink fabric, printed with a newspaper pattern and tied together with string, it looks a bit like someone has fashioned a quick cossie out of a few pages of the FT. 'It was really controversial at the time,' says fashion historian Amber Butchart, curator of Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style. 'Swimsuits were getting smaller and smaller in a kind of arms race, tied up with the excitement of the atomic age.' Two months earlier, another French fashion designer, Jacques Heim, had unveiled his own two-piece swimsuit at his beach shop in Cannes. He christened it the Atome, after the particle of matter, and hired skywriting aircraft to advertise 'the world's smallest bathing suit' over the Mediterranean. Not to be outdone, Réard hired his own skywriters to fly over the French Riviera, announcing his bikini to be 'smaller than the smallest bathing suit in the world'. It was the first time a swimming costume had plunged below the navel, to the horror of the Catholic church, and the glee of the male gaze. Réard was quick to capitalise on its minimalist credentials. Long before the arrival of the microkini, he published adverts declaring that a two-piece suit wasn't a genuine bikini 'unless it could be pulled through a wedding ring'. The competitive shrinkage of swimwear is one of many stories threaded throughout this illuminating exhibition, which charts our enduring relationship with water over the last 100 years, across fashion, architecture, sport and more. It touches on the British love of lidos, the lure of the seaside and the rise of wild swimming, as well as delving into more niche topics, from the controversies around hi-tech performance swimwear, to the curious Mermaidcore trend of the 2020s. The inexplicable popularity of the Dryrobe as an item of everyday clothing gets a look-in too. As unlikely as the towel-lined changing gown becoming an acceptable thing to wear to the shops, the atomic-bikini period is one of the stranger moments in the history of the swimwear-industrial complex. Displayed next to the first bikini, a 1950s photo shows people lounging beside a hotel pool in Las Vegas, as a mushroom cloud erupts on the horizon. Another shot depicts a poolside showgirl wearing a jaunty mushroom cloud headpiece. It turns out that the nearby Nevada Test Site made the area a hotspot for 'atomic tourism', with Vegas casinos offering atomic-themed cocktails and Miss Atomic Bomb pageants – where evermore skimpy bikinis were naturally all the rage. Keen not to be left out of the scanty swimwear craze, men soon got in on the action. One vitrine is dedicated to the furtive rise of gay men's swimming attire, at a time when homosexuality was still illegal. Raunchy 'physique' magazines of the 1950s and 60s, ostensibly marketed as male health and fitness publications, doubled up as softcore porn, featuring adverts for mail-order posing pouches and revealing trunks. 'You'll be number one,' promises an ad for a tiny pair of shorts with strategic windows cut out of the sides, published in a 1962 issue of The Young Physique, 'when the gang gets a glimpse of you thru porthole cutouts.' Who could resist the 'skintight muscle-conforming knit' of the latest 'Orlon-Wool-Rubber' blend? Available in alligator skin vinyl, too. Such technical material innovation is probed further in the evolution of high performance Olympic swimwear, most contentiously in the form of the 2008 LZR Racer swimsuit. Developed by Speedo, in collaboration with Nasa scientists, the futuristic garment looks like something from Batman's wardrobe. It was made from ultrasonically welded low-friction fabric to repel water, with compression panels for streamlining, as well as trapping air for increased buoyancy. The full body-length design instantly saw countless world records shattered: 94% of the gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics were won by swimmers wearing the sleek suit. The international swimming federation, Fina, was furious, declaring that the level of innovation amounted to 'technical doping'. It was one step of ingenious design too far, and was swiftly banned. Perhaps in future contests, athletes should all be forced to compete in the standard issue grey woollen onesie that used to be rented out to day-tripping bathers by the municipal Margate Corporation in the 1920s. In the days before most people had their own swimming costume, its unisex one-size-fits-all design ensured it could fit swimmers of all body shapes. A century later, the exhibition shows how similar design principles are being embraced today, in the re-emergence of gender-neutral swimwear, created by companies such as the Portland, Oregon-based Beefcake. Its one-piece swimsuits, 'for any body, anywhere', take inspiration from the classic costumes of the 1920s, with sizes ranging from XS to 5XL, made in small batches by people in Portland making a living wage. Beefcake's Dreamboat design is shown alongside other efforts to make swimming more inclusive. There is Rebirth Garments' trans-friendly kit – which includes a compression lining in the bottom half to suit a trans woman, transfemme or non-binary person – and elegant unilateral mastectomy swimwear by Eno for single-breasted people. The Blob swimsuit, meanwhile, was designed by Hannah Whelan as a piece of 'artivism' to open up conversations around menstruation, period stigma and swimming, with a bright red patch emblazoned on its crotch. There are plenty more design stories to discover. Along with the actual red costume worn by Pamela Anderson in BayWatch, there's a celebration of the reinvention of Penzance's 1930s Jubilee seawater pool, recently upgraded with geothermal baths by Scott Whitby Studio, who were also responsible for the exhibition's punchy design, drenched with bold, kiss-me-quick colours. Marvel, too, at the evolution of goggles – including a 1940s guide to making your own wooden Hawaiian diving variety – and ponder the unlikely high-fashion adoption of pool slides worn with socks, thanks to a 1990s Tommy Hilfiger campaign. Diver Tom Daley also features with his Made With Love knitting kits, as does the recent revival of budgie-smuggler briefs, for which he is partly responsible. We've come a long way since 2009, when Alton Towers banned Speedos, in an apparent attempt 'to maintain the family-friendly atmosphere at the resort'. What would the theme park make of someone turning up in the 2-metre long silicone mermaid tail? One such scaly pink fin – made by special effects designer Silvo Dordevic, AKA Siki Red – hangs momentously from the ceiling, as an example of the subcultural phenomenon of Mermaiding. The TikTok trend, which sees people dressing up and swimming as merfolk – and greeting each other with a cheery 'shello!' – has been fuelled by the live action remake of The Little Mermaid, and the Netflix series MerPeople, both released in 2023. Mermaid academies can now be found from Bournemouth to Boracay island in the Philippines. It might look like child's play, but it's not for the fainthearted. 'It's one of the most physically uncomfortable situations you can ever be in,' according to Morgana Alba, founder of mermaid group, Circus Siren Pod. 'You can't breathe. You can't see. You can't really hear. You're probably cold. And the tail is dragging you down.' On a basic human level, 'our bodies don't want to be under those conditions'. So, perfect for the next extreme fitness trend! Like beach pyjamas and Dryrobes, watch out for these scaly prosthetics appearing soon on a high street near you. Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style is at the Design Museum, London, from 28 March to 17 August
