Cutting the Bias: Madeleine Vionnet THE ELEGANCE OF THE 1930's BIAS CUT GOWN The bias cut of material, a mode introduced in the 1920s by the French couturiere Madeleine Vionnet, was widely adopted in the 1930s and The bias cut and Madeleine Vionnet Europeana Madeleine Vionnet an introduction V&A B is for Bias Cut (n.) A technique where fabric is cut diagonally across the grain, allowing it to drape more fluidly on the body; popularized by Madeleine Vionnet in the 1930s.