Designers In Film: The Relationship Between Fashion And Film
Since the very early days of cinema, fashion designers have helped create Hollywood style icons.
Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" wearing Givenchy. (Filmsane)
The relationship between fashion and film has always been a close one. Many renowned fashion designers are responsible for a number of iconic key pieces worn by film stars. In turn, several film stars became muses of luxury fashion houses. These two worlds share commonalities such as glamour and the pursuit of aesthetics.
On 20th March 2018, a great French fashion designer and couturier passed away at the age of 91. Hubert de Givenchy, “Le Grand Hubert” as the French called him, was an image maker who created style icons. He dressed Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy. In 1954, the collaboration between Givenchy and Hepburn for the costumes in Billy Wilder’s film Sabrina was the beginning of a long-lasting friendship. Everyone remembers Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) standing in front of the window of Tiffany’s wearing her little black Givenchy dress and a pair of oversized sunglasses.
Hepburn in a 1958 fitting with designer Givenchy at his Paris atelier. (Hollywood Reporter/ Everett Collection)
Many other collaborations between these two magical worlds came up in the years to follow. In 1967, Catherine Deneuve in Luis Bunuel’s movie Belle de Jour marked the acquaintance of the actress and the thirty years old designer, Yves Saint Laurent.
Catherine Deneuve wearing YSL in "Belle de Jour". (Clothes On Film)
Back in 1982, Marc Bohan for Dior designed a dress with a big bow at the back, for the movie Tout Feu, Tout Flamme and worn by Isabelle Adjani.
Isabelle Adjani wears Dior in "Tout feu tout flamme". (Isabelle Adjani Blog)
There have been many other eye-catching and influential costumes in cinema that generated fashion and style icons. Diane Keaton in Woody Allen’s movie Annie Hall (1977) promoted Ralph Lauren’s trend-setting masculine style.
Ralph Lauren dresses Diane Keaton for Woody Allen's "Annie Hall". (E! Online)
Giorgio Armani’s suits for American Gigolo (1980) made Richard Gere the ultimate best-dressed male of the ‘80s by far.
Moreover, we should not neglect the Vivienne Westwood wedding dress that was worn by the most stylish single woman of New York, Carrie Bradshaw (aka Sarah Jessica Parker) in the Sex and the City (2008) movie.
The fascinating journey of fashion in films is special and looks like a fairytale. Designers became well-known through their creations that appeared in films and muses emerged by wearing their masterpieces in films.
PFW F/W2018. We’ll Always Have Paris.
February 27, 2018
Christian Dior
First, it was the “We should all be feminists” T-shirt, now the “C’est non, non, non et non!” sweater. It’s been 50 years since the student riots in May 1968, and Maria Grazia Chiuri decided to make another social-political statement. Inspired by the tumultuous protesters of 1968 and Diane Vreeland’s “youthquake”, Chiuri wanted to target younger customers but retain Dior’s high-fashion aesthetic and legacy. A wardrobe that is revolutionary but also highly creative.
Saint Laurent
Anthony Vaccarello was inspired by the Yves Saint Laurent’s “Russian Peasant” couture collection of F/W 1976, an extravagant collection in its time. But, Vaccarello gave a more Parisian direction of that elaborated and voluminous collection of Monsieur Saint Laurent. Mini shorts, large brimmed hats, fiercely impressive décolletés and the sparkling Eiffel Tower as a background accessory created a strong, contemporary fashion statement.
February 28, 2018
Maison Margiela
Décortiqué. John Galliano loves to name his collections with French adjectives. In this collection, he stripped down the garments to their essence and just kept their skeletal structure. Unconscious glamour was the collection’s name, but it looked more like ‘Rushed Dressing’ glamour. Coats worn before dresses, blazers before sweaters, holographic coats and a lot of deconstructing garments all over the catwalk. Galliano loves the pair-if-you-dare game of fabrics.
Dries Van Noten
Fashion is good, fashion is nice. It sounds like a mantra but that was the message Dries Van Noten was passing through his collection. We live in a very complicated and wild world, and maybe the Dark Ages are back. But, fashion should reflect the bright side of life. That was what Van Noten’s collection was all about. Utilitarian sportswear, ‘70s glam, and Paul Poiret references. Fashion is good, fashion is nice.
March 1, 2018
Ann Demeulemeester
The dark romanticism of the British poet, William Blake, was what Sébastien Meunier had in mind while creating this strong, aggressive but feminine collection. Clothes for modern amazons. Unfastened leather straps, painted black clothes, but there was also a hint of innocence. Jeanne d’Arc could have been Meunier’s muse for this collection.
March 2, 2018
Loewe
Five classical novels in their native language, with jackets photographed by Steven Meisel, were placed on every chair. “Classicism is always there…sometimes you change the cover and make it relevant for today,” Jonathan Anderson referred to the reading material. Loewe craftsmanship and the meticulously detailed mixing of the fabrics created an updated classic collection.
Balmain
Olivier Rousteing’s “Balmain Army” became fierce disco queens this season. They love wearing ripped jeans with holographic jackets, quilted leather, PVC thigh-high boots, and whatever has a shining effect on the designer’s favorite ‘80s silhouettes.
March 3, 2018
Comme des Garçons
Rei Kawakubo always loves to deconstruct the shape of the clothes and create theatrical figures inspired the history, even if she has stated that she doesn’t like to look back. For this season, CAMP was the name of her collection. She referred to Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay “Notes on Camp”. “I think camp can express something deeper, and give birth to progress,” Kawakubo wrote in her show notes. The progress of thinking and feeling the world around us.
Altuzarra
Joseph Altuzarra designed a collection that was all about the women he grew up with. His mother, his friends, all the women who work and get dressed to go to the office. La Coupole restaurant at Montparnasse was the perfect choice for this real collection to take place.
March 4, 2018
Givenchy
If someone wants to learn about the ‘80s in East and West Germany, Clare Waight Keller’s collection for Givenchy would be the best fashion history class. Rich faux furs, leather, sharp tailoring and lace created the desired contradiction so as to present those two different sides of a country. Glamour and cruelty.
Valentino
“Sometimes it’s felt as if a woman had to dress like men to be more powerful. Today is a different moment. People can be exactly how they are,” said Pierpaolo Piccioli. Flowers, the symbol of romance, were the collection’s main theme. Flowers that were a reminder of Georgia O’ Keefe paintings but much more minimal. Long dresses, coats, jackets; everything a romantic Valentino woman would wear.
March 5, 2018
Alexander McQueen
A McQueen woman is always powerful, and so was Sarah Burton’s show. Metamorphosis was the name of the collection, and it was an ode to powerful womanhood. Like a caterpillar transforms into a beautiful and ethereal butterfly, so does a girl become a mighty woman. Undoubtedly, throughout the collection butterfly wings had a special place.
Giambattista Valli
“Humanity, much less politics,” Giambattista Valli said backstage. Valli’s collection was a collision between different cultures and politics where everyone accepts each other as they are. A journey through different countries, unique civilizations and unlike mentalities, but with bohemian attitude.
March 6, 2018
Chanel
Karl Lagerfeld always narrates a personal story through each of his shows, and he did so again this time. Twelve old alleys decorated the runway, at Grand Palais, along with a German forest that is usually spotted somewhere in north Hamburg, a memory from Lagerfeld’s childhood. Everything that one needed for a stylish walk into the woods was in the collection.
The #CHANELFallWinter 2018/19 show, presented by Karl Lagerfeld yesterday in Paris. #PFW
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Miu Miu
Miu Miu is about girls who love to have fun with fashion. This time, Miuccia Prada mixed the ‘50s and ‘80s and the outcome was an eccentric and colorful collection. Different types of models, but all were referring to strong personalities. One thing in common… they all love the ‘80s powerful dress code.
