Fashion and Film

Throughout the 20th century, the fashion and film industries have overlapped in many aspects, and each has impacted the other. Fashion and film are both social influences and thus affect public opinions, attitudes, tastes and styles.  While prominent fashion designers often create the costume wardrobes for films, many designers also find inspiration from films for their latest collections.  The following are 10 examples of famous films that have influenced fashion and fashion designers in the 20th century. 

1) Casablanca (1942) starring Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. Two-piece suits for women, trench coats for men, and fedoras complete this 1940's look. 

2) James Bond Movies. No matter your favorite Bond actor, James Bond has been considered the "quintessential gentleman" and idolized by men throughout the 20th century. James Bond made the tuxedo truly glamorous and sexy.

3) Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) starring Audrey Hepburn. This movie made Hepburn a fashion icon with her little black dress (now known as the LBD), oversized sunglasses, giant pearl necklace, and gloves.

4) The Great Gatsby (1974) starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. This is the film that put Ralph Lauren on the map, making him one of the world's most influential fashion designers as an American luxury lifestyle guru. It also brought about a jazz age fashion trend and the ever popular three piece suit for men.   

5) Annie Hall (1977) starring Diane Keaton and Woody Allen. Keaton's style in this film made "androgynous chic" all the rage, and women started wearing men's ties, waistcoats, and wide-leg pants. This trend is still popular today though it has taken on different forms. 

6) Saturday Night Fever (1977) starring John Travolta. Not only did Saturday Night Fever inspire America's dance craze making "The Hustle" America's number one dance, but disco wear including polyester leisure suits, bell-bottom pants and clinging shirts with butterfly collars became the fashion trend for America's nightlife. 

7) American Gigolo (1980) starring Richard Gere. The impeccable tailoring and sophistication of Richard Gere’s suits caught the attention of the American public and Hollywood celebrities, helping to make Giorgio Armani an international phenomenon.  The “power suit” became a preferred choice for professional men and especially women, as Armani brought casual chic and understated elegance to mainstream fashion.           

8) Flash Dance (1983). This movie influenced the popularity of dance wear fashion as ripped sweatshirts and tops that exposed one shoulder coupled with leggings and leg warmers became a predominant 1980's fashion trend. Today's fashion has taken on a 1980's feel, as looser, one shoulder tops coupled with short, tight fitting skirts or tight fitting pants is a trendy look for women once again.   

9) Dirty Dancing (1987). This film not only influenced America's dance moves, but also influenced American fashion as denim shorts and "crop tops" became a popular trend.      

10) Pretty Woman (1990). Julia Roberts is transformed from street walker to elegant, society woman who finds true romance through her fashionable clothes. This modern fairy tale brought soft, romantic styles back into fashion for women, and made over the knee boots a modern fashion trend.   

Influences of Historical Artistic Styles

Art Nouveau

The French Couturier, Paul Poiret, (1879-1944), sometimes referred to as the “King of Fashion”, is known for “revolutionizing” fashion by freeing women from corsets, reviving the Empire-waisted silhouette, and bringing pantaloons into fashion for women. Poiret modernized fashion with the structural simplicity of his clothing.[1] He was inspired by “art nouveau, East Asia, and the Ballets Russes” as is reflected in his designs.[2] The first image is a Poiret design from 1911, which shows Poiret’s flair for the exotic complete with beaded embroidery, harem pants and turban. The third image is a Poiret coat from 1919, which also showcases Poiret’s interest in “regional dress”, and displays Poiret’s “radical approach” to clothing design by cutting along straight lines and constructing through rectangular shapes.[3]

Surrealism

In the 1920’s the cultural movement of surrealism became expressed in fashion by “creating bizarre pairings of materials and objects in a garment or outfit”.[4] One of the most famous surrealist fashion designers of the 1920’s and 30’s was Elsa Schiaparelli, “who reacted against the simplicity and muted color palette of Chanel and many other contemporary designers with her use of bold contrasting colors, . . . whimsical decorations, patterns and accessories”.[5] The first two images below are Schiaparelli designs in collaboration with Salvador Dali. The first dress is known as the “Tears Dress”, and is “printed with a Dali design of rips and tears, worn with a thigh-length veil”.[6] The second image is of the “Skeleton Dress”, “a stark black crepe dress [with] trapunto quilting to create the idea of bones”.[7] The third and fourth images are more modern tributes to surrealist art and fashion by Marc Jacobs and Viktor & Rolf.  

Abstract Art

Abstract artwork is based on “color, line, and shape rather than recognizable forms” that can be easily identified.[8] Abstract art is often displayed in fashion through “geometric shapes, bold primary colors, Op prints, and Abstract Expressionist patterns” and was commonly seen in the 1960’s and 1970’s.[9] The first two images are 1960 vintage shirts portraying abstract art themes. The third and fourth images are a dress and a 1980’s jacket by Gianni Versace, who was greatly influenced by Andy Warhol and abstract art.   

Minimalism

The last modern art movement of the 20th century, Minimalism, emphasized “extreme simplification of form and color”.[10] Minimalism in fashion is characterized by streamlined silhouettes, clean lines and tailoring, and solid, monochromatic shades of colors, typically white, black and gray.[11] Minimalism was popular in the 1990’s and has once again become a popular trend as of late. The first image displays minimalist looks by Calvin Klein, Lanvin, and Narciso Rodriguez. The last three images depict minimalism from Helmut Lang’s 2008 RTW collection.

Postmodern Deconstructive Fashion

Deconstructed fashion is a form of postmodern culture that emphasizes “new interpretations of old symbols” and has no formal style[12]. Deconstructed fashion debuted in the 1990’s and is often asymmetric, wrapped, or seemingly distressed, frayed, slashed or “unfinished”. Many contemporary designers have focused on creating deconstructed looks, which have become very trendy in the last decade. The first two images display deconstructed fashion from the Spring 2000 RTW collection by designer Robert Cary-Williams. The last two images display deconstructed designs from Alexander McQueen’s pre-fall 2009 collection.      

Postmodern and Historical Interpretations

As postmodernism focuses not on creating the new, but reinventing the past, many designers focus on reinterpretation of historical styles, events, social issues of the past and their implications on the future. One designer who is known for his historical reinterpretations and thought provoking designs is John Galliano. The last two images are from Dior's Spring/Summer 2006 Paris Couture show, in which the decadence of the Rococo period intermeshed with the resulting blood bath of the French Revolution as interpreted and designed through the genius of Galliano.    

 

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[1] “Paul Poiret." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 15 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

[2] See Id.

[3] http://www.metmuseum.org/special/poiret/king_of_fashion_more.asp

[4] http://discussion.academyart.edu/sectionContent/54-23431/27078/session_06.html

[5] http://www.philamuseum.org/micro_sites/exhibitions/schiaparelli/kids/schiap-pack.pdf

[6] http://shrimptoncouture.blogspot.com/2009/05/elsa-schiaparelli.html 

[7] See Id. 

[8] http://www.chgs.umn.edu/educational/edResource/artTerms.html

[9] http://discussion.academyart.edu/sectionContent/54-23431/27078/session_06.html

[10] http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=minimalism

[11]http://womensfashion.suite101.com/article.cfm/stark_minimalism_fashion_trend

[12] http://discussion.academyart.edu/sectionContent/54-23431/27078/session_07.html