FASHION TRIVIA: fashion in cinema
Fashion and cinema: two apparently distant universes, which have repeatedly crossed their destinies, merging the genius of great directors with that of famous designers, costume designers or couturiers. Here are some of the most celebrated period films of all time.
Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn, from "Funny Face" to "Sabrina", up to "Breakfast at Tiffany's
The one between Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn is a long love story made of fashion and cinema. It is precisely the clothes designed by Givenchy for his muse that are among the most famous in the history of cinema. The unmistakable little black dress of “Breakfast at Tiffany's”, or the princely dress in “Sabrina”. How not to mention the red dress worn on the Louvre staircase in "Funny Face", a film full of fashion: it seems that the character of Maggie Prescott is inspired by Diana Vreeland and also Richard Avedon contributed to the making of the film.
Yves Saint Laurent and Roger Vivier for "Belle du jour", Luis Bunuel, 1967
Yves Saint Laurent became the spokesman for the dual nature of the character of Séverine, played by Catherine Deneuve in "Belle du Jour": at the same time wife of a good family and seductress in a closed house. Her clothes range from simple, elegant overcoats and coats with a structural cut, to more aggressive clothes, including a vinyl suit. To become a symbol of the character of Séverine were the shoes of Roger Vivier worn by her in "Belle du Jour", renamed "Belle Viver" in honor of the film.
Paco Rabanne for "Barbarella", Roger Vadim, 1968
Barbarella is on a space mission to retrieve a missing scientist, dressed in Paco Rabanne. Very tight bustiers and space suits with plastic, plexiglass, vinyl and metal netting applications recall a space age and futuristic fashion: an antecedent of the 60s inspired trends and the first landing on the Moon, which took place the following year.
Jean Paul Gaultier for "The Fifth Element", Luc Besson, 1997
The costumes of Luc Besson's "The Fifth Element", a science fiction and futuristic film, were designed by Jean Paul Gaultier: the extras' clothes come directly from the designer's ready-to-wear collections, while for the main characters he has created specific looks made with rubber, latex and vinyl. The stage costumes include the famous orange rubber bodysuits and Leeloo's white striped jumpsuit.
Milena Canonero and Manolo Blahnik for "Marie Antoniette", Sofia Coppola, 2006
"S'ils n'ont plus de pain, qu'ils mangent de la brioche". In 2007 Milena Canonero won the Oscar for stage costumes for "Marie Antoinette". The famous costume designer masterfully reproduced the richness and opulence of the original court clothes. The master of footwear Manolo Blahnik who designed all the ladies' shoes of the film, including those of the queen, contributed to making the clothes of Sofia Coppola's film unique.
Raf Simons for Jil Sander for "I am love", Luca Guadagnino, 2009
Filmed in Villa Necchi Campiglio, "I am love" tells the life of a family of the Milanese bourgeoisie. The clothes designed by Jil Sander for Tilda Swinton fully represent the minimalist taste and bourgeois intellectual elegance that the controversial characters of the film interpret.
Miuccia Prada for "The Great Gatsby", Baz Luhrmann, 2013
Miuccia Prada wears the roaring twenties of the 2013 version of "The Great Gatsby": fringes, pearls, furs and velvets. The costumes of the film seem the same as described in the novel of the same name by Francis Scott Fitzgerald and are a manifesto of the glittering and at the same time decadent aesthetic of the time. Miuccia Prada has designed a total of 40 looks for the film.
