Today’s lesson is an easy one: all I will ask you to do is read this entry, Netflix a few films and TV shows, and watch them as they arrive. (It couldn’t hurt to take notes and do some sketches while watching, but you hopefully already know this.)
Let’s start with the most important flicks, shall we?
Required Viewing:
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). You’ve probably seen it already, but watch it again. Hubert de Givenchy very famously made Audrey Hepburn’s party dresses for this film (among others), but PLEASE take note of Patricia Neal’s wardrobe, made by Pauline Trigere. Nobody ever notices Ms. Neal’s gorgeous Trigere ensembles, which is a crime.
Unzipped (1995). This was actually required viewing during my first term as a fashion major, and with good reason. The film is a documentary, following Isaac Mizrahi’s Autumn 1994 collection from concept to the day after the fashion show. Things you will learn while watching this film include: why women don’t wear furry pants, how fussy top models can be, and how nerve-wracking it all really is.
Funny Face (1957). My favorite movie. It’s a 1950s-cute musical providing a glimpse into the world of fashion magazines and haute couture, but the Givenchy clothes are the real draw. The fictional Quality magazine and its staff were inspired by the real-life staff of Harper’s Bazaar, who consulted on the film. Fictional Russian-accented art director Dovitch is a reference to Alexey Brodovitch, fictional photographer Dick Avery was based on Richard Avedon (who took most of the film’s photographs), and fictional editor Maggie Prescott is a very thinly disguised Diana Vreeland (who reportedly was not amused). Ditzy model Marion was even played by real-life model Dovima, who often worked with Avedon. I wish fashion was as exuberant today as it was in this film. (BTW, Maggie Prescott was played by Kay Thompson, author of the Eloise books. An Eloise TV-movie references the “Think Pink” number.) Or, go to the movies and see The September Issue, but I’m telling you now, Funny Face is ten times more fun.
Every Coco Chanel biopic ever made. Coco Avant Chanel is my favorite (and the most recent), but the TV-movie starring Shirley Maclaine does a much better job of showing her financial challenges. Every aspiring designer needs to understand the risks of launching one’s own label, ideally before spending thousands of dollars to do so.
Down With Love (2003). Cute, funny tribute to all those Rock Hudson-Doris Day mid-century pictures, and Renee Zellweger’s ensembles are a dream. Do have a good laugh at those silly “taco” wraps!
Qui êtes vous, Polly Maggoo? (1966). This French art-house masterpiece ostensibly centers on supermodel Polly Maggoo, who is followed by a television crew and engages in daydreams about a handsome prince, but it’s really a snarky satire of the fashion world at the height of the Youthquake. (Every designer needs to understand the Youthquake. Its effects are still visible today.) The title character was played by model Dorothy McGowan, who reportedly never acted or modeled again after the film’s release. For extra credit, try and guess which supporting character was inspired by Diana Vreeland!
Ugly Betty (2006-present). Every season, every episode. The show is set in a fashion-magazine office, not a design house, but there are many, many tidbits worth watching for. Big tip: no matter how thin you are or how stylish someone thinks you are, there will always be people who will treat you the way the nastiest characters treat Betty (if not worse). If you have a thick enough skin to handle putting yourself in Betty’s shoes, you’ll probably survive. (An alternate option is to watch The Devil Wears Prada, but on Ugly Betty the cattiness and fat-phobia are counterbalanced by campy humor. Use your own best judgment.)
Absolutely Fabulous (1992-1996; 2001-2005). Hilarious show about two substance-abusing, trend-obsessed fashion victims. Patsy, the ex-Bond Girl, always looks cool and put-together (unless she’s wasted), but Edina is laughably attired most of the time. (Challenge yourself to design an outfit that would actually flatter Edina – or her frumpy daughter Saffron. Trust me, it takes far more creativity and skill to design for a middle-aged, slightly overweight figure than it does to design for a skinny teenage model.)
Grey Gardens (1975). This documentary focuses upon Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis’ aunt and first cousin…and their dilapidated estate. You need to see this film because every other fashionista has already seen it and you’ll be lost if you don’t. Trust me.
Clueless (1995). Just watch the damn movie if you haven’t already. This modern take on Jane Austen’s Emma is sometimes credited with changing teen fashion from grungy to cute. One of my favorites – and best of all, it stars Alicia Silverstone.
Legally Blonde (2001) and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde (2003). Proof that you can be fashionable AND shockingly intelligent. Not required viewing when I was in school, but it sure as hell should have been.
Recommended Viewing:
Blow-Up (1966). Michelangelo Antonioni directed this tense film about a sleazy fashion photographer’s unintentional involvement with a murder. Features appearances by Veruschka, Jane Birkin, and Vanessa Redgrave. Definitely not my favorite fashion film (the pacing can be maddeningly slow at times), but you can see some decent Carnaby Street duds if you watch closely enough.
Are You Being Served? (1972-1985). Do not get a job in retail without watching this show! I also recommend it to aspiring designers in the hopes that more of them will get over the “oh, let the merchandisers deal with it” mentality. Tacky point-of-sale displays, incorrectly-sewn diamante details, poor-quality material, etc. do bad, bad things for your brand’s sales figures and frustrate not only the people who buy them, but the people who sell them for a living. Please, please, please keep the end of the line (the consumer) in mind when designing.
Auntie Mame (1958). Hilarious, and stylish, film about a free-spirited woman who takes in her orphaned nephew. Mame’s costumes are a riot, and the film is shot far more beautifully than the 1974 version. (Someday, when my brother settles down with a nice girl, I’m going to send them a copy of this film as a gag gift…and as a warning.)
The Women (1939). This clever film, shot almost entirely in black-and-white, features a fashion-show sequence in full color (costumes by Adrian). Screw the remake; rent this version.
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953). Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, and Betty Grable play a trio of gold-digging models. Features a decent fashion-show sequence – just remember, the world has changed, and few fashion shows are like that these days. I do not approve of gold-digging, but this one is worth watching just to see Marilyn’s performance and those fab mid-century clothes.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). Please tell me you do not have to ask why you need to see this film.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001). Brilliantly screwed-up little film about a transgendered singer. The film’s costume designer also worked on The Crow. This is another of my favorites.
Next entry: reading lists for aspiring designers.
