Following Suit: How Hollywood influences fashion

With the opening of the film Sweeney Todd, which promises to be a box office thriller, coming to theatres on Friday, I can't help but notice the buzz of a certain dark, witchy trend happening alongside in the industry. Fall 2007 lines were particularly witchy- even more so than usual. The fascination with the eerie and somewhat cadaverous theme popping up in the entertainment industry right now is effecting everything from color schemes to threads, even the photography of fashion is taking a dip into an illusory world.

Alexander McQueen's paganist inspired Fall collection is a prime example, dedicating his line to a witch who died in Salem in 1692. A hairstylist for McQueen's show, Eugene Souleiman, claims that the last few seasons were all a bit more Romantic and now it has "all gone a bit Tim Burton" in his words. The makeup, hair, decor, and accessories only served to embellish the tension caused by the spookiness during the show. Black taffeta dresses mixed with metallic blues and greens took over the collection, adorned with high fitted black boots, witchy pointed shoes, crosses, and stiff ruffles. The gowns definitely had a 17th century influence, however, maintained furturistic details and cuts to shake things up. It is also clear that the models may have had to sign a contract restricting any of them from tanning for a few months to prepare for the daunting white skin associated with this type of spectacle.
While McQueen's style is usually quite callous and it may not surprise you that he would dedicate the line to a witch, several other designers showed a similar influence in their fall collections as well. Though not all necessarily dark, the clothing resembled 17th century moodiness, a light colored gown made dreary by a metallic coat slung on the shoulders or shoes with intricate designs that wrap up the leg like a slivering ivy attacking its prey.

It seems that everywhere I look, there are tv shows, Broadway musicals, events, and more associated with this nefarious point of view. One would expect that by Christmas the buzz on Halloween themes would be over, however, designers are presenting wears that could be confused as costumes. The excitement behind this age old idea of something so scary it is intriguing is very interesting to me. I particularly love the influence on photography resembling the cinematography of a Tim Burton film. Fashion photographers place ensembles in a cold dismal setting, causing the brighter tones to pop and giving motion to a static picture. Still, the film industry takes the cake in recreating the 17th century, Salem inspired, cadaverous forms of art as horror films tend to be a sure fire route to succeed at the box office. And while they continue to haunt my dreams to no end, I will be one of the first in line to see the costumes worn by Johnny Depp while he performs his butchering-barber scandals in a very "cut-throat" film.

Haute Couture: Fashion as a Luxury

The term “couture” is used so loosely in today’s fashion world that it has all but lost its luster to the ideals, historical movements and true genius associated with the industry known as “Haute Couture”.

The true meaning of the term “haute couture” (haute meaning elegant or high and couture meaning dressmaking, sewing, or needlework) refers to Parisian handcraft industry that guaranteed luxury, elegance, and exclusivity in creation. “A model haute couture garment is made specifically for the wearer’s measurements and body stance. A client would get a perfection of fit only achieved by painstaking methods of cutting and fitting to the client's body. The manual labor needed to produce a garment this way takes between 100-150 hours for a suit and up to 1000 hours for an embellished evening dress.” (Thomas) For the purpose of this article, I will be discussing the time period and designers associated with the movement, however additional information about price and process can be found at: www.fashion-era.com/haute_couture.htm

There were seventy registered couture houses in 1939, which included some of the major houses we all know and love today: Balenciaga Chanel, Shiaparelli, etc. With the occupation of Paris during the war, private clients were dispersed, international sales were disrupted and several of the couture houses closed. The Germans wanted to move couture to Berlin, however Lucien Lelong, president of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, argued, “It is in Paris, or it is nowhere”. In 1945-46, the chamber along with what was left of the Paris couturiers, organized a traveling show, “Theatre de la Mode”- held in Paris, Barcelona, London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, New York & San Francisco, Britain, and Scandinavia, raising funds for war victims and promoting Paris as the capital of high fashion. Another purpose was to draw back to Paris the international clientele that had benefited haute couture prior to WWII. Décor was designed by Christian Berard and Jean Cocteau among others. Houses presented collections on miniature wire dress models (a demonstration of fantasy and imagination).


Couturiere Masters
One of the most prominent figures attributed with haute couture is Christian Dior who created the famous New Look of 1947. The voluptuous collection was the antithesis of masculine wartime fashions. It featured sloping shoulders, a full bust and a cinched-in waist, accentuating the female form. The amount of fabric that it took to create a New Look garment outraged London officials because of the wartime rationing. The collection was shown in secret to Queen Elizabeth. The launch of the “New Look” marked the beginning of what Dior considered “the golden age”. The next ten years set the standard for high fashion dressmaking.

Another important figure in the Haute Couture movement was Cristobal Balenciaga. The House of Balenciaga produced 356 designs per year and was the most exclusive fashion house in Paris. Clients were admitted only by personal introduction. His mastery lay in the cut. He was renowned for reworking the sleeves of the garments. Countess of Bismarck, one of the well- known Balenciaga clients, wore exclusively Balenciaga designs and locked herself in her room for three days when he retired.

Other practitioners of the new look during that time that are perhaps not as well known were Jacques Fath- accentuated curves and co-opted male accessories in his outfits (wing collars, ties, carnation in the buttonhole, etc) and Pierre Balmain- who had a more sober “New French Style” as called by Gertrude Stein- with outfits inspired by the world of sport, city-wear costumes with discreet tennis stripes and “little” cocktail dresses or evening gowns decorated by embroidery. After the success of the New Look, each couturier was to develop his own style based on the hourglass model of the time ( i.e. close-fitted bust, tucked-in-waist, rounded hips, unpadded shoulders, and a tapered or full, elongated skirt).

The original couturieres continued their artistry throughout the revolution and some have lasted for generations, each house named after its creator, and still stand today. Others have faded with the passing of their founders. Keeping with the ideals of exclusivity, the amount of actual couturiers has shrunk as well. The term haute couture is protected by law and defined by the members of the Chambre, who decide which houses can officially use the name "haute couture". As of early 2007, there are ten official haute couture member houses:
1. Adeline Andre
2. Chanel
3. Christian Dior
4. Christian Lacroix
5. Dominique Sirop
6. Emanuel Ungaro
7. Franck Sorbier
8. Givenchy
9. Jean Paul Gaultier
10. Jean-Louis Scherrer
If you are lucky enough to be in London in the next couple of months, there is an exhibition on haute couture called, The Golden Age of Couture at:
The Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7
020 7942 2000
www.vam.ac.uk


Information Cited from:
Icons of Fashion: The 20th Century, Gerda Buxbaum

Fashion-era.com/ Haute Couture Fashion History, written by Pauline Weston Thomas
http://www.fashion-era.com/haute_couture.htm
The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957
http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic

A Look at Harper’s Bazaar: Dec 07 Photo Shoot "What's Next"

Location: not listed

The inspiration for the shoot comes partly from a Grecian perspective, with huge white columns looming in the photos and the model’s hair curled into tight “Alexander” curls. As the title suggests, the photos present high drama even through the film quality, yet very feminine with a few rough and edgy accents added in. It has an almost “Pink Ladies” feel to it as well. The model wears a cowboy hat in a couple of the pictures, which turns the background from Grecian to a sassy and fashionable rodeo as well, and a few of the photographs have lighting and film stills that feel very western with a twist to me. I am inspired especially by the photo with the model in a Louis Vuitton dress, leather jacket (short and fitted in the arms), and a vintage bureau with a kitten on it. For some reason, I feel very compelled to have this outfit. The model just seems so pretty, yet the outfit screams, “hardcore”.

The Team:
Photographer: Camilla Akrans
Camilla Akrans, an award-winning photographer, began taking pictures in Sweden in 1999. Drawing her inspiration from cinema and her own personal experiences, her photographs tell stories with color and emotion. Catching the attention of the fashion world she has recently collaborated with the following clients:
Advertising: Missoni, Hermes, Eres, Levi’s, Jil Sander, Tommy Hilfiger, Guerlain, Shiseido, Max Mara, ICB
Editorial: Big, Harpers Bazaar, Numero, New York Times, Vogue Nippon

Fashion Editor: Melanie Ward
Melanie Ward attended London University where she received a BA in politics, modern history and French. After graduating Melanie took a course in fashion design at Central St Martins. Ward says that as a child she would take her aunt’s sewing machine and change clothes that she bought at Oxfam and Portobello-cutting holes, twisting sweaters, for her there were no rules, which is the philosophy she maintains today. Her first job for i-D was published in 1989. She is credited with pioneering the grunge movement with photographers including Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Mario Sorrento,
Craig McDean, Steven Klein and Larry Clark on numerous editorials and fashion campaigns. She is also the first stylist ever, to do a story with a newly discovered Kate Moss. The story goes that Ward, Corinne Day and a skinny 15-year-old Moss drove to the seaside and photographed Moss in a daisy chain necklace and Native American feather headdress, which was later, picked up for the cover story of The Face, a popular British magazine. Since then she has styled for magazines including i-D, The Face, French Glamour, L’Uomo Vogue, Vogue Hommes International and others. She spent 13 years (since 1992) as collaborator and muse of Helmut Lang and has also consulted and styled with Jil Sander and Calvin Klein on their shows. Ad campaigns include Helmut Lang, Prada, Yohji Yamamoto, Calvin Klein and Levi’s. Melanie lives in New York where she is Senior Fashion Editor at Harper’s Bazaar and also designed the Karl Lagerfeld line for Karl Lagerfeld. She's been the senior fashion editor at Harper's Bazaar since '96 where she was beckoned by the late Liz Tilberis. And has been responsible for some of the most evocative and innovative imagery found in the mainstream publication world. The picture shown is from Harper's Bazaar July 2006 issue, a story which she styled that later won a Luci award.

Model: Masha Novoselova
www.mashanovoselova.com
Born in Tula, Russia, Masha now lives in the UK, in 2006 she signed with Storm Agency in 2006. One of her first big jobs was a French Vogue editorial that took place in November of 2006 and was shot by photographer Andreas Sjodin. She has also done work for Benetoon, Dolce & Gabbana Resort, Le Silla, Miss Selfridges, Nuxe, Rena Lange, Tally Weiji, Ungaro Homme, and been on the cover of Profil Femme. In 2007, she was the face of Christian Lacroix’s spring ad campaign. She is 5’8. 5, a size 6 (what?) and is 22 years old, with light brown hair and blue eyes. She enjoys dancing, traveling, writing poems, wakeboarding, and reading about Tibet
Agencies: M&P Model Management; AMT Models - Vienna, Modelwerk, Storm

Hair Stylist: Shay Ashual for Cutler/Redken-
Agency: Judy Casey
Also done work for Alexander McQueen, the New York Times Style Magazine, ID Magazine, etc.

Makeup Stylist: Wendy Rowe for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics
British make up artist Wendy Rowe, shares her time between London, Paris and New York. Clients include Burberry, Prada, Hermes and La Perla. Her easy, simple approach to makeup and flawless skin has made her a popular choice among celebrities and supermodels such as Kate Moss, Mischa Barton, Helena Christensen, Keira Knightley, Rachel Weisz and Jamie King. Wendy's work regularly features in Vogue, Allure and Numero. She is also the key makeup artist of major shows in Paris, Milan and New York.

Contributing Designers:
Lynn Ban
Veronique Leroy
Vivienne Westwood
Chanel
Fendi
Dean Harris
New York Vintage
Christopher Kane
Yves Saint Laurent
Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere
Louis Vuitton

Career Path- Freelance Fashion Stylist

“Beneath the froth, in a great stylist, is a deep pool of memory and longing. It’s down there that the extraordinary images swim from”- Anna Wintour

While most girls aspire to the coveted role of Fashion Director for a major fashion magazine (working with celebrities, traveling to all fashion shows, and standing in as the face of the magazine) it is the Fashion Stylist that appeals most to me. The Fashion Stylist seems to be the guts of the magazine, while the Fashion Market Director gets the public glory. I would much rather be a little more private with my publicity and work freelance for different publications, designers, musical artists, etc. More importantly though, it is the Fashion Stylist’s every day tasks that appeal most to me; working with photographers, contributing to the themes of photographs, managing the budgets of a shoot, traveling to different places for photo shoots, and as a freelance stylist I would be able to work on my own schedule a little more, having longer days at times, but not always having to be at the same place at the same time everyday.
As a sales manager and a visual arts major, I am capable of either position, however, it is the artistic quality of the stylist that is most intriguing. A stylist tells a story with images. I have lots of experience with this. I have taken several classes on modern art and have worked in several mediums including painting, photography, photography enhancement, video, drawing, sculpture, and others to create an idea through an image or object. I even studied dance, ballet, modern, and jazz and can wrap my mind around the complex idea of choreographing a person to tell a story. I performed alot of the photography tasks on my own in my college courses, and feel that I can connect clothing to a theme and properly fit a person into an ensemble that is provocative, yet classy. As a sales manager, I have managed my own finances as well as accounting for all payments of my clients, and could easily manage the budgets for a photoshoot. I also have become accustomed to getting my work done on my own time. I am pretty much given a deadline, and that is the only timeline I really have to work with. I feel that no matter how much preparation goes into the clothes for a photo shoot, the best stylists can improvise as well. I have performed in theatre improvistion all throughout high school, and I believe this is a very important trait that will help me in my future endeavors.
But before I jump in with both feet to start this career path, there are a few skills I would like to learn. I want to work for a photographer, performing various styling tasks including clothing and accessory choices. It would be wonderful to travel a bit with him for certain jobs, just to learn what is available to me by way of landscape, cityscape, and gain more knowledge on the femme de la mode movement. I also would like to know what is available to me as far as short term clothing and accessories- for instance, what can be rented for quality items that are too expensive to buy for a photo shoot, or if there is opportunity to have items donated for freelance photo shoots that are not directly correlated to a publication. I would love to begin this now and hopefully continue it after moving to a more metropolitan area and into a styling assistant position at a publication. It should encourage my stylistic side, help build my work experience, and teach me how certain types of clothing should be photographed to present a spectacular image. I then would like to work with a designer, learning more about the apparel aspect so that I can better understand how a certain material will move, where the underground jewels to find certain types of costumes or clothing are, and how much I can expect to spend on certain types of outfits. After a short time of working for various artists, I would also like to work for a publication for a time so that I can better understand how the fast paced industry of a fashion magazine works as I will undoubtedly be working for them on a freelance basis in the future. The best way to put yourself in the position of receiving work as a freelance artist is to network. I will perform well in every job so that I can build a name for myself and hopefully receive work from previous publications I have worked for.
I would also love to work with someone like Andrea Lieberman for a time. I think it would be interesting to see how she makes decisions about some of the clothes she chooses, what the thought process is, if every photograph has a theme, and how she is able to keep her clientele in order to stay in business.

Gwen in Action: With a different kind of tote!

Gwen Stefani has it all:the voice, the fame, Gavin Rosdale, and a new little bundle of joy to tote around! No, I am not talking about one of her stylish L.A.M.B. bags, Gwen walked out on the runway carrying little Kingston on her hip. It just goes to show you, even motherhood couldn't stop this starlet from pursuing her dreams. Her Spring 2008 collection is indicative of a new, more mature Gwen while retaining some of the punk rock- jamaica style of her days as the lead singer of No Doubt. In fact, long before the creation of L.A.M.B., Gwen could be found sewing, stitching, gluing, and in general designing her own costumes for the shows. In fact, it appears that she may have reworked an outfit she wore on stage in 1991 into her new collection. Granted, Gwen's main talent is her uncanny ability to perform with energy even at her age (no numbers everyone), but her fashion sense boasts a raw rock star attitude, and a history of trying every type of genre from punk to ska, pop, and even a little rap. Having been in the music biz that long, she has obviously accumulated a style all her own that often earns her placement on the Best Dressed Lists of several fashion magazines. In my personal opinion, Stefani is certainly a fashion icon, having reinvented herself and her look throughout the years.
My hat is off to her for her willingness to try new things and be a little silly at times (who else can pull off pink hair really?). The Spring collection for L.A.M.B. with its checkered prints, classy necklines, and playful nod to The Sound of Music is really a breath of fresh air from some of the other fashion lines created by actresses/singers. I swear if one more celebrity endorsed perfume comes out, we will have to have mandatory air fresheners in public places. Gwen has surely made her mark as an innovative designer, a performer even the men can adore, a loving mother, and one hell of a celebrity.

A Look at Vivienne Westwood

Her Spring 2008 collection:
• It’s fresh and edgy with its unkempt lines and rough materials. It sort of presents a new take on punk and anarchy with its obvious political message.
• She isn’t just working with flowery prints or clean lines as most spring collections usually present, the work is very artistic, some pieces seem more like sculptures to me.
• Westwood really understands the idea of fashion for arts sake, presenting clothing beyond is marketable or anywhere close to something you may see walking down the street.
• The DIY spirit of it all is inspirational, for example, in the outfit that appears to be just a draping of a cloak with the word "propaganda" on it.
Her Inspiration
• The show was named 56 after the number of days the British Labor government proposes to hold terror suspects in jail without trial
• Also supposedly reminiscing an imaginary sex-filled marriage between Marilyn Monroe and an English lord
The Most Important Look:
• Propaganda T-shirts over stuffed bras- loudly preaching the social message of high status women obsessing over their figures
• Something really beautiful starts to happen in some of the more subtle looks, very characteristic DIY which gives it the luxury characteristic of being "one of a kind"
Her Signature
• Westwood’s latest collection is characteristic to her style, depicting “waggish references to royalty, historical excess (mini- crinolines and bodices from which the wearer’s bosom spills like a milk jelly”- Phaidon, 494
• She can explore the extremes of a dress with the excessive length or fullness usually equated with more elegant and dressy ball gowns but make them appear more casual.
• Westwood emphasizes eccentricity and subversion
• Partnered with Malcolm McLauren, she was accredited with shaping the punk movement. McLauren admits “Punk was just a way to sell trousers”- Phaidon, 301

Wisdom

I feel one of my biggest mistakes was not studying abroad in college. I was too lazy to
put up with the paperwork to get there, my mom was not behind me on the idea, I wasn't sure how to pay for it, and I feared putting myself into debt or falling behind on my schoolwork. So I didn't go because of fear, laziness, and ignorance. There are a few other things in my life that I would have liked to do but didn't because of similar reasons.
What I want to start doing is taking the risks, still recognizing what is a passing fancy but accepting the risk for something I really want to do. I do not wish to lay on my death bed thinking, "I always did everything I was supposed to. I skated through life, never investing too much, or taking on any challenges that I felt could be too much to handle. I was just content". My mantra right now- "You will always miss 100% of the chances you don't take."

5 Years From Now

“Mona, call Marc Jacobs we need to redo the shoot for the Make your Marc article.”
It is 9AM in Los Angeles, and my day is already in full swing. I hang up the phone in my quaint corner office, which has the perfect view of the Christmas decorations accumulating in the downtown area, but I am hardly ever at my desk to enjoy it. My office is quiet so that I can work efficiently, but right outside, there is the sound of business and everyone is talking about tonight’s big event. Perfectly pressed in my winter-white Chanel power suit, jacket fitted at the waist and cropped just above the hips, I am feeling confident and classy as always. I am already leaving the office on my way to the next photo shoot. I grab my white fedora propped on my glass top desk and head quickly to Starbucks to meet Mona, the lead fashion director at my company. It is going to be a long but exciting day.
“Marc wants to know why you feel it should be redone?”- Mona asks over two caramel macchiatos.
“It’s a bit muppety.” I reply with confidence.
My position as creative director of ZINK Magazine is to oversee photo shoots and assist with the research and styling of fashion features. I am flying the following week to New York to help with the large-and-in-charge January issue, coordinating outfits for the glamorous Romanticism feature and two weeks from now I will be going to India to do a segment on Bali-wood inspiration. For today, Mona and I are just taking in the crisp morning air as we pop off to the destination of today’s job.
“I am not sure about the Dior ensemble we chose for the Plaid Feature.”
“Would you call it muppety?” Mona snickers, playfully bashing my deranged vocabulary. The atmosphere at ZINK is professional, and competition is inevitable, however the witty humor and friendliness between the co-workers surpasses the need to be petty or superficial to get ahead professionally. It is unlike the cold catty mood surrounding the workplace of other major fashion publications due to the magazine’s edgy nature and slightly smaller popularity.
We arrive at the Paramount Pictures grounds where the studio has graciously allowed us to rent out the space for our Roaring Twenties fashion editorial. Our models are dressed in modern depictions of the flapper dresses, men’s sportswear, plunging back- lines, peacock feather fans, fun headdresses, and fabulous fur coats (say that fast three times). The scene combines the look of a gangster club setting with a more illustrious Great Gatsby style. In the center sits Natalie Portman, the perfect body type for the job and all the right attitude for the look. Hair and make- up assistants are hurried out of harms way as six photographers begin shooting the first of five sets for the editorial.
“What are you wearing to the Rock your Vote show next week?” I ask.
“I was thinking I would wear that little red plaid number! I love that we are encouraging social obligation through fashion,” Mona replies.
At 12:30, we part ways, Mona remaining at the photo shoot so that I can meet my sister for a quick bite to eat, then I head back to the office to make some more calls in deciphering who will be featured in our next Of the Moment- Designer piece. My money is on a losing contestant from the 15th Project Runway season, who made it to the fourth round but lost in the “Create Your Dress from Wheat Grass” challenge.
In my spare time, I am working on a long-term project to present for consideration to the editor-in-chief. The idea is to produce our own installation for an art show, set to take place at MOCA. The idea for the show is to depict fashion as a form of social, political, or artistic expression. I have already encouraged Imitations of Christ, a long lost edgy designer, and Vivienne Westwood to collaborate on the project. The installation not only encourages fashion as an art form, it allows ZINK the opportunity to spread their brand name to a different demographic and uphold the fresh and creative image of the publication.
At 7PM, the photo shoot has finally come to a close (we have our work cut out for us tomorrow in choosing the best photographs to present for the lead fashion editorial) and Mona returns to the office where our private company car picks us up and we must rush home to prepare for the 20th annual promotion party thrown by ZINK at the Grafton on Sunset. Of course, because I am a long time friend of Betsy Johnson, she has designed my outfit for me. Although the party is a lot of work, mingling, and promoting for us, Mona and I look forward to it every year. It is not unusual for employees at ZINK to be invited to several events a week, but sometimes we look forward to just heading home to unwind after a long work day. We work long days, however, we are at liberty to make personal errands during the day as long as we get our work done.