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