Film to Fashion and Vice Versa

Since I have a love for fashion and the movies, I always find it fascinating when the two merge. It’s interesting to see how fashions make their way onto and off the silver screen. Actors often have a big influence on what’s hot in fashion on and offscreen, but sometimes a fashion trend makes its way to and/or from the silver screen all by its self.

One example of this happening would be Audrey Hepburn. Not only did women all over the world copy her hair and style of dress from several of her films, like Sabrina, Roman Holiday, and Two for the Road, but several shoes, garments, and accessories got a big push into the spotlight. Several fashion designers like Givenchy and the iconic LBD got a push into the spotlight thanks to her, and there is a style of dressing and look that is named for her.

I am sure most costume designers secretly hope their designs inspire a trend, but they are probably just as surprised as the rest of us when this happens. Betting on women copying how Madonna dressed after the movie Desperately Seeking Susan, Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Diane Keaton after Annie Hall could have been called sure things, but Rocky’s black ski hat and Harry Potter’s black rimmed glasses are a bit more random.

Some of these trends crash and burn, or they become an iconic symbol of a character, but there are quite a few that keep popping up or have a permanent spot in the world of fashion. Lately when I go to the movies, I make more of an effort to notice costumes and try to make predictions on whether they will take off as an actual trend, or simply become part of the character’s persona.

For those of you who also find this interesting, you might like to Google “Hollywood Costume,” an exhibition of costumes from the last 70 years. If you happen to be in London, you can actually check it out, as it will be at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London starting October 20th. The site mentions some of the costumes on display are “Scarlett O’Hara’s green ‘curtain’ dress from Gone with the Wind, Dorothy’s blue gingham pinafore from The Wizard of Oz, and Meryl Streep’s costumes from The Iron Lady.”

Vanity Fair has a video about the exhibit up, for those of you who can’t make it to London.

Fashionetc.com quotes Deborah Nadoolman Landis, the senior guest curator of the exhibit and costume designer: “This landmark exhibition will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the most beloved characters in Hollywood history and gain insight on the role of the costume designer and their vital contribution to cinema storytelling.”

Even if you’re not a fan of Hollywood costumes, it might be worth checking out for Halloween costume ideas.