Saturday, March 10, 2012

Cinema Connection--Karl Lagerfeld Captures 1920s Cafe Society for HARPER'S BAZAAR


As I have been discussing in my Month (or so) of Art Deco on GlamAmor, the 1920s and 1930s have had a profound amount of influence on fashion this Spring.  Much of the inspiration has come from the current crop of movies that center on its style...Oscar winner for Best Picture (and Costume Design) The Artist, Madonna's W./E., Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, and Baz Luhrmann's eagerly anticipated remake of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Jazz Age classic The Great Gatsby among many many others.  

But even though the look of these films and television hit Downton Abbey have stirred our collective consciousness, it is still classic cinema that continues to have the most profound effect on design.  The most successful and innovative designers know their history and go back to the source--such as Old Hollywood sirens like Jean Harlow slinking around in Adrian--in order to bring the best to their clothing collections today.  Ralph Lauren, Valentino, Marc Jacobs, and Chanel are only some of the big names recalling Deco design this season.  

Karl Lagerfeld, head of the house of Chanel since 1983, has also captured the zeitgeist with his camera for the company's advertising campaigns and the pages of the recently redesigned Harper's Bazaar.  Though the talent showcased in this editorial are very different, they all share one thing in common--their appreciation of the range of sophistication in Art Deco style.


GLITTERING GOWNS (above, left to right):  Giorgio Armani, Alexander McQueen, and Valentino



Ralph Lauren ostrich feather dress (above) and satin suit (below)



Though these dresses are more inspired by 1940s siren Rita Hayworth,
they are styled with a distinctly Deco flair--
J. Mendel (above) and Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti (below)



These floor-length gowns (above) are very reminiscent of 30s stars Myrna Loy and Kay Francis


Flapper fashions by Chanel (above) and Gucci suggest Joan Crawford in 1928's Our Dancing Daughters,
which I'll be covering on GlamAmor after it shows at April's TCM Classic Film Festival

1 comment:

Marline said...

Great review, Kimberly! It always surprises me (Lord knows why) when the world suddenly marches in lockstep towards a trend. No complaints from me, though, I love the Twenties-Thirties looks! Well done!!! Warmly, Kay

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