Immortality in Fashion! 22

The 1983 erotic horror film The Hunger stars Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, and Susan Sarandon. The film features a vampire couple and their love triangle with a gerontologist. What caught my eye most throughout the film was the timeless, gothic fashion. The film strays away from the traditional portrayal of vampires in film (long cloaks and high collars) and moves into a more modern, sultry, and subtle portrayal of the immortal creature. The costumes were designed by Italian costume designers Milena Canonero. Catherine Deneuve’s character Miriam Blaylock’s costumes specifically stood out to me. Deneuve’s costumes were styled by Yves Saint Laurent. Just like Miriam, these outfits are immortal. Miriam is commonly seen wearing black and always sports a red lip; there’s nothing more timeless than that! Miriam’s costumes include a low cut bodysuit, pantsuits, and jackets with padded shoulders. Her outfits were a perfect mixture of both masculinity and femininity that enhanced the film’s sultry aesthetic. Her accessories, including slick silver cat eye sunglasses, were just as timeless. Miriam had amazing headpieces including a black hat with a fishnet studded in pearls that laid over her face.

Icon David Bowie played an aging vampire in the film.

His style within the film was just as influential as his style as a rockstar. Bowie was known for incorporating masculine and feminine styles and challenged fashion boundaries. His character was seen in black round sunglasses and tailored suits. Bowie’s role in The Hunger paved the way for androgynous gender expression in fashion. Gender fluidity has been very prevalent in fashion in the last few years as we move away from the social constructs that we have become accustomed to. This film was so influential in fashion that Alexander McQueen’s 1996 Spring fashion show “Hunger” was based on it. McQueen’s collection features shoulder-padded blazers and clean lines paired with punk rock, gothic hairstyles. The show’s main colors were black, white, and red; colors seen throughout the entire film. This show is representative of the film’s impact as a whole because it incorporates the androgynous gender expression from the film. The Hunger inspired viewers to challenge the gender norms set by society through fashion.