REVISED Fashion on Film 10-09

Photo courtesy of: Flickr.com user anatomyofamuse courtesy of Giovanni Rufino/THE CW

fashion on film

by Erin Stovall

When Breakfast at Tiffany’s comes to mind, we all imagine the same image. Audrey Hepburn smiling from behind a pair of black sunglasses, wearing a little black dress, dripping with diamonds and pearls. The outfits and style of a particular character that we see in the movies or television shows we watch have the potential to become iconic, almost legendary. Movie makers and television producers are willing to shell out big bucks in order for top stylists and costume designers to work on their movies.

Designing the clothing of fictional characters has become an important job. The clothing that an actor wears allows the audience to grasp many aspects of a character’s personality at a glance. The clothes can either make it or break it.

Patricia Field is perhaps one of the movie and television industry’s most famous costume designers. Her credits include Sex and the City, the Devil Wears Prada, Confessions of a Shopaholic, and Ugly Betty, all of which have been noted for excellent displays of style. Her work for Sex and the City earned her several Emmy awards. If you‘re a fan of Patricia Field’s work, you can check out her boutique and hair salon located at 302 Bowery between East Houston and Bleecker.

At Field’s boutique you will be able to find brightly colored dresses, sequined corsets, and studded sunglasses, in addition to actual pieces that have been sported by the characters of Sex and the City and Confessions of a Shopaholic. Field is currently working on styling the second Sex and the City movie, and claims that the styling in this installment will be “more fun.” She continued saying, ““When you’re in a recession, what do you want? You want to have a good time! White plays a big role in general because the movie takes place over seven weeks in the summer. But it won’t only be white dresses! I’m going for a new look, new elements on these familiar girls.”

Fashion lovers can get an inside look into New York City’s fast-paced fashion industry on MTV’s reality show The City. The series, which kicked off the second part of its first season in late September, follows California girl Whitney Port as she works for several of fashion’s top names like Diane von Furstenberg and public relations giant People’s Revolution. Port was first introduced to the American public as Lauren Conrad’s fellow intern on The Hills. Since then she has risen up the ranks and is currently working on designing her own fashion line. Cameras follow Whitney’s co-star, Olivia Palermo, as she begins a new job in Elle Magazine’s accessory department.

While the fashions worn on the show may not be the most practical (Whitney wears four inch stilettos as she struts down the cobblestone streets of the Meatpacking District), they definitely make the show more interesting. The drama on the show may be pure fiction, but there is no denying that the show’s main characters have true style.

Of course, it’s impossible to talk about TV shows and fashion without mentioning Gossip Girl.

As the “Sex and the City” of our generation, the clothes seen on the main characters have sparked many new trends. Costume designer Eric Daman is the one responsible for hundreds of girls running around in colored tights, flirty lace tops, and headbands à la Blair Waldorf. Serena van der Woodsen and Vanessa Abrams both wear colorful patterns and boho-chic frocks. The show’s youngest character, Jenny Humphrey, has a unique style that mixes edgy rocker flair with the prim and proper style of the

Whitney Port and Erin Lucas strut their stuff in The City.

Photo courtesy of: hills2city.wordpress.com

Stylist Rachel Zoe’s closet is the envy of every aspiring fashionista.

Photo courtesy of: www.currentVintage.com/blog

Upper East Side. The show also helped make little known designers, like Lorrick, into household names.

Most recently, Anna Sui designed a collection for Target that was inspired by Gossip Girl’s fabulous foursome. And no one could forget the outrageous style of Chuck Bass. In the third season of the show, the boy billionaire’s wardrobe will be modeled after Gordon Gekko, Michael Douglas’s character in the movie Wall Street. This means that viewers can expect to see Chuck in suspenders, printed ties, and flashy cufflinks. As the characters evolve, their personal styles undergo an evolution as well.

Another must-watch television show for any fashionista is the Rachel Zoe Project. Rachel Zoe is one of the industry’s top stylists with a list of clientele that includes A-list celebrities like Demi Moore, Cameron Diaz, and Jennifer Garner. It’s difficult for any fashion fan not to swoon when the camera pans to show Zoe’s extensive clothing selection. The Rachel Zoe Project shows both the positive and negative sides of the styling industry. On one hand, thousands of people would give anything to be in Zoe’s shoes. How many people have private meetings with legends like Karl Lagerfeld or are allowed an opportunity to view Diane von Furstenberg’s collection before it even hits the runway? For Rachel Zoe, this is all in a day’s work. However, she is often stressed and pressed for time – her employees butt heads and she must deal with picky and indecisive celebrities. Over the two seasons of the show, fashion geniuses like Zac Posen and Marc Jacobs have made guest appearances, with their clothing being featured. That’s basically all that needs to be said for this show to be added to a style maven’s “Must Watch” list.

The most memorable aspects of most movies and television shows are their characters and the clothes that help show us who they are. Fashion is more prevalent in the film industry than ever. No longer are supermodels – like Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista – gracing the covers of mainstream fashion magazines. Actors have taken their places over the years. Many people improve their own personal styles by watching actors on film and taking notes, while fashion industry it-girls are unknown to the majority of the American public.

Movies and television shows are only a remote click away and show us the old, the new, and the future trends in fashion.