Every year, my friends Aurora of
Once Upon a Screen, Kellee of
Outspoken & Freckled, and Paula of
Paula's Cinema Club host a blogathon in conjunction with
Turner Classic Movie's 31 Days of Oscar. Their
2019 blogathon runs February 22-24, and I encourage everyone to check out the wide array of articles that are included in this online event. But before it all kicks off, Aurora turned the tables and interviewed me - here's our conversation about the Oscars, red carpet style, and the ongoing influence of classic film on fashion.
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Aurora: What classic female actors have had the biggest impact
on fashion?
Kimberly: I
think it's pretty easy to say that actresses like Marilyn Monroe,
Audrey Hepburn, and Grace Kelly are style icons who everyone knows, even
those not familiar with classic film. In keeping with the Oscar theme, that's Grace in Edith Head at the 1955 Academy Awards in the cover image. People know that gown and it's beyond influential in fashion, but too few know it was designed by a Hollywood costume designer.
What role did the studio system play in the impact of
fashion, which was created by incredibly talented costume designers who were also just
hired hands?
Well,
each studio had a head costume designer as well as other designers who
worked on the productions. At one point, MGM had around 150 people working in the
costume design department alone. The head costume designers generally
came from the fashion industry. For example, Howard Greer and Travis Banton (both
head of costume design at Paramount), Robert Kalloch and Jean Louis
(Columbia), and Vera West (Universal) all came from couturiers. During
the Golden Age of Hollywood, the movies were
the biggest influence on
mainstream style, so what you saw onscreen became what women would wear
in real life.
Today all you hear on the red carpet is “I’m wearing
this" or "I’m wearing that.” I would think the old Hollywood studios wanted classic
stars to pretend to be themselves, make audiences think that they made their
own choices. Was that the case? Or did designers get the credit in public that
they deserved?
Crediting
designers on the red carpet is a relatively new thing. During the
Golden Age, studio costume designers would often create gowns for the
red carpet as well. But it was more about people identifying with the style of the
star - both on and offscreen - than it was identifying the
designers. The designers were there to support the studios and the
stars. They were creating an illusion, a fantasy. That said, certain
designers like Adrian had a style signature and people would become
familiar with his work on MGM stars.
Two designs by Adrian for Joan Crawford -
he was particularly known for the strong shoulder silhouette
How much free reign did old Hollywood designers have
during the studio system?
There
was no such thing as free reign. The approval process at the studios -
production designers, directors, producers, studio heads, and so on - was intense.
Of course the stars would always weigh in as well. And then there was
the Production Code that was in effect, and costume designers had to
work with (and often around) those rules. Designs had to be
pre-approved by those who enforced the Code, and they had the power to
veto costumes even when studios were in the midst of filming if they felt the design went against the Code.
There were times in our country’s history that
influenced Hollywood fashion immensely. The Great Depression and World War II come to
mind. Yet while many actors are political today, I don’t think politics influences fashion in the same way. Why do you think
that is?
The
impact of the Great Depression and WWII on fashion wasn't really about
politics. During the Great Depression, Hollywood became a place of
escape for the country - both in the aspirational visuals and theaters
were a place of physical escape. Costumes onscreen were pure fantasy,
such as those on Ginger Rogers in her films with Fred Astaire. WWII was
a time where the country all came together to support the war effort.
It also was a time when fabric was rationed for everyone, and Hollywood
costume designers tried to be conscious of this. There was a combination
of designs that worked for every woman - the popularity of pencil
skirts are a prime example of the impact of rationing on design - as
well as continuing some inspirational glamour for 1940s audiences.
Beginning in the 1920s, if you had to choose one fashion
trendsetter by decade, who would they be?
Wow.
That's almost impossible to answer. I'll just toss out a few names as
examples of actresses who really impacted style, but this is
far from a
complete list. The 1920s was really like two decades in one - the early
20s and late 20s. Early 20s - Gloria Swanson. Late 20s - Clara Bow.
1930s - Joan Crawford. 1940s - Katharine Hepburn. 1950s - Marilyn
Monroe. 1960s - Audrey Hepburn. 1970s - Ali MacGraw.
Early 1920s style icon Gloria Swanson
and 1970s style icon Ali MacGraw
Even a non-fashionista like me recognizes Grace Kelly,
Audrey Hepburn, and Doris Day as style icons. Who would you say is not talked
about as one, but influenced fashion nonetheless?
Well,
someone who is way under the radar is Kay Francis. She's not a 'name'
that's known today, but
her style can still be seen in fashion.
and her influence seen in Ralph Lauren's 2012 collection
Marilyn Monroe. What can you tell me about her style
and influence?
Marilyn's
star really began to rise in 1953 when she did 3 films -
Niagara,
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and
How to Marry a Millionaire. The last two
were examples of her partnership with costume designer William Travilla.
Marilyn obviously had an incredible figure, so he really highlighted
that. But he did so without revealing too much. As an example, you'll
notice her "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" gown only really reveals
her shoulders. The 1950s was known for very feminine style (in contrast
to the more austere 1940s) and celebrated an hourglass figure, and
Marilyn was a perfect model of that. In addition to working with
Travilla, she also worked with her makeup artist Allan "Whitey" Snyder
who created that iconic look of hers we all know today. Of course
she was also just naturally gorgeous - she never took a bad photo - and
had a vulnerability about her that made her appeal to both men and
women.
Who would you say is the most influential classic male
actor in fashion?
Cary Grant.
I’ve been lucky to attend several of your fashion presentations
both online and in person. You’ve mentioned the sad lives and or endings of
several of the classic Hollywood designers. Why do you think that was the case?
Well each was an individual case, of course. But working
in the studio system was intense. I already mentioned the extreme
approval process they went through, and this could be really difficult
for any designers who may have enjoyed a bit more autonomy designing in
the fashion industry. Also the high number of movies that would be in
production at any given time - it was a lot of work and all of it was
high pressure.
You also mention the measurements or sizes of the
classic actors as you discuss the history of fashion in film. In fact, I’ll
recommend that people visit your page for those great measurement charts you’ve created. Can you explain how
an actor’s size or shape influenced fashion back in the day and whose size would
surprise us most?
That's
a slightly complicated question. I think we're talking about two
different things - height and measurements. Each era certainly had a
silhouette that was popular. The 1930s liked a more lean figure whereas
the 1950s wanted a more voluptuous woman. I think it's the women's
heights that surprise people the most. The petite Veronica Lake at 4'11". Or Joan Crawford, who seems so imposing onscreen, at only about 5'. Then there are the taller actresses, too -
someone like Ingrid Bergman or Kay Francis who were around 5'9". What was incredible is that the
costume designers (and the production teams) made these actresses all
seem like they're around the same height. But I'll make a blanket
statement - all these women were small as far as their figures go. It's
Hollywood. Hollywood likes its actresses thin. When you see their costumes in
person, you realize just how small they were.
In your view, what is the most memorable
actor-designer pairing in Hollywood history?
I'm
going to name a few. Adrian-Joan Crawford. Travis Banton-Marlene
Dietrich. Travilla-Marilyn Monroe. Hubert de Givenchy (also fashion
designer, of course)-Audrey Hepburn. Edith Head-Grace Kelly.
Is there a comparable pairing today?
Not really, no. You'd have to shift to television - perhaps someone like Patricia Field-Sarah Jessica Parker in
Sex and the City.
Travis Banton and Marlene Dietrich (above)
and Travilla and Marilyn Monroe
What is your favorite decade in fashion?
I wear a lot of vintage and really love the late 1950s-early 1960s. I have also been embracing some 1970s for a more [Catherine] Deneuvian look. But I love the 1930s for evening glamour.
What classic films would you recommend to a student of
fashion?
When I taught the HISTORY OF FASHION IN FILM at Woodbury University, it was based on my list of
The Style Essentials.
These are 50 films with iconic costume design that impacted fashion at
the time they premiered and continue to influence fashion today. I
invite people to look through the list.
As you know, the Academy Awards began as a small,
intimate affair. I don’t think fashion was high on people’s minds when they
reported the winners. When did fashion catch up to the winners in the news
cycle?
It
took a bit of time. It evolved through the 1930s. As soon as there was
real publicity involved, and you had the public lining up to see
their favorite stars as they entered the event, fashion became very
important. The Oscars had their own catching up to do.
Can I take this opportunity to remind people that there wasn't even an Oscar for costume design until 1948? Once there was an award, Edith Head was a big winner. 8 in all and 35 nominations.
You usually mention current award fashions referencing
classic influences in your presentations and on social media. What current designer has been most influenced by classic Hollywood?
It's
hard to narrow down current designers who are influenced by classic
Hollywood because, as my work shows, most of them are. That's why I
started teaching fashion students - the designers they looked up to were
drawing inspiration from Hollywood costume designers and certain films of theirs.
Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Zac Posen, Jenny Packham, Zuhair Murad,
Elie Saab, Vera Wang, Giorgio Armani... the list goes on and on.
What current actor is most reminiscent of the classic
period in her fashion choices?
Actresses like Reese
Witherspoon, Amy Adams, Jessica Chastain, and Charlize Theron often
include some reference to Old Hollywood with their choices. That said,
stylists are trying more and more to put their own touch on Oscar
ensembles.
What is your favorite Oscars look of all time?
There
have been a few. I'll start with one from a classic film star - I loved
Elizabeth Taylor in violet Edith Head in 1970. There have been some
winners in recent history as well. Renee Zellweger in yellow vintage
Jean Dessès in 2001. Charlize Theron in golden Gucci in 2004 and orange
Vera Wang in 2000. Sharon Stone in a men's white shirt and lavender Vera
Wang skirt in 1998. Lupita Nyong'o in pale blue Prada in 2014. Of
course Nicole Kidman's chartreuse John Galliano in 1997 was a huge
transitional moment for both her career and the modern Oscars red
carpet.
Finally, what should the classically-inclined Oscars
viewer look for on this year’s red carpet to recognize classic influences?
Honestly,
the entirety of the red carpet at the Academy Awards owes itself to Old Hollywood. The
classic costume designers really created the template of what glamour
looks like, so modern fashion designers and stylists turn to it again
and again and again for inspiration.
