Fashion and Hollywood

courtesy of /www.fashion-planet.com

From the beginning of Hollywood, movies have been responsible for the evolution of fashion throughout the world. The Academy Awards are a global spotlight for what the stars are wearing today. AMC's current series "The Hollywood Fashion Machine," airs Mondays at 8:00PM (ET) and is followed by a film featuring trend-setting or break-through costumes that defined the era, as part of AMC's "Hollywood Fashion Collection." AMC has shared with Fashion Planet key information on their series to lead this story.

Hollywood stars not only take home points from their movies, but are also reaping the rewards of selling their images. Stars are becoming an important facilitator to the success of many fashion houses. Elizabeth Taylor's perfumes landed in the top ten of fragrance sales ever since "Cleopatra" when she inspired the mod look with heavily lined eyes. Her fragrances evolved from Passion in 1987 to White Diamonds in 1991 to Black Pearls in 1995. Even though George Lucas attempted to minimize the fashion influence of the Star Wars movies, the recent enthusiasm over Queen Amidala's futurist-renaissance costumes had her dolls selling quickly at retail.

French designer Andre Courreges, revolutionized the fashion world during the 1960's with the look of space girl chic. Referred to as the first couturier of the space age, Courreges paired flat white boots with short skirts and angular dresses printed with geometric or psychedelic images. Paco Rabanne further defined space chic by mixing chain-metal, plastic and aluminum when creating costumes for Jane Fonda in "Barbarella." Mod's quickly adopted "Barbarella's" characteristic sexy skin-tight jumpsuits, mini-skirts, go-go boots, and generous decolletage, and the look became symbolic of the sexual revolution. Despite the break-through look of "Barbarella" Paco Rabanne failed to win an Academy Award nomination. Ironically the movie is considered a costume classic.

Today fashion and Science Fiction continue their symbolic and cyclical relationship. Fashion and Science Fiction relationships are recognizable ranging from 1958's "Queen of Outer Space" starring Zsa Zsa Gabor adorned in chiffon and feathers to 1999's "The Matrix" with characters dripping in vinyl and leather. Sci-Fi fashion is examined in the AMC (American Movie Classics) "Futurama" episode of "The Hollywood Fashion Machine.

AMC's "Futurama" describes Sci-Fi fashion in three categories Technological, Gritty and Outer-Limits. "Star Trek's" technological costumes embody sleek, streamlined looks which mirror their space-age world. Grungy movies, with destruction plots call for clothing to be purely functional. Hubcaps , chains, and other surrounding material become body armor in "Mad Max'." Pure aesthetics are the goal of Outer-Limits films. "Barbarella", "The Fifth Element", and "The Matrix" costumes convey heavily thought out design concepts and their filmmakers often enlist the services of fashion designers rather than traditional Hollywood costume designers.

"Blade Runner's" highly stylized look was achieved by melding fashion era's. A compilation of classic silhouettes, red lipstick, Joan Crawford inspired hair and 80's shoulder padded power suits updated with futuristic fabrics imply there is no future without a past. Punk looks are achieved with fishnet tights and highly smudged eye shadow. A traditional trench coat signifies power when remade in leather and laster cut. Alexander McQueen found inspiration from "Blade Runner" when designing runway looks with models almost mirroring the movie. John Galliano celebrated the opening of the new Christian Dior boutique in New York with a Blade Runner themed party.

Parisian designer Jean-Paul Gaultier's street and punk inspired futuristic costumes for "The Fifth Element" came from a compilation of his runway shows. "The Fifth Element" is a showcase of Gaultier's range from tailored suits, cone bras, and body cage dresses to the "Diva Cat suit" exaggerated with crypto-futuristic elements. The lead character "Leeloo," played by model/actress Milla Jovovich, wears a dress of strategically place elastic bands similar to an ACE bandage. Similarly the plots of "Barbarella'" and "The Fifth Element" become secondary to the fashion show embedded within them.

"The Matrix" starring Keanu Reeves takes place in two definitive worlds and makes use of both technological and grungy looks to interpret the differences. Ripped, stained, worn- out t-shirts define the grungy underworld. While laser sharp tailored suits, sleek leather trench coats, pants and dominatrix latex become symbols of the future. The second-skin look of latex enhances the common fantasy that people in the future will be naked. "The Matrix" look went on to inspire runway collections and helped leather pants flow into mainstream fashion. 

Leather, vinyl, and chain-metal, once associated with fetishism are now common materials found in high-end and mass market fashion. Not so long ago leather pants or vinyl bustiers were associated with rock or porn stars and purchases had to be made in seedy back alley stores. Today The Gap sells leather pants as a staple and couture gowns are found fabricated in vinyl and newspapers. 

The Hollywood Fashion Machine airs Monday nights at 8:00 PM (ET) on AMC. On Monday February 28 The Hollywood Fashion Machine profiled Elizabeth Taylor and her impact on Fashion.

Although occasionally listed as "Hollywood's Worst Dressed" Elizabeth Taylor's style has helped to shape fashion of today, whether she's a "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" turning a traditional slip into the hottest fashion item or "Cleopatra" inspiring the mod look with heavily lined eyes. Elizabeth Taylor perfume Passion remains in the top ten of fragrance sales since its introduction in 1987.