May 2007 

 

Lights, camera, fashion, everything that is old is new again. The days of old Hollywood glamour never went out of style, vintage clothing truly is the style of today. If you recall the 2007 Oscar designs of Cate Blanchett in a stunning Armani Privi jeweled mesh glittery overlay, one-shoulder, column gown, or Rachel Weisz in a Vera Wang polished pewter strapless dress paired with a brooch-like necklace, you’d be intrigued to know these designs are inspired by starlet’s of the silver screen from years ago. Glamour and the Oscars go hand in hand, sneak a peak at Norma Shearer’s polished look as she accepts the best actress Oscar in 1930 for the Divorcee, garbed in something very reminiscent of our twenty-first century style.

Hollywood fashions started with the movies according to Madeleine Kirsh, proprietor of the infamous C. Madeleine’s vintage clothing store. “On the red carpet you’ll see dress requests for items from the 1930s, it is all about elegance, and vintage, which will always be very popular in the movies today.” She continues, “Fashion needs movies and movies need fashion, they compliment one another.” Her infamous flair for style and etiquette for buying unique treasures have given her accolades from Forbes Magazine as one of the top 10 vintage clothing locales in the world. Rankings like this do not come easy, and it is obvious after speaking with her to understand how she is a connoisseur in the world of vintage couture clothing.

“When I began my store I knew that movies would really change trends. I would be buying to portray one era to the next,” claims Madeleine. Her store layout sits in 10 different vignettes that span 10 decades of style. “Our 10,000 square foot space is all about film and fantasy where a stylist can walk in and locate a section on the 1950s or the 1960s for any given event or photo shoot.”

Even the recent Sofia Coppola film, Marie Antoinette, is influential on the runways according to Madeleine. “Designers take the looks from movies and somehow make it all come together in a very modern way. The basic premise is that everyone loves to go to the movies and see romanticism, and that along with the space age future style stands out strong on the catwalks,” declares Madeleine. A suitable example of romanticism on the runway is present with Alexander McQueen. “He creates amazing flowing romantic pieces, very reminisecnt of the Victorian periods, all which are very feminine. Men like him know the way a woman looks beautiful. In Hollywood the movies will never give that up, women looking very elegant and feminine, similar to what is present from the old Hollywood glamour found in film,” insists Madeleine.

Not only does McQueen know how to modernize something from the past with an enhanced vibe, other designers cruise the rooms of C. Madeleine’s for inspiration. Madeleine explains, “We get all sorts of stylists, designers and photographers in here searching for ideas. Again, it’s the Hollywood movies of the past that brings the streamlined elegant look we see in the fashion of today that will always be part of our style.”

Madeleine describes the 1930s as a time when women dressed exquisitely in film. “You’d see the very elegant evening dresses, many which we see today on the red carpet events like the Oscars,” she adds. “As for the 1940s there was a great deal of rationing with fabric as it was wartime. The contour in fabric was not as prevalent as it was a somber time,” she mentions. Madeleine points out, that menswear today is coming back in the designs for Michael Kors, shown in a classic look. As for the 1950s, she comments, “This is a time where the movies will always continue to reveal current day styles. I see many requests for evening dressing from both the 1930s and 1950s especially girls coming in requesting prom dresses similar to those of the 1950s. When you have requests coming in you know it is something that’s recent off the catwalk or from fashion magazines.”

The era that is a popular trend today is that of 1960s, when Paco Rabanne’s space age designs and Pierre Cardin’s geometrics shapes were all the rage. “I cannot keep the Lucite accessories on the floor–everyone wants them to complete an entire outfit. Even the boots, just as they were used in the movies like Barbarella and Star Trek,” furthers Madeleine. With the recent Andy Warhol movie, Factory Girl, the trapeze dresses are also very popular.”

“If the fashion is not in the movies, you will probably not see it on the runway and then people will not wear it. The movie stars like, Doris Day, Eva Gardner, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Dorothy Lamour and Lucille Ball will never go out of style—they will always be here and will always be seen as part of fashion. As long as movies continue to be produced, they will always be around,” notes Madeleine.

Images via C. Madeleine’s, Stylist, Lisa Cerra & Photographer, Walter Arias