In Gunn’s Golden Rules, Tim Gunn lists what he thinks are “The Five Best Movies About Fashion.” Though I disagree with Gunn (and many others) that Antonioni’s 1966 film Blow-up is engaging, I was pleased that Gunn and I share enthusiasm for The September Issue (2009). Anyway, Gunn’s list got me thinking about other movies that are either about fashion or at least prominently feature fashion. Of course, every movie involves clothing and costuming characters, but some films seem almost an excuse to show off some designer’s work.
A perfect example of a movie partly made just to flaunt fashion is the 1935 musical Roberta starring Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Randolph Scott. Scott’s character comes to Paris and inherits a fancy clothing boutique which means, of course, that not only will Dunne and Rogers be splendidly outfitted but that the plot will have to include a fashion show. And what a show it is! Costume designer Bernard Newman was brought to RKO Pictures upon the recommendation of Dunne and designed the large number of gowns for the movie. The studio claimed he had spent $250,000 on the costumes and as David Chierichetti writes in Hollywood Costume Design, “Whatever they cost, the fashions were stupendous.” (Also see W. Robert LaVine’s In a Glamorous Fashion: The Fabulous Years of Hollywood Costume Design for more on Newman and Roberta.)
Here’s what Ginger Rogers had to say about Roberta in her memoir:
With handsome clothes by my favorite designer, Bernard Newman, and beautiful songs to dance to, I had the time of my life playing this role. (p. 135)
Bernard Newman’s clothes in Roberta for me and for Irene Dunne were exceptionally clever and handsome. The gold lamé dress I wore for the “I Won’t Dance” number was a dress I had bought while in New York as part of my trousseau. That was the first time I ever wore a personal dress in a motion picture, and it was probably because Bernard Newman had designed it. For the “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” number [sung by Dunne], he created a long black satin dress, with a wonderful piece of faux jewelry on the chest. Men always commented on that gown; indeed, I never met a man who didn’t like that dress. (pp. 135-136)
In the same chapter about his own favorite films and books, Gunn justifiably gripes about students who claim to lack inspiration and exclaims: “Look around you! Look out the window. Go for a walk. Go to a movie. Go to a museum. Go see a show. Read a book. Go to the library…” (p.75-76) And he advises, “Any genre, any film, any book can be the jumping-off point for amazing creative work.” (p. 84)
Roberta and the costumes of Bernard Newman should surely be an inspiration for any artist and a thrill for any movie viewer. If he hasn’t seen it already, I hope Tim Gunn watches it too.
— Tim
Eleventh Stack 