The Costuming of Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet
Set on Verona Beach, Baz Luhramnn’s Romeo and Juliet presents a timeless story, combining traditional Shakespearian language with modern aesthetics. Now whilst I could spend this whole article writing about young Leonardo DiCaprio, the costuming in Romeo and Juliet has become one the memorable aesthetics of all films.
Bettie Page - The Queen of Nylons, Garter Belts and Spike Heels
Also known as the ‘Queen of Pinups’, Bettie Page became one of the most well-known American models in the 1950s. Known for her shoulder-length black hair, blue eyes and trademark blunt bangs, Page has become a muse for many artists and timeless figure of the pinup industry.
Marchesa Luisa Casati - A Warrior Against Mediocrity
Described by Pablo Picasso as “dressed in a pearl-embroidered gown with a stiff elizabethan ruff and a neckline that plunged to her navel”, Marchesa Luisa Castai was an Italian heiress that is too incredible to be forgotten.
Redrum Runways - How Horror has influenced Fashion
From victorian films creating horror’s most well-known stories to 80s cult classics, horror has become a staple for fashion designers. Here’s just a few examples of horror’s influence on the runway.
Girls & Boys - The Fashion of Music's Most Androgynous Icons
Musician’s using their stage persona to explore their androgyny has resulted in some of the most iconic musical careers of our time. Artists like Grace Jones, Prince, David Bowie and Annie Lennox are four of the most iconic musicians of the 1970s and 80s, mostly due to their exploration into the gender unknown. Their immortalisation as androgynous icons can be summed up in their most androgynous looks, and what’s a better way to analyse them than recreating them myself?
A Look At Ezra Miller's Iconic Fashion
Unless you've been living under a rock, then you know who Ezra Miller is. Even if you don't know anything about them or their films, you're bound to have seen their fashion. Born in 1992, Ezra Miller made their film debut in the 2008 film Afterschool. Their fame however began when they starred as Kevin Khatchadourian in the 2011 film, We Need To Talk About Kevin.
Gilbert Adrian and his work at MGM Studios
Over his time at MGM, Adrian produced 50 to 75 sketches per day, designing and creating costumes for over 250 MGM films. Adrian’s time at MGM studios resulted in some of his best and most glamorous work, dressing iconic Hollywood actresses, including; Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, Joan Crawford and Judy Garland.
The Best Makeup Looks of Pat McGrath
Often known as the 'Mother of Makeup', British-born makeup artist Pat McGrath has definitely left a mark on the global high fashion industry. Rising to fame in the 1990s, McGrath has worked for iconic fashion brands, including; Prada, Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton, John Galliano and Christian Dior. Anna Wintour has even called McGrath; "the most influential makeup artist in the world." Need I say more?
Violet Chachki - The Past, Present and Future of Drag
Rising to fame by winning season 7 of Rupaul's Drag Race in 2015, Violet Chachki has slowly become an icon within the fashion industry. From the first episode of RPDR, Chachki turned look after look, presenting outfits inspired by Thierry Mugler and Alexander McQueen down the runway. Inspired by history, especially the old Hollywood of the 1920s to 1950s and the runways of the 80s and 90s, Chachki's looks captivated because of their incredibly unique aesthetic.
How To Make Your Wardrobe More Sustainable
Making your wardrobe more sustainable is one of the best things you can do for the environment. The fashion industry is one of the worst industries for the environment, second behind the oil industry. With the rise of fast fashion; brands manufacturing and selling cheap, low-quality garments at a faster rate then ever before; the fast fashion is starting to have one of the worst impacts on the environment. Making your wardrobe more sustainable seems like a big task to undertake, and you may not even know where to start. But it’s much easier than you think.
Mr Pearl and the History of Corsetry
One cannot talk about corsetry without mentioning legendary corsetier Mr Pearl. Committed to his craft to the point of wearing a corset 24/7 in order to achieve a 18-inch waist, Pearl is one of most iconic and extreme corsetiers in today's world, even creating corsets for designers Thierry Muger, Alexander McQueen and performer Dita von Teese.
Discover New Music with Perspex Beats
Say hello to a new monthly addition to Perspex-tives. Interested in finding new music every month? Welcome to Perspex Beats.
Teddy Girls - The Fashion of London's Girl Gangs
Whilst their fashion was respectable, their smart dressing made them more intimidating rather than mature. Full of middle-class rebellious teenagers, Teddy Girls were essentially a well-dressed middle finger towards the austere upper classes of their post-war world. Forming gangs and becoming important figures in the media, Teddy Girls are one of the first British female youth subcultures to exist, and one of the most forgotten.
How Kim Jones is revolutionising Dior Men
I wasn't aware of why I suddenly liked Dior's latest men's collections, until I found out that Kim Jones became the new artistic director for Dior Men, as of March 19, 2018. The introduction of a new artistic director for a luxury fashion house can be the make or break for its future. And in my opinion, the decision to choose Kim Jones for Dior Men is one of the best made for the Dior brand.
Paris is Burning - You Own Everything 🏳️🌈
Released in 1991, Paris is Burning is a documentary that presents the lives of those in the Harlem drag ball scene in the late 80s. Documenting the meeting point between urban poverty, queer identity and the marginalised black and latino community, Paris is Burning is a perfect example of how marginalised communities find success, love, family and confidence not in typical society, but in each other.
The Life Ball - United in Diversity 🏳️🌈
Taking place in Vienna's City Hall, The Life Ball is the biggest charity event in Europe raising money for people with HIV or AIDS. Founded by Gery Keszler's organisation AIDS LIFE in 1993, the 26th Life Ball just happened, taking place on the 8th of June, 2019. Not only known for its fundraising efforts, The Life Ball is also known for being home to some of the most extravagant red carpet outfits.
Why you need to find fashion inspiration in The Matrix
Created by the Wachowski siblings in 1999, The Matrix is a cult sci-fi blockbuster. Inspired by Hong Kong action films and known for its plot twists and intensely choreographed fight sequences, The Matrix still holds up in todays world. Fusing together gothic and cyberpunk silhouettes with the streamlined aesthetic of futuristic technology, The Matrix singlehandedly created an aesthetic that is both incredibly unique and timeless.
Technological Couture - Iris van Herpen
No designer blends haute couture fashion, technology and art better than Iris van Herpen. Brought to life, van Herpen's creations bend and break the rules of what haute couture fashion is. 3D-printed dresses made to look like exoskeletons, fabric flowing in mystical ways, laser cut fabric transforming the human form, bodices turning into second skins; Iris van Herpen is a designer to fall in love with.
Colour in Film - The Work of Wes Anderson
With an instantly recognisable aesthetic style, the works of filmmaker Wes Anderson are more than just films. Using striking and harmonious colour palettes, Anderson uses colour to convey social structures, character development and the role of relationships.
The Fashion of Prince
Prince was always a pioneer; pioneering the 'Minneapolis Sound", a mix of funk, rock, pop, synth and new wave, as well as pioneering an unrestricted form of men's fashion. Experimenting with 'post-fashion'; post gender, post human and post race; Prince created a style that forever transformed the world of men's fashion.