Inside the wardrobe of Scarlett O'Hara

Many would agree that Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell is the most romantic love story of all time. After reading the epic story set during the turbulent times of the American civil war, I can't agree that this is the greatest love story of all time. Yes, there are romantic moments and it's true the relationship between the hard headed Scarlett O'Hara and the dashing Rhett butler is a romance doomed to fail from the beginning, but if anything Gone with the Wind is a story of survival.

I could continue and write a whole review on the book which took me 3 months to read (over 2 holidays to be exact), but that would perhaps ruin the story for others who have yet to read the novel. I do strongly recommend it to those who have yet to explore the life of Scarlett O'Hara, the fiery, head strong, Irish heroine of the story, who I came to admire and detest as the story evolved.

And if you haven't read the book then surely you must have heard of or seen the film - the highest grossing of all time, taking into account inflation over the years. The 1939 block buster featured English actress Vivien Leigh as the beautiful Scarlett and the 'King' of Hollywood, Clark Gable as Rhett Butler. The two stars swept audiences away with their strong screen presence and wonderful chemistry, earning the film a total of 11 Oscars in total as well as the recognition of being one of the best movies ever made.

Wearing her dramatic red gown, with pride

After seeing the film I decided to read the book, but as always it's better to read the book before seeing the film. Anyway, the film is pretty impressive, especially Vivien Leigh who in my opinion was the perfect choice for Scarlett in every possible way. She had the slanting green eyes, the dark hair, the strong characteristics of Atlanta's most notorious lady and a very believable Southern accent. What I especially loved about the film where the costumes, particularly Scarlett's, designed by Hollywood costume designer Walter Plunkett. I've always enjoyed historical costume dramas not only for the stories but also for the clothes on screen, which sometimes become as iconic as the films itself. As a fashion student, I also appreciate and admire the work that goes into getting those costumes just right. And as for a character like Scarlett O'Hara who can't resist a pretty dress as much as the next girl, her wardrobe had to be magnificent. Even Anna Wintour proclaimed that Scarlett, in her opinion, was the most fashionable literary figure of all time.

From the pretty, green summer gown she wears at the start of the film to the stiff necked black mourning dress at the dramatic end of the film, Vivien Leigh carries each look with grace and elegance. After being accused of adultery she turns up at Ashley Wilkes birthday party in a red, low cut dress complete with ostrich feathers and an ice cold stare at the gossiping neighbours present. When she visits Rhett Butler in prison, she waltzes onto the screen in a dazzling, emerald dress made out of old curtains, with audiences approvingly admiring her matching bonnet, ringlet hair and huge skirt. There are moments too in the film where Scarlett's wardrobe signifies her hardships and poor state of affairs. As she escapes from Atlanta under Yankee rule, she wears a bartered and torn dark pink dress which gets dirtier and dirtier as her only dress gets more ripped over the next months working on the land at her plantation, Tara.

As her wealth grows, so does the extravagance of Scarlett's gowns, hats and gloves. Bonnets have more feathers, the rich fabrics of satin and velvet become more prominent and the decadent jewellery, notably her wedding ring from Rhett Butler, shine just as brightly as Scarlett's ever increasing ego. Walter Plunkett, who also designed all the costumes for Singin in the Rain, Flying Down to Rio and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, really outdid himself with all the costumes throughout Gone with the Wind. My favourite dress has to be the red gown covered in feathers and netting, but then there really are so many to choose from.

Putting aside Scarlett's fine costumes, the rest of the characters fit their parts perfectly in clothes which match their appearance described so well in the book. Clark Gable always looks dapper and groomed in the finest suits as Mr Rhett Butler, Olivia de Haviland wears simple, soft dresses to match her character of Melanie Wilkes, the generous, loving wife of Ashley and the other ladies of the story all slot in perfectly as their appointed characters as described by Margaret Mitchell.

I've chosen a few of my favourite dresses of the fashionable Scarlett O'Hara below. Nobody but Vivien Leigh could have worn them better, making Gone with the Wind one of the best dressed films of all time.

Scarlett in two of her most iconic dresses designed by Walter Plunkett

Vivien Leigh on set with Walter Plunkett

Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, wearing a green and white gown

Elizabeth Taylor: The World's Most Beautiful Woman

Regarded by many to have been the most beautiful woman of all time, Elizabeth Taylor will go down in history as one of Hollywood's brightest stars. Glamour, beauty and talent rolled into one, pretty much sums up Liz Taylor, whose films were often shadowed by her turbulent private life, not to mention her 8 marriages. But she was a shy, child star who grew into a Hollywood legend, having worked with some of the biggest names in movies, including James Dean, Michael Kane, Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift. The actress won 2 Oscars during her lifetime, not to mention a whole host of accolades and awards, which included the American Institute of Film ranking her the 7th greatest female screen legend ever in 1999.

When she passed away in March 2011 at the age of 79, the world mourned an icon - one of the few remaining Hollywood greats from the Golden Era of cinema. In fact, I can't believe it's taken me so long to dedicate a blog post to Elizabeth Taylor, seeing as she is one of the most fascinating actresses Hollywood has ever produced not to mention a very fashionable lady, with a fondness for all things that glitter. So let me introduce you to Ms Taylor.

Elizabeth Rosemund Taylor was born on the 27th February 1932 in North London (she's a Pisces if you were wondering). Both her parents were American citizens yet had moved to England for work, but in 1939 moved back to the US just before the outbreak of the Second World War. "My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring. I was hooked," she later joked. It was her mother in particular who noticed that her daughter was extremely beautiful with violet eyes and jet black hair, and pushed her for film roles in Los Angeles. By the age of 9, Taylor was signed to MGM studios and went on to appear in classics, 'Lassie Come Home, 'Jane Eyre,' 'National Velvet' with Mickey Rooney and 'Little Women.'

As she grew older, comparisons between Elizabeth and leading actresses like Lana Turner and Ava Gardner began to surface, transitioning her to more adult roles. Movies such as 'A Place in the Sun' with Montgomery Clift, 'Ivanhoe' and 'The Last Time I saw Paris,' won critical acclaim, but it was the movie 'Giant' in 1956 that made the world take notice of Elizabeth Taylor. Starring opposite James Dean and Rock Hudson, Elizabeth was believable and acted with her heart throughout the film which was a box office smash. 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' by Tennessee Williams followed in 1958, which was another hit at the box office followed by 'Butterfield 8' which won Elizabeth her first Academy Award. She later revealed in an interview how much she hated the film and protested to be a part of it, but as stipulated in her contract with MGM, she had no choice but to star in it. Soon after, she moved to 20th Century Fox.

'Cleopatra' will always be role synonymous with Elizabeth Taylor. She was offered a huge $1,000,000 to star in the movie, the highest sum ever to be offered to an actress. "If someone's dumb enough to offer me a million dollars to make a picture, I'm certainly not dumb enough to turn it down," she recalled. During the filming of the movie, she famously began an affair with Richard Burton which resulted in a public scandal. It was so bad even the Pope got involved condemning Elizabeth for her actions and banning her from Rome. Way before Brad and Angelina were around, 'Liz and Dick' as they were known, were the first real celebrity couple with a jet set, glamorous, no expenses spared lifestyle. Elizabeth and Richard Burton would later go on to marry twice, but more on that later! "I really don't remember much about Cleopatra," she mused to an interviewer years later. "There were a lot of other things going on!" Burton and Taylor went on to star in 11 films together, including 'Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf' in 1966 which won her a second Oscar. This time she was proud of the movie she won the award for and described it as one of the best performances of her career.

Things went downhill in terms of movies from there. Elizabeth starred in a number of low budget films which didn't do well at the box office as well as TV and theatre work. She later dedicated her life to the victims of HIV/Aids, a disease which people knew very little about back then. She grew exasperated that "nobody was doing anything about it" and would go on to raise more than $270 million dollars for charities. Her humanitarian work is something I admire Elizabeth Taylor very much for, a lot like Audrey Hepburn's work in Africa after her acting career dwindled. After suffering from health problems her whole life, her health grew poorer and the actress died of heart failure on March 23rd 2011. But what a life Elizabeth Taylor led!

It was Elizabeth Taylor's 8 marriages which captivated the media. From her first marriage to Conran (Nicky) Hilton Jr when she was only 18, to her last husband Larry Fortensky in 1991, Elizabeth rarely kept out of the gossip columns. She caused a scandal in 1958 when soon after her third husband Mike Todd died in a plane crash, she began an affair with actor Eddie Fisher, who was at the time married to Debbie Reynolds. Reynolds and Fisher were widely regarded as a Golden Hollywood couple and Taylor seen as the turbulent home wrecker who destroyed a happy marriage.  

During the filming of Cleopatra in 1963, she divorced Fisher for Richard Burton, who she would marry twice. The Burton's continued to be the ‘it couple’ of the 60s with Burton showering Elizabeth with expensive jewels, most famously the Krupp Diamond in 1968, worth $8million. "After Richard, the men in my life were just there to hold the coat, to open the door," she said of Burton. "All the men after Richard were really just company." She went on to marry John Warner and finally Larry Fortensky at Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch in 1991. She had four children in total: 2 boys with Michael Wilding and 1 with Burton, and a girl with Mike Todd. Even after her death, Taylor still kept in the news when her jewellery collection sold at Christie's for a whopping $156.8 million. Celebrities and fashion editors alike constantly reference her in shoots, art and in life generally, with Kim Kardashian calling Taylor her 'idol.' I don't think there will ever be another actress like Elizabeth Taylor, or anyone even close for that matter. She was courageous, loyal, talented and hard working from the tender age of 9 all the way until her death. Now not many actresses can make that claim.

At a press conference with Richard Burton

On set as the Egyptian queen Cleopatra

With Rock Hudson and James Dean in 'Giant'

Why Gucci is going for Gold with Alessandro Michele

If Gucci were competing at the Rio Olympics, they would win a gold medal - hand's down. I'm sure the likes of Chanel and Prada would finish in applaudable runner up positions, but Gucci would take the lead.

Since creative director Alessandro Michele took the helms of the Italian fashion house in 2015, Gucci has grown not only in popularity, sales and much needed kudos, but in a form of fashion inspiration which has captivated us right from the get go. In less than year, Michele has created numerous trends and a whole new identity for the once very safe and sedate Gucci. The embroidered bomber jacket has become one of the most lusted after items ever, with cheap copies and similar options available pretty much everywhere. His use of the Gucci logo on practically everything, whether that be a t-shirt or belt has firmly resurfaced the logo mania trend from the early 2000s while Michele has taken the 'geek sheek' look to a whole other level. Who knew it would be so fashionable to be a geek this season?

So just who is this little Italian guy who looks like he should be touring Europe as a guitarist in an indie band? Michele was born in Rome, 1972 and later studied at the Accademia di Costume e di Moda, a prestigious fashion school in Rome, hoping to become a costume designer. But it was fashion that got in first. Working at Fendi as a senior accessories designer, Michele built up his craft while bestowing Fendi, a brand famous for their leather goods, with beautiful accessory designs. 

In 2002, Gucci came calling in the form of Tom Ford, back in those famed Ford/Gucci days. "I was really excited to work with Tom Ford so I moved to London where he was working at the time, and changed my whole life," he revealed at the 2016 Vogue Festival. "That was 14 years ago...I thought of it as a beautiful, old Italian brand, with this amazing history and the idea of the jet-set. There is something very powerful, but I felt there was something not written about the brand." For 12 years, he held a variety of positions including leather goods design director and then to creative director when Frida Giannini was in charge. 

In 2013, he moved to branding, ensuring that Gucci was competing with the other big luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Dior, designing new stores worldwide. When Frida, along with her CEO husband, left the brand it was Michele who stepped in, with his expansive experience and eye for detail. From his first menswear show during the fall 2015 season, it was clear that Gucci was being led in a brand new direction. Gone was the slick, stylish polish of Giannini's collections which showed off refinement and elegance in every form. And in came a younger, cooler, gender fluid Gucci girl who liked to wear socks with her sandals and big 70's glasses with a tie. A hippie with expensive tastes and a fondness for men's-wear. "Sometimes I think it's a kind of creepy aesthetic - a beauty that is sweet but very deep, it's something you can recognise from the past but something you are dreaming about," he explained to British Vogue editor, Alexandra Shulman. Sweet and sugary on top it may be, but there is plenty of depth and art embedded into his well though out designs.

With Michele at the helm, everyone waits with eager anticipation for Gucci at Milan Fashion Week each season. Street bloggers love him, the fashion elite adore him and shoppers can't get enough of his exciting, innovative pieces which fly off the rails even before they've arrived in stores. This summer he showed off Gucci's resort collection at the historic Westminster Abbey, in such beautiful fashion, complete with hand embroidered cushions for guests to sit on. One can't help but admire the craftsmanship and sense of romance which goes into all the little details surrounding his shows. 

He has previously said how inspired he is by the past, whether that be poetry, antiques or literature; all themes very prominent in his historically referenced fashion shows. Oriental styles are particularly played upon, with kimono dresses and decadent floral patterns worked onto dresses and shoes alike, all with that special Michele touch. "For me, fashion is something that makes you feel alive, that expresses something of you: if you are sad, if you feel happy," the designer has said. "Fashion is about clothes and colours - it's not serious; I'm not serious. I try to have fun always." While Michele has been having his 'fun' he has also managed to dramatically boost Gucci's sales by 11.5% from 2014, with sales peaking at almost 4 billion euros. Marco Bizzari, the CEO of Gucci has predicated that the brand will more than double their annual revenues in the long term. Not bad for a designer who dislikes overthinking his collections, preferring to 'play like a kid' with fashion.

For his autumn/winter 2016 womenswear collection, it was the eccentric 70's that inspired Michele. The 1970s mixed with the Italian renaissance, French couture, biker chic and sportswear - yes, it's a lot to get your head around. As varied as all these different styles are, Michele brought them together in a clever fuse of modern luxe and old school grunge. Soft chiffon skirts teamed with floral tops, metallic dresses with cute Mary-Janes, geometric suiting paired with shaggy fur coats and cute little birds of paradise embroidered on to sports sweaters all featured throughout his second womenswear rtw collection. Chinese inspired snakes were stitched onto silk blouses, tweed suits and jackets with fur cuffs were worn with a casual air while a bright yellow, top to toe look complete with turban, fur coat and tights stole the show. The thing is, all of these pieces don't go together at all. But with clever styling and artistic license, the clothes release an electric energy onto the catwalk which you can't help but let engulf you, trapping you in Michele's fantastical Gucci world.

Gucci's new role in fashion as a leader of trends and pioneer of global cool is well and truly cemented. For how long Alessandro Michele will hold gold position for is unknown. But for now, the new kid on the block sure knows how to bolt straight towards the finish line, with a trail of sweeping chiffon in his wake. 

Michele takes to the catwalk after another successful show

Vogue Brasil: State of Grace

For those of you who read this blog, you will know that I am a huge Anna dello Russo fan, the eccentric editor of Vogue Japan. While I was researching for my university dissertation I came across this beautiful photo-shoot from Vogue Brasil, Feburary 2013 issue (my dissertation topic is on religious iconography in fashion, if you were wondering the rather random link between the two.) Photographed by Giampaulo Sgura and featuring Brazilian model Izabel Goulart, this shoot captures the rich interiors of the Sao Francisco Catholic church in Salvador and some beautiful clothes by designers such as Givenchy, Saint Laurent, Emilio Pucci, Valentino, Gucci, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana. I was drawn to the shoot purely because of the immaculate styling by dello Russo. I love the use of colour and monochrome throughout the shoot, especially the later pictures of Goulart walking through the street in stunning black gown billowing out around her. 

Anna dello Russo is a maximalist through and through, loves eccentricity and fuses religion and fashion together in this shoot so wonderfully, ignoring the fact that using religious iconography in fashion will continue to be a controversial issue. The make-up, embellished headpieces, proud stances of Goulart and overall ambiance of the photo-shoot make this a truly spectacular editorial, and a good reference for my dissertation! Take a look through the stunning photos and pick out your favourite images...

 

Kanye West - Cool or Catastrophic?

Kanye West is a bit like marmite really. You either love him or hate him. I have always been a fan of Kanye's music, and do generally find his Twitter outbursts quite amusing, but I can easily understand how he can rub people up the wrong way. He is a man who can't help but make headline news wherever he goes, and along with his wife Kim, is arguably one of the most influential people in the world - well, he would think so anyway. If you measured Kanye West's ego, it would be the size of the stratosphere, or perhaps even bigger.

There must have been a time when Kanye was a humble young man. Well, not really! In an interview with the New York Times, he had this to say about his pre-fame days. "I knew when I wrote the line 'light-skinned friend look like Michael Jackson' I was going to be a big star. At the time, they used to have the Virgin music [stores], and I would go there and just go up the escalator and say to myself, 'I'm soaking in these last moments of anonymity." Okay Kanye. This is the man who now feels he is better than Picasso, Escobar and on par with Steve Jobs.

So let's take it back to the beginning. Kanye Omari West was born in Atlanta on June 8th 1977, raised in Chicago and began writing poetry at the age of 5 years old. He would go on to win a scholarship at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, but soon dropped out to focus on his music career as a producer ('The College Dropout' was the name of Kanye's first album in 2004.) And that's where Kanye's story begins really, producing songs for the likes of Alicia Keys and Jay-Z before making music himself. Since then, Mr West has won a whopping 21 Grammys, had 5 no 1 albums and sold over $30 million digital singles in American alone. That gives him some bragging rights, I guess.

What gets me about Kanye is that he has an opinion on everything. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, if anything its good to be outspoken and voice your opinions, but when Kanye West does this it becomes a bit annoying. Take his lengthy tirades on Twitter, where he literally does go on a mad one and criticise practically everyone, from the Grammys supposed racism to his ex Amber Rose. Or that time he asked Mark Zuckerberg to "invest 1 billion dollars into Kanye West ideas ...after realizing he is the greatest living artist and greatest artist of all time."  Only someone with a huge ego, and no shame, would ever ask something so stupid and egocentric on social media. His little outbursts got so bad that Kim Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner began to think it was damaging their families image - not that it hadn't already been damaged enough. And his constantly comparing himself to God and Jesus is just ridiculous. How can someone be so up themselves? "The Bible had 20, 30, 40, 50 characters in it. You don’t think that I would be one of the characters of today’s modern Bible?" I really have no comment.

Most famously, Kanye received world wide attention when he jumped up on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards, interrupted Taylor Swift halfway through her acceptance speech and told everyone that 'Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.' Ouch. Since then, there has been an ongoing spat between the two, until recently when footage emerged of Swift agreeing to West's controversial lyrics about her in his song 'Famous' which at the time of release, she very publicly criticized. I am no fan of Taylor Swift and believe that she did deserve her comeuppance for making Kanye look like a horrible, evil human being. So that makes Kanye pretty cool. He has also fallen out with a long list of celebrities, including Wiz Khalifa, George Bush and Amber Rose.

Lets bring in Kim Kardashian, another self absorbed individual. The pair are perfectly suited for each other, with Kanye being a massive influence on the Kardashian family. Remember how Kim used to dress before she met Kanye? And that whole image transformation she undertook on Kanye's orders? Wherever the couple go, the paparazzi follow such as their extravagant wedding in 2014, which had guests jetting from Paris to Italy.

What I do admire about Kanye is his love for his family, especially his mum Donda who passed away a few years ago. It was Kanye who put his foot down about daughter North appearing in his wife's reality show 'Keeping up with the Kardashians.' It didn't last for long mind, with North making more appearances as the years went by, but it shows Kanye's desire to keep his daughter out of the public eye. (He once attacked a photographer, so beware paparazzi!) Whenever Kanye does appear on Kuwtk himself, he comes across as very sweet, humble and almost shy, believe it or not! There are two sides to every story.

And then there's Kanye West the fashion designer. In this area, I must admit Kanye is pretty cool, and it seems that the fashion industry are in agreement too. When he proclaimed that he would be showing a collection at Paris Fashion Week, it was met with snide remarks and a lot of scoffing from the fashion elite. Even if his first few shows didn't receive very good reviews, he persevered and has one of the most recognized brands in the world now in association with Adidas, Yeezy. The Yeezy collection has been copied everywhere and sought after by everyone, especially the Yeezy Boost trainers, which are so far Kanye's best sellers. And lets no forget the massive show at Madison Square Gardens during New York Fashion Week last year. The actual clothes looked like they belonged to a homeless man sitting on a street corner, but the overall show was pretty epic, specially streamed in cinemas around the world. And he managed to call in Naomi Campbell to walk for him.

Overall, I am a big fan of Kanye. Putting his ego to one side, there is something quite likeable about him and his music is amazing, especially 'Life of Pablo.' He controls his image exceptionally and is a great walking advertisement for the Kanye West brand. He will continue to be annoying, outspoken and self absorbed, but then that's Kanye, King of Cool and a figure who will go down as one of the 21st century's biggest stars. What better way to finish than with some wise words from Yeezy himself, "I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade, I will be the loudest voice." 

Kanye taking a bow at his fashion show