"Dior and I" film review

 

 

As a teenager the photo below was on my bedroom wall. Oh that jacket! That form! That full skirt! That silhouette! I thought the look was the epitome of style. It’s Christian Dior’s now classic ”New Look” from 1947. And yes, it’s iconic.

1947 New Look by Dior

 

Now imagine being Raf Simons. In 2012, as the new creative director at the House of Dior, he has the weight of the brand, the man and history on his shoulders - and he knows it. In eight weeks he must design and present the haute couture range that will silence critics and cement his place within the world of Christian Dior. Raf is shy, but knows his own mind. He is inspired. But there are ghosts and whispers from the past haunting him – will he get lost in the fog of expectation?

Raf Simons looking at an original Dior gown

The documentary “Dior and I”, written, directed and produced by Federic Tcheng, cleverly juxtaposes extracts of Christian Dior’s memoirs (in the form of voice over) and old footage of the designer himself, with Raf Simons, the new artistic director struggling to come to terms with the future of the House of Dior and to create a show in half the usual time frame. The effect is mesmerising. At times, the film is a feel good story and at other times it is almost a thriller. And yes, it’s about frocks but the stakes are high.

Christian Dior 1957 cover of Time Magazine

The doubts that plague Simons seem to make him at times closer to Dior than he realises. Simon’s general reserve make any emotional reaction climactic and moving. As an audience we are with him for the ride and the film maker very much helps us understand the ambition inherent in this designer, the huge machine that is the House of Dior, the challenges of putting on a fashion show and the weight of history and importance of Christian Dior to the world of fashion.

 

But it’s more than that. Like Dorothy in the wizard in Oz, we get to pull back the curtain and see some of the levers and pulleys that create the magic of fashion – and these are the ateliers, the men and women who construct the garments. We see them as ordinary people, workers, craftspeople of admirable skill and work ethic, who bring the dream to reality. We see the relationship they have to their work place, to the brand, to each other, to the hierarchy and to Christian Dior himself, with some of the ateliers having worked there for decades.

As someone interested in garment construction and craft it was enthralling to see this process. It’s also interesting to see the reality behind this fashion icon. To see the work room, the dress dummies, the sewing machines. It’s the House of Dior but I noticed an ugly plastic tablecloth in the tea room. It made them all seem so much more likeable somehow and more within the realms of the world I inhabit!

 

Fashion is pretty facile I know. Fashion is about marketing. Fashion can be about exploitation. And I don’t shy away from this.  But fashion can also be art. This film shows the creative process and teamwork in haute couture and as such, it is very inspirational. It is an intimate film about great ambition and as such, was riveting to watch. What Raf Simons and his team set out to achieve is huge.

Christian Dior measuring a hem line - creepy!

These days I have a problem with Dior’s New look. The look was a reaction to the freedom women had experienced in the war, where, due to fabric rations and practicality, the dresses were shorter and where women worked and drove war trucks and made ammunition. This look was positively retrospective and drove women back to the 19^th century – corsets and crinolines for goodness sake! Long dresses are not practical for factory work and driving trucks. As a feminist, I bristle.

The documentary “Dior and I” was fascinating and gorgeous and is as well pieced together and constructed as one of Dior’s evening frocks. It’s really about the people behind the frocks. About emotion. About relationships. About striving for excellence. Go and see the film if you have any interest in fashion and sewing. but more, go and see it  if you have an interest in people. Oh. And go and see it for the flowers. Oh my gosh! The flowers!

 

 

Frocktober Day 14 movie frocks!

Patricia took me on a date to the movies tonight. And she frocked up too!

What are your favourite movie frocks?
There are frocks that are important to the plot like Marilyn's dress in "The Seven Year Itch"
 















or Joan Fontaine in Hitchcock's Rebecca when she dresses as the DEAD FIRST WIFE!!! Or when Audrey Hepburn discovers her inner super model in that red Givenchy frock! Well you would, wouldn't you? Ta da!

There are desperate frocks made of curtains like in  "Gone With The Wind"

and clever frocks made of curtains like in "The Sound of Music" 

and hand crafted statement frocks for your prom like in  "Pretty in Pink"....

which seemed cool at the time but on reflection are awful! *"Yep I know that feeling!" Which brings me to just plain sexy frocks from the 80's. Natasia Kinski in "Paris Texas" and Beatrice Dalle in "
Betty Blue"

Then there are simply many memorable frocks...Marilyn Monroe in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"

Catherine Deneuve so pretty in "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg."

Magical dresses that can change colour...I wish!
 
 And Audrey Hepburn in ALL of her films...

I love that short wedding dress from "Funny Face. "What are you favourite movie frocks?

Don't forget what we are frockin' around for!

Donate toovarian cancer research here 

*(it's a famous  quote from Natasia Kinski in "Paris Texas"

70's does 30's/ 40's - my favourite!

Am I the only person who searches "70's does 40's" or  "70's does 30's" on Etsy? I have a real affection for 1970's clothes that reference the thirties and forties.

Sweetheart necklines, gathers and puffs - but all in 1970's prints, fabrics and colours. I seem to get endless delight from it!
I wore this dress to my 25th birthday party - so yeah - I've had it a loooooooooooooong time....

This one has the gathered shoulder yokes, puffs, collar AND flying ducks! 

Another sweetheart neckline, fancy sleeves with a modern print.

Didn't even get to dressing up in the puff sleeve maxi dresses that skim the hips and swish with frills at the bottom. 

The 1970's had a spate of great films set in the 1930's too - Chinatown (1974),

Faye Dunaway

 The Day of the Locust (1975) with the wonderful Karen Black

 

 Paper Moon (1973) with Madeline Kahn

and of course it started with Bonnie and Clyde in the late 1960's

Faye Dunaway

But best of all is 1970's does 1930's and 1940's in KNITTING! Complete with Rosie the Riveter head scarf!

 

It doesn't get much better than that for me. I've had this book for an eon and never knitted anything from it but I did find this cross over cardi from the book in the op shop some years back - it's even knitted in the same colours. If only I could find the shorts.....

What's your favourite reinterpretation of an era? 80's does 40's is pretty good  - structural peplums and shoulder pads! Very Dynasty!

Christmas films to watch while you wrap

'Tis the season to be jolly and Christmas films are part of the cultural celebration of peace and good will and all that stuff. But be wary - there's some shockers out there that will bring out the bah- humbug in anyone!
Our favourite Christmas films are: 

"The Nightmare before Christmas" - a wonderfully subversive tale about the culture clash of Halloween and Christmas and what happens when an ambitious but disillusioned Pumpkin King wants more from life. Amazing old school stop motion animation and Danny Elfman songs.

In "Edward Scissorhands" Burton takes on sixties suburbia with this Frankenstein fish out of water tale. The film has great flair, hilarious design, amazing cast and a bit of magic.

"Meet me in St Louis" for all the reasons I mentioned here and because Judy Garland sings "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." The film isn't set entirely at Christmas - it follows the seasons in a year - but the crisis point of the story happens at Christmas time. It would warm the cockles of any Grinch's heart.

"It's a Wonderful Life"

Individual dreams fight against duty and community wins over capitalism in this fantastic Frank Capra film. James Stewart is magnificent as the duty bound, kind hearted George Bailey, a man in crisis who has quelled his own spirited dreams for the love of his home town and family. What a corker of a film. Donna Reed is glorious as Mary Hatch and the dance scene where the floor opens up is priceless. Okay I admit the whole angel thing is annoying but this is a film about how much one person's life can matter, how a community can fight meanness and about how wonderful a life is.

Others we like are:
For the kids "The Muppet Christmas Carrol" for the film buffs "Shop Around the Corner" and my teenage daughters adds "Serendipity" and "While you were Sleeping" to the list for rom-com lovers. Watch at your own risk.

And what NOT to watch? "Love Actually" tops my list. A ridiculous film which tries to hide it's cringe worthy lack of plot and character development behind an ensemble cast of stars. What I hate most about this film (yes besides the schmaltz, bad soundtrack and cuteness) is that any female character over 30 is either a)cheated on b)overly committed to being a carer and unable to be in a relationship or c)dead! While the men over forty? They end up with women half their age or a supermodel. Get me a bucket!

What are your Christmas film favourites?

Meet me at the fair!

School holidays + wet weather x snotty noses = laying about watching movies.

It's a common equation. With my eldest daughter preparing for musical theatre courses (Lord save us, the house veritably shakes when she hits those big notes)we've been revisiting some well loved old musicals.

One of our family's favourite films is, "Meet Me In St Louis" the MGM classic from 1944 directed by Vincente Minelli. Not only does it have classic songs like "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "The Trolley Song" but it has Judy Garland singing them!

The film, set in a St Louis preparing to host the  1904 world fair, follows the lives of the Smith family throughout each season of the year. Sure - the technicolour is lush, the costumes are pretty and the songs are great, but most of all, it is the characters that warm the cockles of your heart every time. When I watch this film I cry with tears of heart ache and joy and something else I can never quite put my finger on (although I dare say I can hazard a few guesses without too many years of therapy. But lets not go there!) When the husband and wife, played by Mary Astor and Leon Ames, resolve their argument with a beautiful duet "You and I" I simply weep buckets!

Margeret O'Brien, as 5 year old Tootie certainly steals the show. Notably in the fantastic Halloween scenes.  


The family has two teenage daughters who are sometimes self indulgent and annoying, but ultimately loving and caring, a teenage boy who is off doing his own thing - but returns when it's important, a primary aged daughter and the little Tootie. Grandpa also lives in the house - or mansion I should say! Wow! What a house!

The family faces change, love, lies and learning lessons through out the four seasons and sing their way through it all. It's so unashamedly old fashioned and sweet. Who couldn't love that?

posted by Julianne Sister outlaws