Tinted Lens: Jean-Louis Trintignant in Z
Costa-Gavras's Z. An iconic political thriller with scene-stealing eyeglasses.
Costa-Gavras's riveting 1969 film, Z, is a fact-based account of the events surrounding the 1963 assassination of Greek politician, activist, athlete, and physician, Grigoris Lambrakis. A stunning achievement that features outstanding performances, fluid camera work, and excellent writing, this political nail-biter is a treat for anyone who loves great films.
Z also stars a fashionable pair of spectacles. Legendary actor, Jean-Louis Trintignant, portrays the Examining Magistrate, Christos Sartzetakis, and wears a stylish pair of bold eyeglasses that add a dapper touch to his expertly-tailored suits. The scene-stealing glasses are fitted with tinted lenses that are elegant and sophisticated. This style of eyewear has made a comeback in recent years, as they look great with dressy or casual wear.
Bibi Andersson in Persona
Bibi Andersson's style in Persona is as iconic as the feature itself.
Ingmar Bergman's Persona oozes with style. The legendary director would shudder at that description of his thought-provoking film. However, every still from the beautifully-shot feature is fit for a fashion magazine.
The film centers on the day-to-day interactions between a famous actress (Liv Ullmann) who has become mute and the nurse (Bibi Andersson) who's hired to take care of her. As they spend time together at a secluded seaside home, their identities merge.
Sunglasses in motion.
This psychological thriller has challenged audiences for decades. But Andersson's style in Persona is as iconic as the feature itself. Her pixie cut, bold sunglasses/eyeglasses frames, sun hats, and stylish dresses are mainstays of modern fashion.
Jean Seberg Leaves Us Breathless
What's old is new: Jean Seberg's sophisticated style in Breathless continues to influence fashion trends across the globe.
Jean Seberg gave the performance of a lifetime in Jean-Luc Godard's breakthrough film, Breathless (À bout de souffle). Seberg stars as Patricia, an American journalism student who gets mixed up with a petty thief and murderer, Michel, in 1960's Paris. Breathless blends the intrigue of film noir with the gangster genre and was a critical and commercial smash.
Seberg's style in Breathless continues to influence fashion trends across the globe. Her pixie cut, cat eyeliner, loafers, pleated skirt, stripped dresses and shirts, printed tee, cropped pants and shorts, fedora, and sleek shades have been fashion staples for decades. Breathless co-stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as Michel.
8 1/2: Fantasy in Black & White
An exercise in modern fashion, Fellini's 8 1/2 takes clean lines to their logical conclusion.
Frederico Fellini's 8 1/2 is a visual masterpiece that mixes an offbeat story and dreamlike imagery with jaw-dropping fashion. The film stars icons such as Marcello Mastroianni and Anouk Aimée, and its complex story of a successful artist grappling with personal and professional problems is timeless and engrossing.
Fashion takes center stage in this iconic feature. The cast is decked out in expertly tailored black-and-white outfits, and clean lines are taken to their logical conclusion. Coats, sunglasses/eyeglasses, shawls, capes, lingerie, and headwear also feature prominently in the film as the characters' sophisticated outwear, undergarments, and accessories have become staples of modern fashion. Whether you crave an interesting film or enjoy gazing at smart attire and razor-sharp hairstyles, Fellini's 8 1/2 is an endless source of inspiration.
Color Pop: Pierrot Le Fou
Murder, intrigue, love, and splashes of color.
Jean-Luc Godard's Pierrot Le Fou is an unconventional masterpiece that brings pop art to life. Murder, intrigue, and an escape from bourgeois life set the stage for a visceral experience that takes viewers from the streets of Paris to the Mediterranean Sea.
The film's fashion is equally stimulating as the combo of red and blue is featured in everything from plaid slacks and neck ties, to nautical wear and stripped dresses. Army jackets, camo fatigue hats, fedoras, and cropped pants are worn to perfection as well.
Pierrot Le Fou stars Anna Karina and Jean-Paul Belmondo in one of the top films from the French New Wave movement.
Cléo from 5 to 7
Paris, the polka dot dress and a cancer scare: Agnes Varda's Cléo from 5 to 7.
Agnes Varda's iconic Cléo from 5 to 7 is a daring slice of life film about a Parisian pop singer awaiting the results of a medical test. Corinne Marchand stars as the film's titular character and gives a breathtaking performance that ranges from childlike despair to self-actualization.
This thought provoking film is expertly written, directed, and acted. The streets of Paris radiate in black and white, and Cleo's effortless style and sophistication are a sight to behold. Keep your eyes peeled for cameos by legendary actress and fashion icon, Anna Karina, and world-renowned French New Wave director, Jean-Luc Godard.
The Fashionable Libertine: My Night at Maud's
The libertine, winter in Clermont-Ferrand, and late-1960's French fashion.
The third of Éric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales, My Night at Maud's (Ma nuit chez Maud) delves into the moral dilemma faced by a deeply religious Frenchman whose intellect and passions are stirred during an overnight stay with a recently divorced libertine. The film's exceptional cinematography perfectly captures the dead of winter and late-1960's French fashion. Starring Françoise Fabian as Maud and Jean-Louis Trintignant as Jean-Louis.
