21 August 2010

1950s

The 1950s fashion (yawn...) is predictably popping up in every magazine, which leaves us the bandwith to study how they are presenting it: In W this month, it's given a cinematic lushness in the story Brooklyn by Mert & Marcus. It's one of their better efforts, I have to say, and one of the more interesting 1950s stories this month.I also see that it's inspired by Edward Hopper(1882 – 1967), just like those (really literal) fall Fendi ads.The Fendi ads (by Karl Lagerfeld):More Edward Hopper paintings:

8 comments:

  1. Your knowledge of fashion, art and everything else never ceases to amaze me...

    I am speechless

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  2. I agree with Anon! How did she do it?

    The paintings are really amazing. And the copycats by Auntie Karl is pretty good too actually. I like the second fendi ad here - a touch of the brick wall and the green suitcase on the left for contrast. Plus she mirroring the painting on the wall. As a campaign, Mert & Atlas wins. Very nice shots on the shoe plus the bus in the background. Is it all about moving forward? And the girl standing at the corner street - she looks positively lost. Thanks DG.

    Rossie

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  3. for aunty karla: Hopper definitely; but i also see a bit of Magritte, esp. the 2nd pic, where she sits, with legs crossed. something abt that very quiet, still air/ambience in an interior where the subject seems trapped in an invisible yet inescapable membrane of alienation & existential angst, know what i mean...?

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  4. Dear Rossie: Glad you like this post! Fendi: Yes, it's a very literal approach to the paintings, especially as you highlighted, with the colours and the textures - ie brick wall and green suitcase, especially the green, and you can see Karla's beloved baptiste's back clad in the black vest and white shirt actually appears in a lot of the paintings.
    Mert & Marcus: I like that, as you pointed it out, they brought movement into the equation; i think it is a lot less stiff and formal, although you can see the strong grid still there; in the case of the shoes, the legs form the lines cutting down the page. I think the grids in hopper paintings are the most essential thing in creating this feeling of being trapped, imprisoned and isolated - from nature, from other people, from life.
    Dear Anon: Magritte is a bit more wickedly humourous for me and hence a bit less heavy although i suppose the message could be similar. I guess it's a more european take. Hopper don't you feel is essentially humourless and dead serious? peopled by defeated beings. Totally agree with "trapped...". At this point in time, i think they i can read it as being trapped by their material well being. In the paintings they seem imprisoned by their houses, tables, chairs, things... this makes the fendi ads a bit ironical? She seems trapped and menaced by the bags, shoes, etc LOL
    Dear Both: As a side note, the fendi ads sees karla's on-going obssession with all things americana.

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  5. thank you for pointing out aunty karla's obsession with americana; that makes so much sense in view of his photographic work.

    Speaking of the US of A, maybe it's time for him to resurrect Mr Brad Koenig, the quintessential blandly handsome mid-western white boy?

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  6. sorry i meant Brad Kroenig. my bad...:(

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  7. Dear Anon: I'm glad i'm not alone in thinking mr kroenig "blandly handsome...". I think i read somewhere that aunty karla's obssession with mr kroenig is due to his resemblance to the love of madam's life, a certain playboy aristocrat who died of aids in the 80s. I actually prefer beloved baptiste of the two, even though the latter is also turning out to be bland.

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