FASHION &
NOVEMBER IS ALL ABO
A SPLASH OF C
Entertainment
by: Louw Breytenbach
Graduate stu-
dents
of
TUT and myself
recently
shot a short film
on a ranch just outside of Pretoria, South
Africa – A film noir to be
more precise. Film noir is
a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical
attitudes and sexual motivations.
Hollywood’s classical film noir period
is generally regarded as extending from
the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film
noir of this era is associated with a lowkey black-and-white visual style that has
roots in German Expressionist cinematography. Before the term was widely adopted in the 1970’s they were referred to as
melodramas…
This brief introduction and history on film
noir is needed because we are all aware
that fashion is bold, iconic, strong and absolutely dramatic! It is found in the fears
fashion creations hitting our runways
season after season, without setting limits on creativity. Fashion and film have
been linked together since the inception
of filmmaking and have inspired many designs, and even stories emerged as the
two worlds coincided to form a wonderful
universe of delightful (and tasteful) creations.
The women of the 1940’s – or
at least those who populated
the era of film noirs dressed
to kill. They were dressed seductively, mysterious and of
course in brooding black and
white. Film noir portrayed
women in progressive roles – and so your
wardrobe choices for the summer of 2014
should portray progressive changes and
bold statements. A little “Femme Fatal”-allure goes a long way when combined with
a dark smoky eye for a night out on town.
These two colours resemble a harmony
found only in the love of both fashion and
film and we can currently see colour-blocking making way for a bold use of patterns
in especially basic tones of grey, black and
white, paired with a splash of colour for
that extra bit of drama just before leaving
on that December holiday. Just like with
film noir, mystery is everything! Black and
white silhouettes hide those curves and
make way for a sassy, seductive look – Perfect for switching it up from office wear to
party-wear with a simple change of shoes
and accessories.