Style Ideas, Fashion and Film Marques Jackson Style Ideas, Fashion and Film Marques Jackson

Impeccable Style: Monica Vitti in L'Avventura

A missing person, Monica Vitti, high fashion, and the leisure class in Michelangelo Antonioni's L'Avventura.

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Michelangelo Antonioni's L'Avventura (the Adventure) is a visual masterpiece that chronicles the search for a woman who mysteriously disappears during a yachting trip. The fruitless search reveals a great deal about the participants' self-indulgent lives and lack of humanity, which boils over into a shocking affair between the missing woman's boyfriend and best friend. Filmed in Rome, Sicily, and the Aeolian Islands, L'Avventura is an intellectually-stimulating masterpiece that turns a critical eye to the idle rich and post-modern life.

L'Avventura also contains some of the finest fashions ever featured on the silver screen. Monica Vitti's blonde locks and perfectly-tailored outfits are the stuff of legend. From gorgeous dresses, fisherman's sweaters, pencil skirts, and deep V back one piece swimsuits, to button-down blouses, bold prints, oversized handbags, and the finest Italian footwear, Vitti's wardrobe in the film is simply stunning.

Released in 1959, L'Avventura stars Gabriele Ferzetti, Monica Vitti, and Lea Massari.

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Style Ideas, Fashion and Film Marques Jackson Style Ideas, Fashion and Film Marques Jackson

Color Block: Made in U.S.A.

Paris, Atlantic City, shoe slapping, gangsters, and vibrant colors: Jean-Luc Godard goes Stateside with Made in U.S.A.

Anna Karina stars in Made in U.S.A.

A lesser-known (in the U.S., ironically) entry in Jean-Luc Godard's legendary filmography, Made in U.S.A. features Anna Karina in her last performance for the iconic director. Due to legal issues, the film is rarely screened in the States, but the Criterion Collection offers a beautifully-restored print that gives the feature new life.

Plot wise, Made in U.S.A. is a near-future noir about a woman traveling from Paris to Atlantic City to find the men who murdered her boyfriend. Gangsters, neon signs, philosophical discussions, shoe slapping, and a challenging narrative abound in this intriguing film that often leaves viewers scratching their heads.

Despite the demanding plot, Made in U.S.A.'s stunning visuals are a feast for the senses. The legendary director's eye for detail is on display throughout, as the characters are dressed in vivid 1960's fashions that beautifully complement the color-drenched cinematography. From color blocking, bold patterns, and trench coats, to fedoras, smokey eyes, and gradient-tint glasses, Made in U.S.A. offers a range of style ideas for fashion lovers.

Released in 1966. Starring Anna Karina and Jean-Pierre Léaud.

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Fashion and Film, Style Ideas Marques Jackson Fashion and Film, Style Ideas Marques Jackson

Brooklyn Style: She's Gotta Have It

Sexual liberation, natural beauty, Starter jackets, vintage Cazals, drop earrings, & Brooklyn: Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It.

Cue up the boom box and dust off your Air Jordan's as we appreciate the cinematic style of Spike Lee's landmark debut film, She's Gotta Have It. Released in 1986, this timeless classic chronicles the life and times of a desirable and rebellious spirit as she circumvents societal constraints and monogamous relationships. Tracy Camilla Jones stars as Nola Darling, an artistic and stylish 1980's libertine who found the secret to the perfect relationship: openly dating three distinct men.

Running a little under 90 minutes, She's Gotta Have It is a beautifully written film that challenges ideas about relationships and monogamy. Moreover, the film's captivating cinematography perfectly captures 1980's Brooklyn in all of its gritty, frenetic, and artistic glory.

 

Fashion wise, She's Gotta Have It runs the gamut of 1980's style, from the Air Jordan 1, Button-up Starter Jackets, "BROOKLYN" cycling caps, drop earrings, and tanks, to natural hair styles, skinny fit suits, oversized blouses, high-waisted jeans, and vintage Cazal frames. 1980's fashion has been on the rise over the last few years, and the film offers an array of ideas to finish off your look.

Nola's boyfriends: Spike Lee as Mars Blackmon, John Canada Terrell as Greer Childs and Tommy Redmond Hicks as Jamie Overstreet.

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Tinted Lens: Jean-Louis Trintignant in Z

Costa-Gavras's Z. An iconic political thriller with scene-stealing eyeglasses.

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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. 

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Fashion and Film, Style Ideas Marques Jackson Fashion and Film, Style Ideas Marques Jackson

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.

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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.

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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.

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Fashion and Film, Style Ideas Marques Jackson Fashion and Film, Style Ideas Marques Jackson

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.

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Fashion and Film, Style Ideas Marques Jackson Fashion and Film, Style Ideas Marques Jackson

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.



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La Notte: Existentialism & Style

Existentialism, modern life, long-term relationships, custom-made Italian suits, and cocktail dresses. 

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Wrestling with a fledgling relationship? Pondering the meaning of post-modern life? Looking for new fashion ideas? Michelangelo Antonioni's La Notte will make you rethink modern life, style, and the nature of long-term relationships. The second installment in Antonioni's "trilogy of modernity," this captivating film features fine performances by Marcello MastroianniJeanne Moreau, and Monica Vitti

Fashion wise, La Notte is classic and sophisticated. Male actors wear a bevy of custom-made Italian suits, while females don stunning cocktail dresses, and everything from pearl earrings to fur coats. 

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Style Ideas, Fashion and Film Marques Jackson Style Ideas, Fashion and Film Marques Jackson

Cléo from 5 to 7

Paris, the polka dot dress and a cancer scare: Agnes Varda's Cléo from 5 to 7.

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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.

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