ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Fashion

House of Cardin – The Man and the Brand

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Who is Pierre Cardin? That may seem a curious question given that his name is recognized all over the world. But it is the question that begins the documentary from P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes, House of Cardin. The question is answered from a variety of perspectives and people—ranging from other designers, such as Jean-Paul Gaultier and Guo Pei, to people he dressed, such as Naomi Campbell and Sharon Stone, to musicians and performers, such as Jean-Michel Jarre and Alice Cooper.

The film is less of a biography that an exploration of a brand. Pierre Cardin began his work in the fashion industry in the post-World War II years, and began to become known in the fifties and sixties. He was innovative in his fashion, but also in his marketing. He made both women’s and men’s fashions. He used people of color as models. He went to Japan and to Russia to show his new creations. Most notably, although a part of the high fashion world, he made clothing for everyone. He is credited with democratizing the world of haute couture.

But his brand was much more than clothing. He was something of an artistic polymath. He also created furniture. And he was a lover of the performing arts, creating a theatrical space for plays, film, and music. His name has been licensed into many areas. (In terms of the branding of his name, he reminds me a bit of Donald Trump.) We may at times wonder if he has spread his brand too thin.

Although we see a bit of Cardin’s life, the film stays a bit distant. At times we may get a sense of arrogance, but at other times, he seems as every-man as his fashion. We don’t get a real sense of his passion. But we do hear from those who know him of the passion he has inspired in them, either to create their own expressions, or to see the world in a new light.

At 98, Cardin continues to be involved in many artistic endeavors. There are some ways in which his name will be his legacy, but for some, the visions that he created will live on in their works as well.

House of Cardin is available in theaters, on virtual cinema through local arthouses, and will be available on VOD in mid-September.

The Times of Bill Cunningham

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The Times of Bill Cunningham is a documentary about the fashion photographer who was known for riding around New York City on his bicycle taking pictures of whatever interested him. Most of the film is taken from a 1994 interview done by director Mark Bozek. We get to hear Cunningham tell his own story as we see some of the millions of photographs he had taken over decades.

It is fair to say that Cunningham was obsessed with fashion. He relates that even as a child he couldn’t pay attention in church because of his fascination with women’s hats. He went on to design hats early in his career—even doing so while stationed in France during a tour in the Army in the early 1950s. He went on to open his own millenary shop as William J.

When he was given a used camera by a friend, his obsession with fashion found a new expression. He began to take pictures of anything that struck him. He was especially interested in “the way women dressed in their own lives”.  His photograph of Greta Garbo in a nutria coat drew the attention of the New York Times. (They were interested in a photo of Garbo; Cunningham was interested in the nutria coat.)

The film (in narration read by Sarah Jessica Parker) refers to him as “the Nostradamus of fashion and society.” He saw himself not so much as a critic or even as a photographer. He thought of himself as a documenter. As such his photos were not limited to high fashion—although the fashion shows were a big part of his work. He was there for society events to see what celebrities were wearing, but he also took pictures of everyday people on the streets—including the homeless. He also chronicled the Gay Pride celebrations. (The New York Public Library asked for his collection of those photos for its archives.) He wanted to record the world not just as society wanted to be seen, but also to show us the world as it really was.

The film shows us the muted eccentricity of his life. Although he lived in the world of fashion, much of his life he wore hand-me-down clothes. (He says when someone would die, their widow would give him the clothes.) He lived in a small studio over Carnegie Hall with minimal furniture. (He refers to living in “a cave”.) Even when the 2010 documentary about him (Bill Cunningham: New York) premiered, he didn’t see it. He stayed outside the theater photographing people.

©Harold Chapman / Topfoto / The Image Works

Where the film comes up short is that except for photos, it missed the last 20 years of his life, except for a few comments made about those years. But those are not his own reflections on life as we hear in the interview. Cunningham wanted to give us new ways to see the world. Instead this film just gives us a brief glimpse of what he saw.

Photos courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment

McQueen – It’s Okay, It’s Only Clothes

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Arguably one of the most eccentrically talented fashion designers of our time, Lee Alexander McQueen took the fashion world by storm. His candle shone bright in the small amount of time he was on this earth. He was often misunderstood, in life and in fashion. He looked nothing like what a stereotypical fashion designer looked like, and I think this is where a lot of his initial career judgments came from. Later in life, Lee’s insecurities would lead him to alter some of his physical appearance.

As a young apprentice, he was exposed to a street-wear company that took inspiration from the anniversary of man landing on the moon. This was the first time Lee was exposed to the idea of using unique topics to pull inspiration from.

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Lee was best known for his dark and often shocking lines that depicted things like rape and death. These were not easy garments to look at, often looking like something from a crime scene. The models would literally look like they had just been raped. Lee received a lot of backlash for his work. But he was filtering his life experiences into his art form. Lee always admitted that he didn’t care what people thought of him and he wasn’t afraid to pull from his darkness. Although disturbing, it goes to show that parlaying negative experiences into a creative outlet can often be healthy.

Lee wanted the audience to leave his shows feeling an emotion, whether it be repulsion or not. He felt like if he didn’t leave feeling an emotion than he hadn’t done his job.

Sometimes his pieces would be inspired by more positive aspects of his life, like his love of nature, the sea in particular.

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He met a magazine editor named Isabella Blow who was prominent in the fashion world. It was Isabella who essentially discovered Lee’s talent. He was her protege. She didn’t have any children so she poured that energy into Lee. Vanity Fair would later refer to them as fashion’s muse and master.

At 27, and not in a good place financially, Lee accepted a position as creative director for Givenchy in France. His first line with Givenchy with risque and not well received. But Lee stayed true to who he was, pouring England into Paris in his own unique way.

Lee knew he was gay from an early age. He struggled with a father who would make jokes about it. His father would have preferred for him to be a mechanic instead of getting into fashion.

During one of his fashion shows, some students kicked down barricades and started a fire. The cars that were part of the set were unfortunately not emptied of gasoline so they set fire. Lee refused to let the fires be put out. He kept sending models out to the catwalk and refused to let the show stop. He used the prank to his advantage. This was very telling of his work ethic and drive. He didn’t want anything to ruin the illusion of his shows.

With his intense schedule, it’s shocking that Lee didn’t burn himself out. He was living six months in England, and the other six in France, going back and forth between Givenchy and McQueen. With more money came more unhappiness, as well as drugs. He became angry and aggressive.

During this time, with immense career pressures and the death of a close friend, Lee was experiencing his darkest moments.  On top of it all, Lee’s mother, whom he idolized, succumb to her illness. On the eve of his mother’s funeral, Lee took his own life.

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Cinematically, I appreciated the cuts with animated skulls and dark images, including haunting classical music, cellos specifically. It really set the tone for the entire piece. It was fascinating to see clips of Lee working, speaking in interviews, and from his fashions shows. It gave it sort of a home movie feel.

Before his death, Lee created a charity called Sarabande, which provides scholarships to students and artists. “Sarabande Foundation was established because Lee passionately believed that creative minds with the potential to push boundaries should be given the same opportunities he’d enjoyed.”

This film is so telling of one person’s struggle with mental health. It’s good to confront your past and your demons, yet bringing it all to light again can often add salt to the wound. Sometimes we experience horrible situations, such as loss, that completely take over. It is important to sometimes take a step back from busy schedules and everything that overwhelms us and check in with ourselves to make sure we’re doing alright. And if the answer is ‘no’, even if it’s ‘I’m not sure’, I encourage you to speak to someone. Whether it’s someone you know and are close to, or a professional. It’s okay to talk about it. It doesn’t make you weak or less of a person. In fact, you are so strong for talking about it! Sometimes it’s the hardest thing in the world to talk about your problems. But you can! And you’re awesome for doing it.

If you are struggling with mental health or suicidal ideations, please know that you are loved. There are numerous resources that can assist you. If you are in Canada, we would recommend you visit https://suicideprevention.ca/need-help/ which will provide you with contact information for various assistance per Province. If you are in the United States, visit https://www.mentalhealth.gov/get-help/immediate-help.