Video No. 6043. English Language Pal VHS.
An Exploration of Art on Film.
'The Art And Sport Of Fashion'.
Transient and superficial, or a serious business? The complex phenomenon of fashion itself is the subject of this film, the second in a series presented by leading designer Karl Lagerfeld.
Beginning with the emergence of modern fashion design - the creation of a particular style and "look" - from the exclusive world of "haute couture" dressmaking in the early 20th century, the programme examines the relationship between style and history, fashion and its social context. It highlights the influence of individual designers, from Jean Patou and Coco Chanel onwards, analysing their very different approaches to the essential magic of creating "the right thing at the right moment".
Fashion has drawn on an astonishing range of sources: the use made of art styles and photography is described here, as well as the rise of the celebrity role model (often a movie star, as in Joan Crawford's inimitable "hard-hearted chic") and the model-as-celebrity. The creation of not just of a style but of a whole range of associated products, from perfume to jewellery, is crucial to the success of a fashion house, and there are fascinating insights into the workings of this meeting-point of artistic instinct with tough commercial imperatives.
In contrast to the heady world of the fashion-show catwalk, this film also looks at the relatively unchanging tradition of high-class men's tailoring. Should clothes be made to last, to be worn, to be seen, or just fantasized about? This film explores our own contradictory attitudes to what we wear.
