8 films on which it is possible to study a mode of the 80th
The 80s - one of the most cited decades as in modern pop culture - to take at least the phenomenon of the series "Stranger Things" - and on the podium: the iconic models of the era from oversight jackets to clips and leggings have already appeared in the collections of all influential designers, whether Marc Jacobs or Demna Gvasalia . Nevertheless, in order to judge the style of the decade, watching one TV series "Dynasty" is not enough. We collected 8 cult films, each of which in its own way conveyed the style and spirit of the era.
Text: Ksenia Obukhovskaya
Cutie in pink
Pretty in pink, 1986
The movie got its name due to the song of the new wave group The Psychedelic Furs "Pretty in Pink" - after thirty c years and more, the track and the film deservedly rest on the laurels of the iconic works of their time. The main characters of the film Andy and Dhaka are teenagers from poor families. Andy, played by Molly Ringwald, is worn in vintage stores: in the film you can see her in dresses with lace lapels, in embroidered sweaters and jackets with false shoulders, in flowered leggings and, of course, with a high hairstyle. In tone of an epoch its image is completed by multiple beads and vintage glasses.
The image of Daki, according to film dresser Marilyn Vance, was inspired by the teddy-fighting subculture, but with a touch of the 80s - hence the costumes, bright waistcoats and stuffed. The 80s were generally a time when everything mixed up, thanks to which new styles in music appeared, and, as a result, new subcultures: new wave, new romance, postpunk, first grunge hints. The characters of Pretty in Pink are adolescents who have absorbed these trends: it’s not without reason that the main character, like any fashionable teenager of the time, works in a record store. Hence the heap of eclectic and memorable images.
Deadly attraction
Heathers, 1989
The cult film of the late 80s set the tone for the schoolchildren’s film genre. On the surface, the plot is non-trivial: haughty and not poor girlfriends, who are ironically called by the name of the leader "Heathers", are trying to keep popularity in school. In fact, the film explores the unjust relationship of social status and power - costume designer Rudi Dillon clearly reflected these "cruel games" with the help of students' costumes.
On the one hand, Heather and her friends are dressed in the latest fashion of the 80s: costumes with false shoulders, styling in the spirit of "ladies who lunch", leggings and brooches. On the other hand, such power-dressing was not at all peculiar to adolescents of that time: girls strikingly differ from classmates and their atypical outfits are designed to emphasize the desire for power. Antipodes girlfriends, school outsiders, among whom is Veronica’s future love (Winona Ryder) Jade, on the contrary, are dressed in black and imitate punks. It is also noteworthy that as soon as Veronica begins to distance herself from her friends and question their authority, her image becomes typically "outsider".
Blade Runner
Blade runner, 1982
The dystopia by Ridley Scott shows how the generation of the eighties represented the image of the city and the man of the future. The fear of rapid progress, which pushes existential reflections, turned out to be quite consonant with the moods of the time (despite the fact that Philip Dick’s novel, based on it, came out in the late 60s), when technology was rapidly gaining momentum.
According to costume designer Michael Kaplan, after reading the script, he had no doubt that the film should be made in the spirit of retro-futurism. He took the aesthetics of noir as a basis: looking at the Harrison Ford costume, it is easy to recall Humphrey Bogart in a trench coat. Rachel’s clothes were created using Adrian, who sewed costumes for the 30s star Joan Crawford.
Businesswoman
Working girl, 1988
"Fake it till you make it" could well be the motto of the film about how a uniform can change life. The main character, secretary Tess, dreams of building a career and is not afraid to take risks for this. One day she gets an unexpected chance to prove herself: by pretending to be her boss, and at the same time completely changing her wardrobe, she managed to make a big deal with a stockbroker.
From the point of view of style in "Business Girl", it seems, they picked up all the signs of the 80s, including deliberate excessiveness. A bang with a hair, a leopard print, oversized leather jackets, bright draped blouses with cutouts and bows and, of course, jackets tightly gathered at the waist, all add up to the ultimate image of a woman aimed at success.
Desperately looking for Susan
Desperately seeking Susan, 1985
"Desperately Looking for Susan" - a film in which you can see not only Madonna in action, but also her entire wardrobe of that time. In any picture with an almost detective plot, whatever one may say, the main character, of course, is not Susan and not even spectacular vintage earrings, due to which all the fuss is boring, but a young singer. She managed to create a fresh and recognizable image in which the glamor of the 80s with draperies and overhead shoulders was skillfully mixed with punk.
In the film, the singer and her twin appear in a jacket made of shiny fabric with motley lapels and an embroidered pyramid on the back (he, by the way, was recently sold at auction), then in a black lace cropped top with gloves and a bow. In the frame, there are noticeable decorations: large earrings, bows and beads in several rows — everything without which neither Madonna nor the 80s can be imagined.
Ferris Bueller Weekend
Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 1986
The main teen film of all times and peoples, "Ferris Bueller's Weekend" is also a clear guide to how to look cool if you're a teenager from the 80s. The main character's wardrobe - a leather bomber jacket, a leopard vest and a military beret - only emphasizes its unpredictability. Typical attributes of teenagers - sports jackets and jersey, showing involvement in a sports team or a fan club - were given to Buhler's best friend Cameron. Ferris's girlfriend Sloane is wearing typical loose shirts and blouses tucked into high-rise trousers and a cowboy-style leather jacket. A universal stylistic device from the film, which will be relevant today, and it seems forever, is a pair of Wayfarer dark glasses combined with a white T-shirt.
For the images in the film answered Marilyn Vance, a costumer who knows how to accurately convey the spirit of the times - in the 90s she would be able to repeat the success in “Pretty Woman”. Almost all the images for Ferris, she developed herself; For example, the costume vest made a famous vest from a sweater.
Face with a scar
Scarface, 1983
Despite the fact that "Scarface" with Al Pacino is a remake of the 1932 film, the plot was completely transferred to the realities of the 80s. The classic image of a gangster was rethought as part of the postdisc era. For the first time, the viewer sees Tony Montana on the screen in an open shirt with a bright floral print, and during the film the gangsters flaunt in satin striped suits and shirts with wide lapels and a V-neck, exposing the chest (the deeper the better). In the 80s, men's jewelry was a symbol of luxury - hence the number of gold chains, rings and pendants.
Female images in the film are more diverse. Tony Montana's sister Gina appears in a dress strewn with large glitter, then in a luxurious silk robe and a dress with a drape. It seems that in addition to Montana, Elvira Hancock, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, seems to be the most recognizable. The image of Elvira in many ways ahead of time: dresses in a linen style and neat square predicted the fashion of the next decade.
16 candles
16 candles, 1984
Another film by John Hughes, but how can it be without him - “16 candles” tells not so much about outsiders as about unrequited love and teenage awkwardness. Hence the style that is fundamentally different from the decisions in the films above: a light camp is replaced by charming simplicity, which emphasizes the ordinariness of the situation that everyone understands.
The heroine of Molly Ringwald, Sam, wears plain floral sundresses and plain tops, while her friend Carolyn is dressed with all the trends - including big earrings. Ted, who is trying to win the love of the main character, the whole movie, appears as a nerd in mothers-ironed shirts, while Sam Jake’s lifelong love combines all the images of James Dean at once - here you’ll have a matching hairstyle, a plaid shirt, and tight jeans. .
Photo: Paramount Pictures, New World Pictures, Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, Orion Pictures, Universal Pictures
