Fashion & Film: 1960's Europe

Agnes Varda's Cléo de 5 à 7
Costumes by Alyette Samazeuilh

The 1960's in Europe were a period of vitality following the 50's recovery from the war. The 60's emphasized a new youth culture, with the Beatles leading the growing pop music scene in the UK, followed by the Wast German music scene below. The mod London scene developed interest in pop fashion and figures like Twiggy and David Bailey. The May 1968 French student protest closed out the decade.

In fashion, power designers such as Chanel and YSL led the scene. In film, Europe was dependent on American films for the majority of ticket sales.

Boccaccio 70, 1962 was a French-Italian collaboration directed by Visconti. It was one of the only films with costumes by Coco Chanel.

In the scene below there was either an intentional reference or unconscious gesture to what would have been the most famous fashion and film moment the year before, Givenchy's work for Breakfast at Tiffany's.

The avant garde fashion in Paris came on the scene by '64, seen in Andre Courreges and Pierre Cardin below. The avant garde spirit was a good fit to the European auteur style films, Fellini on the right below.

Qui êtes vous, Polly Maggoo?, 1966
Costumes André Courrèges

A Dandy in Aspic, 1967

Costumes Pierre Cardin

Godard worked with several costume designers but maintained a primary color palette for all his films emphasizing red, blue, yellow and occasional green and white.

Une Femme Est Une Femme, 1961

Costumes Jacqueline Moreau

For Le Mepris, 1963 Godard worked with Tanine Autre. Below the signature blue and white stripped top with navy suit, featured in the opening scenes of the film. This conservative look contrasted the scantily clad Bardot in scenes at home with her husband.

Antonioni's approach for Red Desert, 1964 with Gritt Magrini, emphasized some similar Godard hues of red and green but added a more sedate, muted palette of earth tones.

For Blow Up, 1966, Jocelyn Rickards was inspired by Mary Quant for the women's pieces but the photographer is shown in preppy classics. The checkered blue button up with white Levi's dominates the first half of the film.