These two articles appeared in The Untitled Magazine: Legends Issue.
Vivienne Westwood: Rebel with a Cause
When it comes to sartorial legends, to not include the Queen of anti-establishment fashion Dame Vivienne Westwood would be a serious crime indeed. Westwood has been the inspiration for generation after generation of designers, artists and musicians. She, along with her former boyfriend Malcolm McLaren orchestrated a revolution, not just in the world of fashion, but music too, and Westwood has been leading this revolution for over 40 years.
In 1971, on a cold autumn morning down London’s Kings Road, Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood opened “Let it Rock”, a boutique which offered the fashion conscious a radical take on the biker fashion craze that was sweeping through post-hippie Britain. It was the first time the young Westwood, formerly a primary school teacher, got the chance to test her creative mind and flex her entrepreneurial muscle, and there was no better place to do this than on the uber trendy Kings Road, made famous in the 1960’s by the likes of Mary Quant, and the mini-skirt girls et al, as the hub for sartorial genius.
It would be a few more years until Westwood, the exemplar of fashion we know her as today, would get to be recognised by the public at large. That came in 1976, when McLaren, now a music manager, created one of the most ground breaking groups in British musical history. The Sex Pistols, an amalgamation of anti-establishment fury, antagonism and shear other worldliness. Both McLaren and Westwood came up with the idea of marrying music and fashion, this was certainly no shot gun wedding, as music and fashion had been intimately linked in a passionate tryst since the 1950’s, with the explosion of the Teddy Boy, that saw Elvis Presley as its commander-in-chief.
Unlike previous occasions when music and fashion were fused together, McLaren and Westwood executed things upside-down, with the idea that fashion was strong enough to create a musical movement purely through its own merit. Known as Punk, Westwood went all out in her influences to create a collection of truly shocking garments, where as she and McLaren had previously experimented in turning biker fashion into fetish wear, the fetish element was turned up several notches, melding together the themes of prostitute, bondage, military and BDSM, topped off by a liberal concoction of outrageous makeup. It turned into something no one had seen ever in the history of fashion.
The punk movement had its uniforms, it had its generals in the guise of Johnny Rotten, Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock (later replaced by Sid Vicious) now it was time to get its foot soldiers. Westwood has said about what exactly Punk meant to her – “I was messianic about punk, seeing if one could put a spoke in the system in some way.” With their Kings Road boutique now changed from “Let it Rock” to “SEX” the movement had got its head-quarters. Now it would be time to launch Punk across the UK, and as expected, attention came pretty swiftly, with the BBC and various newspapers up in arms over what they saw as the systematic destruction and degradation of Britain’s youth.
This cleverly constructed sartorial and musical creation bewitched a youth that felt disenfranchised from society, and left out in the cold by popular culture, which during the mid-1970’s had only David Bowie and Bryan Ferry creating anything genuinely worthwhile, with the other former kings and queens of pop falling into a pit of self-glorification. Punk was a breath of fresh air that not so much gave pop culture a kick in the backside, but bit its ear off and spat in its face. Westwood and McLaren had done what no other fashion team had ever done, conceive and implement a national, and later international, cultural organism that would change the face of pop music forever. Finally, Vivienne Westwood was getting some recognition, not that she’d ever wanted fame, her vision of a career was to disrupt a conformist society with some much needed individualism.
One of Westwood’s most memorable quotes, that sums up her whole raison d’être goes – “Fashion is very important. It is life-enhancing and, like everything that gives pleasure, it is worth doing well.” It’s a simple yet valuable philosophy that has seen Westwood go from working-class Northern girl, who had no idea how to make it in the creative industry, to global fashion sensation who has kick-started various cultural movements, becoming a legend in her own lifetime.
In the years since Punk made its mark on the world, Westwood has continued to explore and experiment, from her famous foray into the “New Romantics”, defined by Duran Duran, Adam and the Ants, Japan and Spandau Ballet, that ditched the whole sneering and confrontational attitude of Punk, for a more refined parody of 18th century menswear, going from feral beast to Lord Byron, with much more lipstick and eyeliner; to her famously tongue-in-cheek redefinition of the high-heel, where she mixed Barbarella dominatrix style with fairytale giants. Whatever her inspiration, whether it be historical, futuristic or down-right obscure to art, music or literature, she has always been a force to be reckoned with, in an industry that so often has its stale moments, with one designer plagiarising another.
Both Westwood’s latest collections for Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter 2014 have been described as “gloriously crazed” by journalists from all corners of the fashion press, and they’re right, Westwood has continued on her journey, creating madcap fashion that brims with childlike fantasy. For her Spring/Summer collection, given its outing at Paris Fashion Week, a medieval tone swept through, with a theme Westwood described as “Pilgrims Progress”; you could class it as Game of Thrones chic, the palette shifted from strong Plantagenet blues, reds and greens to rustic tartans and more earthy colours. Co-designed by her husband Andreas Kronthaler, the couple concocted a pretty wild dream sequence of gowns fit for those notorious medieval women Blanche of Castile and Queen Eleanor, but with a glaringly modern twist. Tangled nests of lace perched precariously on top of the models heads, and a long contorting spider’s web of chiffon, cascading from the shoulders to the ankles. Prints and patterns were all in some way or another inspired by the countryside; reminiscent of Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” you could see traditional garden herbs and flowers mixed together, all of course quintessentially English in its approach.
This collection was by no means a regal affair, the medieval shepherdess and tavern wench had their place in Westwood’s spotlight too, with ripped bodices and coquettish frocks that nipped in at the waste, it was a truly magical exploration into the beauty of femininity. Striking pink, gold and apricot punctuated a lot of the collection, just to give that Westwood trademark.
When Westwood launched her Fall/Winter collection onto the public, this time 19th century grandeur was explored, specifically pin pointing the great couturier Charles Frederick Worth as her inspiration. There was some ancient South American prints mixed into the recipe though, which added an extra pinch of creativity, I mean who else would even think of adding the two together. Many of the dresses seemed to drip like honey off a spoon, and the patterns often alluded to some psychedelic dream, enhanced by acid. A number of the dresses were a lot more constrained than is usual for Westwood, layering different fabrics, with entirely different colour schemes, topped off by sashes across the chest and militaristic headbands.
Outerwear was the key to making this collection a winner, with long flowing coats that descended like the clouds in a fierce rain storm, not exactly covering the body entirely; it made the legs a prominent feature for admiration. For this collection, Westwood’s palette was as gloriously schizophrenic as ever, sage green mixed with pastel pink, stark black mixed with funky red etc. Like all of Westwood’s collections, it was a magnificent marriage of art, eccentricity and pushing boundaries.
At 72-years-old, Vivienne Westwood is still showing all other designers how things should be done; fashion is about protest and creativity, never conformity and never fear. It often seems so trite using the words trail blazer when describing someone, it’s such an overused platitude these days, but Westwood is a trail blazer, there’s no other way to describe her. Being able to conjure a beauty from such disparate inspirations is the essence of Westwood, and she isn’t going to stop anytime soon.
Leading Ladies
We have seen many leading ladies emerge in Hollywood and world cinema over the last 100 years, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren and Brigitte Bardot to name but a few. Along with their natural beauty and allure, their unique presence in the creative hinterland of cinema has been a source of continual inspiration for many a director and script writer.
Like the world of art and literature, the world of Hollywood would be nothing without its female muse to inspire and admire. With the entertainment industry being such a tough and cutthroat environment to succeed in, it takes a special talent, irrespective of gender, to break through the barriers, but when they do their stardom rarely burns out.
Here are five contemporary leading ladies who we feel have broken the mould, in more ways than one. They’ve risen up from the thousands of hopefuls, who desperately try and make their mark in cinema, seamlessly moving from melancholy to joy, intense to light-hearted; in a way that sends cinemagoers into a frenzy.
With her porcelain like skin and svelte figure, Tilda Swinton is a physical product of the European Avant-garde; her attitude too is something which many actresses in the mainstream simply do not possess i.e. that fearlessness and acting prowess, the ability to capture the essence of what it takes to be a worthy actress, it’s all been shaped by her early career spent working with the likes of Derek Jarman and Tariq Ali. Swinton’s background, as the daughter of aristocratic parents and a devotee of communism in her youth, helped forge her into the creative chameleon we see today.
Much of the star quality that radiates from Swinton is down to the roles she has chosen and been picked for over the years. From voicing the minimalistic and atmospheric Blue by Derek Jarman, which described Jarman’s life and vision shortly before his death from AID’s related complications, to playing Jadis, the White Witch, in Andrew Adamson’s block buster reimagining of C.S Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.
There are many reasons why Tilda Swinton stands head and shoulders above the rest, her ability to move from independent cinema to mainstream with an effortless grace, to always keeping a firm grip on her integrity, during which ever project she works on. But another reason is using her stardom and privilege to give human rights causes a greater platform, particularly LGBT rights, it took bravery for her to stand outside the Kremlin in Russia, proudly displaying the rainbow flag, in protest of the Russian governments vicious anti-gay policies. It’s for these reasons and more that Swinton has become such an endearing fixture of the film industry, in both Europe and Hollywood.
Her latest trip to the big screen is in The Grand Budapest Hotel, a fabulously bonkers comedy by her old friend Wes Anderson. Swinton plays the rich octogenarian Madame D, who later becomes love interest to the eccentric hotelier Ralph Fiennes, who of course has ulterior motives. The film is already a smash with Anderson fans and Swinton fans alike. It’s yet another testament to her acting abilities, gone is the demure and serious leading lady, now we see the brilliant comic actress. It’s a glorious romp, with a format that’s reminiscent of a classic French farce, and Swinton plays the imperious Madame D with fine comic tuning. Let’s hope some awards for the role will be coming her way soon.
Australia’s smokey eyed and husky voiced Cate Blanchett is the epitome of leading lady magic, from her acting skills to her looks and composure, she has beaten Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman as Australia’s most desirable acting export, and it’s easy to see why. Flourishing in a butterfly like fashion from the world of theatre, most notably in David Mamet’s 1992 play Oleanna and the Company B production of the Shakespeare classic Hamlet, in which she secured the role of Ophelia.
Blanchett effortlessly mixes the high acting attributes of classical theatre with the more illuminating qualities needed for an actress to succeed on the big screen, it’s a special concoction that bloomed in an array of cinematic glory when she starred in Shekhar Kapur’s 1998 masterpiece Elizabeth. There have been many actresses throughout the years who have turned their attention to playing England’s virgin Queen, but Blanchett embodied the role like no other. She was every inch the stoic royal matriarch, wrestling to save her kingdom from bankruptcy and foreign invasion.
Partly thanks to her years spent working in the theatre, Cate Blanchett quickly understood the need to diversify her roles, and that became obvious when she starred in Richard Eyre’s Notes on a Scandal in 2006, the psychological thriller touched on the contentious subject of paedophilic relationships, with Blanchett playing a teacher who has an affair with one of her underage pupils.
Blanchett continues to prove her capabilities over and over again; the mother ship of the Hollywood industry recognised her at the recent Oscar ceremony, for her role in Woody Allen’s comedy-drama Blue Jasmine. Blanchett won Best Actress, and it was a sweet moment, with Blanchett open mouthed, shocked that the award had gone to her, not having won an academy award in over a decade, which was for Best Supporting Role in The Aviator. A gracious winner, she simply said “thank you Daniel Day Lewis” (who presented her with the award) “from you this blows everything out of the ball park!”
Blanchett’s blistering portrayal of Jeanette ‘Jasmine’ Francis, Blue Jasmine’s protagonist, tipped the film from a run of the mill Woody Allen affair, to a brilliant slice of contemporary cinema. The neurotic, self-centred and ultimately self-loathing attitude that Blanchett brought to her character was a stroke of genius, a former socialite, down on her luck, it was a superb performance. It’s been remarked, and you can see why, that Blue Jasmine is her defining role for this decade.
Rarely does Blanchett rest on her laurels, and she marches forward with grace and elegance. Like a contemporary Grace Kelly, Blanchett is the classic embodiment of beauty and talent.
It’s been a long time coming, but Kate Winslet finally achieved it, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Producer of the ceremony Ana Martinez said what a lot of us were thinking “We’ve seen Kate shine in her roles and fans around the world have been anxiously waiting for this special day to come.” It was a truly memorable moment and Winslet remarked “I feel very honoured 20 years into my own career to be standing in such a poignant place and being celebrated in such a spectacular fashion.”
Her starring role in James Cameron’s critically acclaimed Titanic could easily make Kate Winslet a legendary leading lady, which it certainly did. Beating off competition from Gwyneth Paltrow, Gabrielle Anwar and Claire Danes, she secured the role at the tender age of 22; from then onwards she would be the toast of Hollywood. As the frustrated debutant Rose DeWitt Bukater, who gets entwined in a doomed love affair with working class boy Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, she brought audiences across the globe to tears with an outstanding and emotional performance. It’s not often such a young actress can achieve the fabled alchemy of capturing an audiences imagination through an entire film, but Winslet did.
Winslet has always been a dab hand at the dramatic roles, able to meticulously work her emotions and gestures in rhythmic timing with the plot. Aside from film, she’s able to transfer this to the small screen, who could forget her performance in the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce in 2011, as the self-sacrificing protagonist constantly at war with her narcissistic, calculating daughter Veda, played by Evan Rachel Wood.
Many classed Kate Winslet as a one-trick-pony after the huge success of Titanic; little did they know that was just the start of our love affair with her. Although she is still a much underestimated comedy actress, her talents for black comedy in particular came into the spotlight in 2011, with Roman Polanski’s Carnage, an adaption of Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage, and previously in Nancy Meyer’s 2006 rom-com The Holiday.
A dystopian Chicago is the backdrop to Winslet’s latest film Divergent, Neil Burger’s adaption of Veronica Roth’s novel, playing the primary antagonist Jeanine Matthews, critics have already been raving about her performance, reimagining this tough, super intelligent character for Hollywood couldn’t have been an easy task, but for Winslet, with her pristine acting pedigree, Jeanine was reborn for the big screen.
Putting her acting skills aside, Winslet’s consistent genuine attitude and genuine passion for what she does appeal to audiences across the board. Ever grateful for the opportunities she’s had, and moreover the fact she’s faced her personal troubles head on, give her a humanity, which so many other actresses often lack.
There’s been a seismic shift in Hollywood’s attitude over recent years, in regards to its portrayal of older actresses. Once-upon-a-time when an actress reached her mid-forties the casting guillotine would hurtle down, and leave her in the wilderness, or destined to play secondary characters, who loiter in the background. At the recent Oscar ceremony, two prominent actresses of mature years were nominated, the 78 year old Dame Judi Dench and 64 year old Meryl Streep. Both of these Hollywood veterans have continued to amaze and delight audiences world-wide and their box office appeal just keeps getting stronger.
The elder of the two, Judi Dench has been a tour-de-force for over 50 years, from the big to the small screen; she’s become a national treasure in the UK, with plaudits and awards amassed over the years, for achievements which include powerful performances at the National, Royal Court and Old Vic theatre et al, comedic roles on TV, such as the long running BBC sitcom As Time Goes By, in which she stared alongside Geoffrey Palmer, and of course her varied roles on the big screen, from playing M in the James Bond series to her role as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love (1999).
I’m hesitant to say Dench has broken the mould, but she has. Dench has shown that age is merely a number, and if your acting skills are strong enough, you can keep going as long as you like, and casting directors will still fall over themselves to get you in a leading role.
Dench’ forte has always been the theatre, which she has been a part of since the mid-1950’s, witnessing the greats like Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud in their prime, their influence has never left her. Like many actors and actresses, theatre has also proved a life line when the TV and film roles hit a dry patch, and Dench has repeatedly said that she owes a great deal of her success to the world of theatre, because it’s their where she can flex her acting talents to the greatest degree.
As a theatre actress first and foremost, it’s there where she gained and perfected her skills, able to easily transfer them to film. There’s not many actresses working today that can bring so much emotion to roles, the most recent for Dench was her role in the heartbreaking Philomena. Telling the story of an Irish mother who tries to search for her son, years after being forced to give him up for adoption. It was for this role which saw Dench nominated in the Oscars Best Actress category.
Dench was lauded for her portrayal of Philomena Lee, in which she mixed vulnerability with a great sense of humour. Speaking to the BBC about Philomena, Dench said “I feel a huge responsibility because people know her and therefore they will look at the film and want to recognise Philomena in me.” She later remarked “A friend said I can’t see a vestige of you in the film and I said ‘you couldn’t have paid me a bigger compliment’. I like nothing better than to be told that.”
In this performance alone Judi Dench is worthy of the great leading lady title. Of all the quotes Dench has made about her career, it’s this one that sums her up in a nutshell – “I think you should take your job seriously, but not yourself, that is the best combination.”
When it comes to Meryl Streep, what is left to say about her, the New Jersey born actress is now classed in the vanguard of living legends, she’s repeatedly been called the world’s greatest living actress, surpassed by none. Streep is a true alchemist when it comes to acting, she’s cleverly chosen roles which both compliment and push her skills perfectly. As a great actress, Streep is the ideal model, possessing a carefully honed roster of skills, from the ability to convey a world of emotion with just a raised eyebrow, to a distinctive back catalogue of accents.
There’s an endless list of memorable and defining roles that Streep has undertaken in her long career, and if I listed them all it would take up page after page. In recent years we’ve seen Streep move into playing great women of the past and present, from British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the film The Iron Lady (2011) to her cameo role in the upcoming film Suffragette as the antagonistic suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst.
It’s a tough call to pick the role which made Meryl Streep a household name, and made the academy verily sit up and pay attention to her. The Deer Hunter (1978) was the first time Streep was nominated for Best Supporting Actress; it wasn’t until 1982 that she was nominated and won in the category for Best Leading Lady, in the touching Sophie’s Choice.
This year saw her 18th nomination, which is a record for any actress, for her role as Violet Weston, the fearsome Oklahoma Matriarch in August: Osage County. Although not winning the Oscar this year, she still managed to break a record, which was testament to the power house she is in tinsel town.
Both Meryl Streep and Dame Judi Dench have, effectively ushered in a new era, where talent comes before age in Hollywood. Let’s just hope that the likes of Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet and those other quintessential leading ladies continue to have the success of Dench and Streep.