Fashion and Film at the TCM Film Festival: Getting Audrey Hepburn, Kim Novak & Jean Seberg in Character

Pictured: Audrey Hepburn’s Givenchy Gown from Sabrina, (photo: Edward M. Pio Roda)

This weekend, I’m privileged to be one of the bloggers in the press attending the Turner Classic Movie (TCM)  festival here in Los Angeles.  Several fashion and costume designers, including Barbara Tfank and Janie Bryant, have commented on the role fashion plays in film.  Actresses like Kim Novak are also attending and commenting on how their film wardrobes helped them play their characters. During the panel discussion on the film “Vertigo“, Kim Novak noted that she didn’t like the Edith Head designed gray suit she had to wear in the movie. “It felt like a strait jacket,” said Ms. Novak. But she noted that it did help her play the part.  That’s why costume is so important to film, it let’s the audience really understand the character in a way they can physically see, and thereby ultimately feel.

Pictured: Kim Novak in the confining, buttoned-up gray suit she wore in Vertigo.

In the film Sabrina, fashion helps the audience visualize Audrey Hepburn’s transformation from the chauffeur’s daughter to a sophisticated, educated woman of the word after her trip to Paris.  In Sabrina, Audrey wore Edith Head’s wardrobe only for her early scenes in the film. The young designer Hubert de Givenchy  designed Hepburn’s wardrobe for her later scenes in the film, tailoring everything to enhance Ms. Hepburn’s thin, slight frame.  He created a special neckline for her to take the camera’s eye away from her protruding collarbones.  This become known as the”décolleté Sabrina.”  One of the beautiful gowns Givenchy made for Ms. Hepburn is available for viewing at Club TCM in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, on the first floor.  It’s in pristine condition, featured alongside a still from the film of her wearing it (see picture above, courtesy of TCM.)

Pictured: Designer Barbara Tfank (left) introduces the film Bonjour Tristesse (photo:M. Hall)

On Saturday, designer Givenchy was again a hot topic at the festival when designer Barbara TFank introduced the film “Bonjour Tristesse” (1958) starring Jean Seberg.  Just as with “Sabrina“, the Givenchy gowns in the film are used to show the transformation of Jean Seberg’s character Cecile’s. In introducing the film, Ms. TFank noted, “Givenchy is the customer designer, which is so extraordinary. When you see Jean in the film’s opening,  it’s the most perfect example of fashion and film.”  Ms. Seberg wears a beautiful Givenchy little black dress with a bow at the center in the opening nightclub scene, shot in black and white.   This  sophisticated black dress is in stark contrast to the colorful beach clothes and the white dress with flowers (also designed by Givenchy) that the character of Anne (Deborah Kerr) gives to Cecile (Jean Seberg) in the color sequence of the film, before the result of Cecile and Raymond’s careless actions turn to tragedy.  “The clothes are timeless,” said Ms. Tfank.  Indeed they are. The film was beautiful to see on the big screen.

There will be more fashion and film discussion at today’s festival screenings. TCM is showing “The Women” April 15th, Sunday at 3:30 pm PST at The Egyptian theatre. Designer Todd Oldham will be on hand to introduce the film and discuss the beautiful costumes designed by MGM’s legendary head of Costume Design, Adrian.  I’ll be live Tweeting from the conference using hashtag #TCMFF, so look for my updates.  I can’t wait to see those gorgeous Adrian costumes.