Coming out the theater, despite feeling sad about lives that were corrupted by selfishness and greed, I was blown away by Baz Luhmann's version of The Great Gatsby. His vision of the story was painted with lavish thematic scenes and featured the vibrant styles of Jazz Era. Miuccia Prada and Catherine Martin designed over 50 costumes for the film- the Golden Twenties' style with modern infusion. I have always been fascinated by the 20's. Its style is so distinguishable that even 90 years later, almost everyone still can recognize it.
My personal opinion is that the 20's was the beginning of the modern age. Coco Chanel said" fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening." The world changed rapidly after WWI and fashion changed along with it. The Flappers - young women at the time, left their corsets behind and put on a cloche hat to cover their short locks. They wore the dresses without waist or dropped the waistlines to their low hips and enjoyed the looseness of the prime time of their lives. Their dresses with the hemline just below the knees was often adorned with excessive fur and sequins. Fashion had changed, and it would never be the same.
Straight sheath dresses with Art Deco jeweling and applique, low-waist frocks, pleating and flounces pay homage to the twenties high fashion.
