toys.

a stunning work of visual delight, barry levinson's toys delivers on it's promise of whimsical excitement by creating a peculiar world of color, equal parts beauty and the bizarre. it seems only fitting that a film about a toy factory and it's 'happy workers' take place in a seemingly parallel universe where people drive bumper cars and wear pink plastic wigs. everything about this motion picture is awesome: the soundtrack (enya, grace jones, thomas dolby, tori amos), the score (hans zimmer, wendy melvoin), and the breathtaking shots - interior and exterior.

 

i remember discovering this film years ago, as a child, fixed atop a high shelf in the vhs section of the video store. the alluring front cover cassette case featured a photograph of robin williams, wearing a cheshire cat grin and a red bowler hat with a square hole in the center. needless to say, i was struck dumb. no doubt, my eight-year-old self went off in search of a cheap laugh. what i found instead was a veritable smorgasbord of inspiration - color, costumes and style galore - i am not ashamed to admit that it remains one of my all-time favorites.

the true star of the picture is perpetual scene-stealer and double oscar-nominee joan cusack as alsatia zevo, the eternally optimistic and kind-hearted robot sister to robin williams' lesie zevo. a true innovator and literal head-to-toe mannequin, alsatia is the self-styled resident fashion designer and clip-on-clothing-enthusiast at zevo toys; her office, where she creates fabulous paper-doll dresses, is a man-sized dollhouse. she also sleeps in a duck-bed and has a penchant for applesauce sandwiches. it's difficult not to fall in love with her.

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marc jacobs' paper-doll-inspired dresses for louis vuitton, spring 2012, bring an air of the fantastic to the runway. pastels! pastels! pastels! jackets that look like they were crafted in a manner similar to those of paper snowflakes: folded, snipped and unfurled to reveal a dizzying mosaic pattern of empty space.

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alsatia's style throughout the film runs the gamut from edwardian coats to victorian lace. porcelain doll to court jester. cusack's doe-eyed gaze and alabaster skin makes her the perfect canvas. 

a true original.

 

orla kiely, 2011 silk georgette bib dress

erdem, 2011 spring ready-to-wear

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there is a definite military influence throughout the film, most obviously the usurper general zevo (michael gambon) and his war toys. when we first espy gwen tyler (robin wright) in the duplication room, her get-up gives the impression that she might be working for the enemy. a sexy toy solider with blonde tousled locks, she has the makings for the perfect femme fatale. thankfully, her sweet southern twang and charming array of off-centered plaid bow ties, slightly askew, make our hearts melt.

 

 

balmain, 2009 spring ready-to-wear

balmain, 2009 spring ready-to-wear

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a testament to it's stunning visuals, the film received two oscar nominations in 1993 for production design and costume design (albert wolsky). inspired chiefly by belgian artist rene magritte (see golconda, 1953),  toys is replete with surrealist imagery. it is an exemplary picture with the right amount of thought, humor and pink and purple whimsy. just plain fantastic!

clockwise from top left: ann demeuelemeester, military boot; balmain, military jacket; temperley, lace tunic dress; zara, tartan bow tie; orla kiely, georgette bib dress; rebecca minkoff, red blazer; assorted vintage toys at polyvore.com

trust.

one of the most iconic baseball jackets of the 1990's belonged to maria coughlin from hal hartley's trust (1990), his second chronological collaboration with the late, great adrienne shelly.
a magnificent film about love, loss and not settling for less, trust proved fundamental in exposing the cinematic world to the effervescent shelly who, like contemporaries parker posey and lili taylor, helped usher in a new wave of women in independent film. with her squeaky voice and indelible charm, maria coughlin is an endearing heroine, coolly handling one setback after another. a bespectacled babe with a raging red mane and understated pout, maria is both fiercely attractive and equally relatable as the mousy girl sitting alone on the bleachers at lunch; nondescript, yet unforgettable. like rachel leigh cook in she's all that. but exceptionally better.
    

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tomboy chic is nothing new on the runways of this or any past season, but one look this year that straddles the margin between misappropriated youth and sexy sophistication is isabel marant's 2011 spring / summer line. replete with short shorts, transparent tops, and that all-important boyfriend jacket (seen here "feminized" in satin with soft pink tones), the signature piece is already being heralded as the "it" item of  2011. as her prolific career has demonstrated, marant possesses a keen fascination with americanized simplicity. not too far removed from last season's memorable take on the california coastline, the french artisan hits all the right notes this time around, creating a fresh and unmistakably feminine compilation.

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kyuichi, bleach denim shirt dress

surface to air, light denim shirt dress

cinephiles will tell you that maria's whimsical sun dress (worn with white leggins and construction boots) is not denim, but the examples we found are remarkably close. not surprisingly, the light wash proved particularly popular in 2006; many reproductions and / or archived pieces can be found on polyvore and net-a-porter.

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it's hard to believe that it has been five years since adrienne shelly was murdered. her last picture, the beguiling waitress with keri russell and cheryl hines (which she also wrote and directed) seemed  assured to break the new york native into the mainstream. fate, however, had other plans: she was strangled to death in her manhattan office after walking in on a robbery in progress. the 19 year-old assailant would later stage her death, hanging her body from the shower rod, in an attempt to simulate a suicide. eventually apprehended, the youth confessed and was charged with manslaughter. adrienne shelly left behind a husband, a 3-year-old daughter, a legion of industry admirers, and an exceptional body of work. do yourself of favor and familiarize yourself with it. start with trust.

(1966 - 2006)

keeping up appearances.

here at past//relevance, we explore the fascinating re-invention of style throughout the ages. in particular, our favorite decade: the 1990's. we will look at the long-reigning influence of some of the most fashionable ladies to grace the small and silver screens and the designers who have brought the beauty of yesteryear to today's runways. none of the ideas expressed within are legitimate interpretations, but rather casual observations, the sole intent of which is to amuse and inspire. that being said, i cannot think of a more appropriate jump-off than the scintillating society dame hyacinth bucket. 

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mrs. bucket (pronounced 'bouquet') played an integral part in the revival of the floral print day dress. once reserved for the bored housewives of the 1950's, the dated pattern is on display in just about every episode of the fantastically funny class-comedy 'keeping up appearances' (1990-1995). worn with fervent conviction by the dowdy and long-suffering liz (josephine tewson), the ageless sexpot rose (mary millar and shirley stelfox) and countless church-going, bourgeoisie busybodies. however, nobody filled a frock like the grand duchess herself. hyacinth bucket (tony-winner patricia routledge) took meticulous time and effort to bolster herself above the dregs of her ho-hum, lower-middle class neighbors: rubbing elbows with all the right people, chiefly counselor mrs. nugent and delia wheelwright, and lest we forget, those insufferable candlelight suppers. and she did it by dressing the absolute part. every. single. day. a trip to violet's country cottage (the one with the gold-plated taps); an impromptu art exhibition (with cheese and wine); luxury cruising aboard the qe2; understated refinement was the norm in hyacinth's world.

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last year, an article in the independent spoke of the return of the summer dress and, chiefly, the man behind the move. london based fashion house erdem, a favorite of keira knightley, anna wintour and claudia schiffer, is credited for designing the season's freshest take on the garden print. clean and graphic silhouettes steer the classic look away from any associations with laura ashley or little house on the prairie. partially inspired by the 1920's japanese modan garus (modern girls) who eschewed traditional kimonos for western garb, erdem manages to keep it fresh and youthful via modern fabrics and couture lace by sophie hallette, strengthening the style without sacrificing quality. 

erdem pre-spring 2012

erdem pre-spring 2012

     




                       

 blue skull slice hat in felt with flower and feather, as worn by christina hendricks

of course, when discussing the hostess with the mostess, we cannot forget to talk about those hats. magenta, lilac, lavender and plum. marigold, mustard, seafoam and sand. yes, for every fabulous summer dress, hyacinth always seems to have the perfect accompanying chapeau. and of course, the immediate destination for exceptional headgear is irish milliner philip treacy, the effervescent craftsman famous for playing the court jester, while staying within the confines of practicality. treacy's history of bold flirtation with the avant-garde has resulted in some serious works of art. in fact, one of the pieces from his latest spring / summer 2011 collection looks rather familiar, no? 

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floral prints were ubiquitous with this past season's spring / summer runways. in addition to erdem, the likes of anna sui, dolce & gabbana and moschino displayed fabulous garden party frocks worthy of the equally fabulous upper crust. the vibrant, in-bloom summer dress: whilst not a particularly groundbreaking idea, we like to think that this year the top inspiration boards, from milan to nyc, were plastered with peonies and posies in honor of the original desperate housewife.

dolce & gabbana ss11 // floral maxi print