Black Swan

Films capture the essence of a culture. They are little time capsules that can let us relive certain ancient periods or they can make us relate to modern day adventures. Regardless of all the great and epic stories that have been told through the magic of the silver screen, they're also great fashion inspiration. Every week I'll post a breakdown of a character's style and how you can achieve it yourself.

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Black Swan

The ballet movie with the infamous sex scene that has 5 oscar nominations and won 1 for best leading actress. Eery, suffocating and beautiful are the first words that come to my mind when trying to describe this movie gem. So far Darren Aranofsky directed five actors/actresses in such a brilliant way that they were nominated for an oscar. That shows that he has a talent for moviemaking, or at least for good casting.  A couple of years ago he wanted to make a film about the love between a wrestler and a ballerina. Eventually he made two separate movies about, yes you guessed it right, a wrestler ('The Wrestler') and another one about the ballet world ('Black Swan'). 

There's something about the ballet world that keeps inspiring people to write psychological thrillers and gutwrenching movies about it. Maybe it's the strive for perfection and the mental torture that can come forth of it, that fascinates us. 

Those two are the main themes throughout 'Black Swan'.
The prima ballerina Nina, is so fragile and naive that she's the perfect fit to dance the role of the white swan in the upcoming swan lake performance. The duality of the persona of the swan however, requires the search for somebody who can portray the the black swan. Nina argues that she can dance both roles but the dominant choreographer deems her to be too insecure to dance that particular role as well. Enter, Lily, she's the opposite of Nina and is cast as the dark and alluring counterpart of the perfect white swan.  Nina eventually explores the dark and rotting caves that are buried deep inside her own mind so that she can upstage lily. She becomes so enthralled and lost in this spiral of psychoses and negative influences that you can only watch this movie with eyes wide open and your popcorn untouched by your side because you don't even want to miss a second of this mental breakdown.

Nina

Like I described earlier, Nina is a fragile and naive ballerina. She's so focused on her ballet training and doing everything perfectly that she is not in touch with the modern world where everything seems to revolve around social skills and impulsive decision making. Her overly dominant mother makes her even more chained to her routine of practising and eating just enough to keep on dancing. The whole movie is about the evolution of her character so I picked one look from her 'pre-black swan' period and one during her black swan period.

Feathered Naiveté 

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Coat/Pants/Scarf/Boots/Bag/Nailpolish

This look represents the porcelain doll like side of Nina. A classic pastel pink coat and a white feathery scarf mimic the appearance of a fragile but beautiful bird. Combine those with a dove gray skinny and heeled suede  boots. A light gray bag pulls the look together and to top it off, paint your nails with a classy clear nailpolish to embody the pure character of White Swan Nina.

Tormented Lake Beauty

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Dress/Lipstick/Headwrap/Shoes/Tights

If you want to stand out at a party and leave people wondering who you are then you should definitely take a fashion cue from this dark and gracious swan. Start by donning a little black dress adorned with feathers to give the impression of a tutu and with a black lace body. Nude tights and pretty nude lace shoes with a bow refer to ballet practice and the sweeter, much more innocent side that is somewhere hidden underneath that black femme fatale appearance. The seam at the back of those tights will give the impression of longer legs, and that's something every woman can use. A headwrap and dark berry lips are all the accessories you need to get a standing ovation without the psychological terror that Nina has to go trough. 

The Dark Knight Rises

Films capture the essence of a culture. They are little time capsules that can let us relive certain ancient periods or they can make us relate to modern day adventures. Regardless of all the great and epic stories that have been told through the magic of the silver screen, they're also great fashion inspiration. Every week I'll post a breakdown of a character's style and how you can achieve it yourself.

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The Dark Knight Rises

Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated third installment of his batman series hit the theatres a couple of months ago so I think that almost everyone knows already what the movie's about. Just to be sure I'll tell you the storyline in short without major spoilers. 

The movie begins with Bruce Wayne trying to beat Howard Hughes on the terrain of being an eccentric recluse. Selina Kyle grabs his attention when she steals a pearl necklace from his safe in such a swift catlike manner that he is impressed. Eventually Batman rises when Bane attacks Gotham. 

That's not the whole storyline off course, but enough to keep you guessing if you're going to watch it for the first time. Which you should! This is not a batmanmovie, but a Christopher Nolan film with Batman in it.

Selina Kyle

Her alter-ego is Catwoman (not much of a spoiler) and though she steals, she's not really one of the bad guys. The best word to define her personality is: ambigue. She was brought up in tough circumstances (try being poor and alone in Gotham City, not so much fun), so she learned from a young age to only do what's best for her. That combined with her agility and intelligence is a recipe for becoming a villain. On the other hand her strong feelings towards doing what's right keep her from becoming another ego centric criminal. It doesn't matter if you like her criminal behaviour, because her style is surely something you'll want to steal yourself.

Dangerous Elegance

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Bustier/Hat/Bag/Jacket/Skirt/Gloves/Earrings/Lipstick/Pumps

Selina Kyle's every day attire looks every bit as mysterious as she is.

If you want to channel that elegant and sexy look, start by pairing a black pencil skirt with a peplum blazer. Try wearing a bustier top underneath for a sexy detail. Grab a wide brimmed hat for an anonymous feeling and classic black bag. Pearl earrings complement the formal side of this look, while studded short leather gloves fit in with the whole 'edgy details' theme she has going on here. Dark brownish red lips and simple black pumps is all you need to complete this look.

Feline fierceness

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Skinny/Jacket/Lipstick/Heels

I can imagine that most of you wouldn't want to wear the skintight suit that Catwoman wears, but the outfit that I created is a lot more wearable with a wink to the typical catburglar outfit.
The black leather paneled skinny and a asymmetrical leather biker jacket combo gives you a bad girl aura. Combine that with spiked ankle booties and a flirty red lip, et voila, the wearable Catwoman outfit is  completed!

The Help

Films capture the essence of a culture. They are little time capsules that can let us relive certain ancient periods or they can make us relate to modern day adventures. Regardless of all the great and epic stories that have been told through the magic of the silver screen, they're also great fashion inspiration. Every week I'll post a breakdown of a character's style and how you can achieve it yourself. 

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The Help

Earlier this year Viola Davis walked away with an oscar for best actress for her outstanding performance of a black southern maid during the sixties. Jessica Chastain was nominated for best supporting actress, but didn't snag the price. She lost the oscar to co-star Octavia Spencer.

If this doesn't convince you that you should watch the movie, then at least consider watching it for a huge source of fashion inspiration.

It's based on the 2009 novel, 'The Help', and centers around a young girl who just finished college, Skeeter. She's determined to become a professional writer and she starts interviewing the black maids who work for her Southern high society friends. In a period and place were racism was still palpable in the air, that didn't come over too well, and she's forced to secretly interview the maids. Another problem that arises is the fact that the maids form a tight knit community of their own and don't like it that she's trying to wiggle information out of them. Eventually Aibileen (Davis) is the first to open up, which lead to the rest of the maids telling their stories as well. And boy do they have something to tell!

Spolier alert: you will have seconds thoughts next time you'll eat pie after watching the movie.

I think that the movie managed to turn a dark and depressing subject into something filled with hope without neglecting the seriousness of it. 

Celia Foote

A blonde bombshell, played by Jessica Chastain, who's arrival in Mississippi causes a lot of controverse. She's wedded to a rich socialite (Mike Vogel), but he used to date Hilly (Bryce Dallas Howard, daughter of Ron Howard). Hilly is a snobby, racist bitch avant-la-lettre, and rumor has it that Celia stole her husband from Hilly. This is reason enough for Hilly to completely outcast Celia, and she demands that all her friends do the same. Celia on the other hand is a kind, caring and naive woman who was born into a working-class family and feels insecure about her new position on the social ladder. she isn't the perfect housewife, but she sure knows how to dress to impress.

Southern Rose

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Skirt/Blouse/Belt/Pumps/Jacket/Nailpolish/Earrings/Lipstick

Celia loves to showoff her curves, so start with a tight pink pencil skirt. Tuck a flower patterned light pink blouse in your skirt and strap a big red belt around your waist. Find red flower studs and a coral toned lipstick to embrace your inner bombshell. Beware, it's still a modern day uptake on the look and not a costume party outfit so instead of bold red nails, opt for a mint green nailpolish. The minty color will bring out the pink and red tones and offers a refreshing detail to your appearance. Mint was also THE it-color for accessories this summer, and since it's officially the last day of summer, try rocking those summer vibes as long as possible. Neutral pumps will let your clothes have all the attention, and they match with your beige leather jacket. I added a leather jacket to give the look something edgy but without taking away it's powdery feeling, it's also great for a swift transition to an indian summer outfit.

Playful Beauty

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Playsuit/Sunglasses/Wedges/Bracelet/Earrings/Lipgloss/Nailpolish

Brighten your day with a yellow playsuit and creamy sunglasses. Slip into white colored wedges to get that sixties vibe going on and add a modern twist to it by wearing a white jeans gilet. A simple yellow bracelet and white flower studs will leave you looking like an innocent summer beauty. Paint your nails  pink and find a matching lipgloss. Et voila, a modern day Celia! Just check that your husband is not the ex-boyfriend of a psycho high ranked socialite and you're good to go.

From Dusk Till Dawn

Films capture the essence of a culture. They are little time capsules that can let us relive certain ancient periods or they can make us relate to modern day adventures. Regardless of all the great and epic stories that have been told through the magic of the silver screen, they're also great fashion inspiration. Every week I'll post a breakdown of a character's style and how you can achieve it yourself. 

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From Dusk Till Dawn

Cult movie written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Robert Rodriquez, aka the golden couple of gory B-movies that you've got to love. 'From dusk till dawn' has some serious stars in it on the brink of their rise to fame. George Clooney stars as the protagonist Richie Gecko. His brother, Seth, is played by Quentin Tarantino (he sure loves his cameo's/small roles). They are two good or nothing criminals who robbed a bank and didn't bother about killing a bunch of people in the process. So they did what every self-respecting cliché criminal would do, flee to Mexico. Once they get there they kidnap a widowed preacher  Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel), as if they were begging for a act of punishment of God. His two children, played by Ernest Liu and a still innocent looking Juliette Lewis, are also being taken by those two ruthless criminals. Young Juliette develops a little 'stockholm-syndrom' crush. But then again, I still have to meet the woman who would complain if George Clooney kidnapped her. The bizarre gang heads down to a local bar to meet a local crimelord. If you asked yourself, what would be the best over the top name for my imaginary bar, don't look further: 'The Titty Twister'. It looks like something Charles Dickens himself would have come up with! 

Anywho, the Gecko brothers don't really mind entering 'The titty twister' or should I say, they were bursting with excitement. Little did they know what was waiting for them. The preacher and his kids are forced to come with them, resulting in Harvey Keitel doing his best to act like he would never ever set foot in a bar like that. While they're waiting for this Mexican thug, they admire the local beauties scattered allover the place wearing even less than Kate Middelton on a sunny day in France. When Santanico Pandemonium (should have been a warning) walks onto the stage, it immediately launched Salma Hayek as 'Hottest woman of the goddamn planet'. She does this seductive dance with a heavy looking python. Every man in that bar is hypnotized by her, just like every man in the theatre for that matter. BAM! Enter the fangs! 

The bar  is a coverup for vampires led by Santanico, to feed on unexpected visitors. What follows is one hell of a night where the Fullers and the Geckos have to work together to survive. 

I loved this movie because it looked like another ordinary crimemovie but somehow it turned in a horror/vamp movie within the blink of an eye.

Santanico Pandemonium

As the main bait for her and her coven's food, she has to look hypnotizing seductive. If you want to achieve the same look when you go to a party, I wouldn't advise to translate her look literally. Unless you just so happen to be a circus artist who is looking for a new outfit for her snakebit, then by all means, look for a flimsy red bikini and work that feathery crown! For the rest of us, here's another uptake on Santanico's outfit.

Diabolical Flirty

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Dress/Necklace/Earrings/Lipstick/Sandals

Don a Greek inspired floor grazing dress in the new it-color, oxblood (sounds very appropriate). Accessorize it with a golden statement snake necklace, referring to her naughty snake dance. Golden brown feather earrings will compliment the red and the gold of your outfit without looking like you wanted to play a dress up game. It's also a wink to her feather crown that she wears during the snake dance. This look is very noticeable so I recommend to tone your makeup down but be sure to swipe a rich dark brownish hue on your lips. Slip into some golden sandals (or strappy golden heels) and you're good to go. You'll turn heads without having to dance in a tiny bikini!