modern elegance

Film is a huge part of my life and I gather intense inspiration from old Film Noir movies from the 1940's. The women in these films weren't the victims, dumb blondes with boob jobs, they were the vixens, the femme fatales, who rule the twists and turns of the plot, make men weak at the knees with one bat of an eyelash, and all the meanwhile looking classic and elegant. It's hard to maintain the image of a modern elegance... I have put together some inspiring photos from that time so you can understand what i mean.

This style of film/art/fashion is still inspiring to this day- evident in so many black and white photos, but my particular favourite modern film noir photo set is this one from Vogue Germany, it is simply breathtaking;

I like that the photographer was modern and not trying to 'rip off' the style exactly, but rather find inspiration in the lighting, shadows, black and white and classic quality of posing the subject, it is a beautiful example of turning inspiration into something different and stunning.

My favourite of the actresses of that time is Lana Turner (in the top grid of photos she is on the bottom right). Something in her eyes when i first saw 'The Postman Always Rings Twice" was so genuine and relatable. You can see pain in her eyes, and she certainly lead a very complicated personal life. 7 husbands, witnessing her daughter kill her ex with a kitchen knife, her poor childhood with a single mother, the unexplained death of her father... so many things yet she was such a beautiful blessing to film. She hated being cast in bad films and once she was starting to get taken seriously as an actress she chose some amazing roles to play and was nominated for several Academy Awards. She died in 1995 of cancer, I wish i knew of her when she was alive, one of those rare people I would love to meet.

Frank O'Hara's poem reflects her tumultuous life;

Lana Turner has collapsed!  

I was trotting along and suddenly it started raining and snowing 

and you said it was hailing but hailing hits you on the head hard

so it was really snowing and raining 

and I was in such a hurry to meet you 

but the traffic was acting exactly like the sky and 

suddenly I see a headline  

LANA TURNER HAS COLLAPSED! 

there is no snow in Hollywood 

there is no rain in California 

I have been to lots of parties and 

acted perfectly disgraceful but 

I never actually collapsed 

oh Lana Turner we love you get up