ANDRE COURREGES

A massive contributor towards space age fashion was Andre Courreges (1923-2016) who was a French fashion designer famous for his forward-thinking futuristic designs. Through his time, he defined the go-go boot and mini skirt, selling over 200,000 miniskirts in the year 1965. “You don’t walk through life anymore. You run. You dance. You drive a car. Clothes must be able to move too.” – one of Andre’s famous quotes during his career, focussing on adaptability, not only to the future but to the consumer. It was 1964 when Courreges launched his “Space Age” collection, featuring A-line dresses, peg-leg pants, go-go boots and flared pants. Creating the ‘Moon Girl look’, based around a clean and bright looking model dressed in bright white with pops of vibrant tones to accent, or alternatively in an intergalactic metallic silver. His collections were revolutionary for the time and are iconic to this day. His more fanatical looks including goggles and extreme hats with high shine fabrics and PVC in a range of metallic tones. He believed in focussing more on how the clothes made the woman feel, rather than messing with the hemlines.

When in 1969, man did land on the moon, he celebrated by creating a range of mirrored overalls. My favourite legendary aspect of his looks were the oversized sunglasses he paired outfits with. To me they are the first thing that comes to mind when I think about space age. Even now the oversized sunglasses are still ever so popular. I think his looks were so popular over the years, as it was a time of change in other aspects of the world, which some could’ve viewed as scary or daunting. So, the change in fashion not only kept up with the times but gave something exciting to talk about and look at, that weren’t political or economical – a sense of comfort.

One film I found the most interesting in my research of space age, was ‘Barbarella’. A science fiction film, made in 1968, starring Jane Fonda. Initially when I first watched the film, I was shocked, as for the age it was made it was very racy. However, the further I got into the film, I found it very empowering. The film came out when the feminist movement was only just gaining momentum and Barbarella portrays this strong and independent woman, capable of taking care of herself. She was a feminist icon for the age; she represented a new kind of female hero and challenged traditional gender roles, which was slightly bizarre but progressive for the 60s. It shows a combination of a woman in the 60s that was highly dangerous: political, single and sexy.

Moreover, she encouraged sexual empowerment through her outfits. Although very risqué, Barbarella’s outfits were inspired by a combination of medieval and samurai aesthetics. They were designed to be provocative and futuristic. I personally think that her costumes represent the sexual liberation of women in the 1960s. Consequently, one could argue that the costumes were simply just a reflection on the aesthetic of space age and science fiction.

It shows how time has progressed as if the outfits were worn today there wouldn’t be that much of a fuss. What would Barbarella wear in the present day? I think she would gravitate to the night wear trend of chainmail items. Although, chainmail was only just circling back in the 1960s, it came a little after the film was released. With the trend arising again in the 90s and 00s, it has full circled back to present day.

From looking at Barbarella I investigated the iconic symbols and influencers of the 60s. I first looked at Bette Davis (1929-1989), an American actress known for her intense acting style and striking eyes. These were made famous through the era of black and white cinematography, with her dramatic long bottom lashes and eyeliner. They are so famous there is a popular song in honour of them by Donna Weiss. She showed refusal to conform to Hollywood’s traditional standards of beauty. Creating her own looks for films such as “What happened to baby Jane?”, she took it to the extreme taking inspiration from silent film actress Mary Pickford and the heavier makeup she had seen in Vogue. Bette was known for her strong characters and was a vocal advocate for equal pay and roles for women in the film industry.

I progressed onto looking at British model and actress Twiggy, who was a star of the 1960s. Known for her bold makeup, hair and fashion choices. Her androgynous and unique style helped redefine beauty standards and inspire a generation of women to embrace their individuality. She influenced the classic 60s makeup look, with pale eyeshadow hues, arched, graphic eyeliner in the crease and thick top and bottom lashes. She trended her doe eye like look for women of all ages. Whenever I see this makeup, it instantly reminds me of Twiggy and 60s nostalgia, one of the most recognized faces of all time.