Fashion In Film Friday - "Pretty Woman"

The 1990 romantic comedy 'Pretty Woman' starring Julia Roberts opposite leading man, Richard Gere was a box office hit being one of the highest grossing films for that year.  The movie was originally intended to be a dark drama about prostitution in New York in the 1980's, having Roberts character, Vivian addicted to drugs.  Although not given credit for it, Pretty Woman's story line, in my opinion, was kind of jocked from the vintage 1963 comedy 'Irma La Douce' starring Shirley MacLaine & Jack Lemmon.

Personally, I don't fancy this film for it's overtly glorifying attitude towards prostitution as a career choice, although it's considered to be the oldest profession, if you want to call it that ah ha?!  O.k. now onto where fashion plays a part of today's blurb...  So of course, the hooker chic Julia wears for most of the beginning of this film is not what we're referring to when suggesting this is a movie that inspired fashion but rather the haute couture she wore at dinner with edward and at the polo match with him as well...  From the thigh high patent hooker boots to the floor sweeping, off the shoulder red evening gown, all credit for every single piece Roberts wore in 'Pretty Woman' goes to Marilyn Vance, a Brooklyn native who resides in Los Angeles to date.  Vance has been a member of the 'Costume Designers Guild' 30 years & had worked on the sets of Fast Times At Ridgemont High & Pretty In Pink.  Her clothing designs that transformed Roberts character Vivian from street walker to prima donna had everyone wondering..."Who designed that?"

The movie 'Pretty Woman' had an underlying sense of charm appeal from the get go, because the idea of the knight in shining armor coming to rescue the damsel in distress is always going to be every girls favorite fairy tale... 


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Designer Dish on Salvatore Ferragamo

Although he's been gone for over a half a century, Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo will always be known for his outrageous shoe designs, as pictured here with this pair of 1938, stacked, multi color platform sandals that were actually about forty years ahead of their time being that they could have easily be mistaken for styles we've seen worn circa 1970.

At the height of his career, his shoe designs were worn by Hollywood royalty such as Audrey Hepburn and he was considered to be the 'shoemaker to the stars'.  What set him apart from the many other up and coming designer competitors was his ability to custom make a shoe that felt just as good as it looked on the wearer.  He could fashion a shoe to fit any foot, just as well as a tailor could custom a suit.

Ferragamo or rather, the design house of the late Ferragamo has always been considered a family ran business being that it has been handed down from generation to generation and although shoes, belts and bags have always been at the forefront of the store front, around 1980 they began incorporating clothing into their mix of merchandise with their reputable designer label however, shoes will always be their mainstay.  Recently they showcased their 'Women's Resort 2012 Collection' featuring new designs of shoes and bags with a 'geared toward going on a vay kay' vibe & it was said that some notable ladies of Tinseltown made an appearance at the event such as Eva Mendez & Minka Kelly to stake dibs on their select fave pieces...

Given the past rich history of the Ferragamo line of extraordinary shoe designs, I am personally not very hooked on the Resort Collection.  I feel it's a bit muted/tame in comparison to what I've seen from decades ago which is now considered 'Vintage Ferragamo'....

Check back often as Retro Threadz has been known to find Ferragamo's every now and then! 


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