Carrie & Debbie, fashion icons
An HBO documentary reveals the lives of missed Hollywood stars Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher
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Carrie & Debbie, fashion icons Arxiu. -
Carrie & Debbie, fashion icons Arxiu. -
Carrie & Debbie, fashion icons Arxiu. -
Carrie & Debbie, fashion icons Arxiu. -
Carrie & Debbie, fashion icons Arxiu. -
Carrie & Debbie, fashion icons Arxiu. -
Princess Leia is a global cinema and style icon, and now also an inspiration for fashion. 1. Carrie Fisher died in January but in October in Paris, the popular designer Phoebe Philo, revealed a minimalist, white-toga outfit for the Céline brand, which was clearly inspired by Princess Leia. These shirt-like, flowing dresses are now the new trend. 2. Nicolas Ghesquière for Louis Vuitton: he gives a stronger touch to the Leia look, using black details and daring necklines. 3. White is also the protagonist in this season's many offerings from Maria Grazia Chiur for Dior. 4. Pierpaolo Piccioli presents an austere version of Leia, with different layers and trousers, for Valentin's haute couture line. 5. Lanvin's design is androgenous, feminine and sensual at the same time, mixing flowers and soft linen. The pyjama look is a trend in itself. 6. A simple, long pleated haute-couture dress by Valentino./ 1. Debbie Reynolds, with Carrie Fisher, while receiving the SAG Actors Award in 2015, a moment from the documentary Bright Lights. 2. A Miu Miu retro and colour design, emulating the mythical musical Singin' in the Rain. 3. Karl Lagerfeld payed homage to the Star Wars imperialist troupes on his 2017 spring catwalk. AGENCIES AGENCIES. -
Carrie & Debbie, fashion icons Arxiu. -
Carrie & Debbie, fashion icons Arxiu.
Legendary actress Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher left us last December; both Hollywood icons died within a day of each other.
Carrie Fisher wanted the HBO documentary Bright Lights, to be a tribute to her mother, with whom she had finally made up after half a lifetime arguing. Who could have imagined that months later both would die unexpectedly. It was Carrie who went first, dying of a heart attack on a flight from London at the of 60. The next day, Debbie would say: “I miss her so much”, before suffering a fatal stroke, while planning her daughter's funeral. She was 84. Somehow death brought them together in a way they never achieved in life.
Classic Hollywood star
The conservative Debbie was born poor, but at a young age she caught the notice of the MGM studio in Hollywood, after winning a beauty contest at 16. She appeared as Kathy Selden, in Singin' in the Rain, despite never having danced professionally. Yet, a fast learner, she soon jumped to fame.
Debbie began the life of a star, with her first husband –crooner Eddie Fisher– and two beautiful children. But then Fisher began an affair with one of Debbie's friends, the recently-widowed Elisabeth Taylor. A great scandal at the time, it led to the break-up of the marriage. Not that Debbie was put off, as she went on to marry three times. Reynolds once said that she had more luck choosing restaurants than men.
Princess Leia legend
Carrie's life was also suddenly changed when George Lucas turned her into Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, which shot her to global fame. In Bright Lights, we see her signing autographs in exchange for money, accepting a fate she hated: “My face was even on the PEZ dispenser,” she would say.
Liberal in her views, she was always unhappy in her relationships. Her marriage to singer Paul Simon was not a success, and she went on to have a few unfortunate relationships (including with a married Harrison Ford). In one of her memoirs she writes: “There are two things that I know for certain guys are good for: pushing swings and killing insects.”
Carrie became bipolar and struggled with drugs. Yet, her intelligence always shone through, as when she presented her life with acid irony in an impressive theatrical monologue.
It seems as if this spring, fashion predicted the loss of the actresses, paying homage to them in revivals of styles drawing on the classic films of Singin' in the Rain and Star Wars.
Galactic princesses
Over the years, Star Wars has become a cinematic myth, and Princess Leia an immortal legend. Fashion loves taking inspiration from the big screen, and this year designers are celebrating 40 years of George Lucas' hit film, bringing back Carrie Fisher's minimalist purity to runways. There are rough and romantic versions of her look, but long white dresses and flat shoes are a must. Céline's version of the Alderaanian princess seems to be the closest to the original character. Yet, one thing the creators of trends appear to have voluntarily missed out of this post-mortem homage to Carrie Fisher is her iconic cinnamon side buns, that George Lucas picked out for her to wear in his film. Leia's famous hairdo was possibly inspired by Queen Fria of the Flash Gordon comic, and by revolutionary-era Mexican women who accompanied Pancho Villa. Yet, Carrie reportedly hated them, and in that she is not alone.
