The best fashion in the films of Wes Anderson
A Wes Anderson film means Bill Murray, it means dysfunctional parent-child relationships, or dysfunctional surrogate parent-child relationships. It means a great soundtrack and deadpan gags and reviewers everywhere saying 'quirky'. It means life's luxuries and grooming rituals presented alongside thoughts on love and war and the nature of existence and survival and family and the point of any of it all. It means style. Birkin bags, Louis Vuitton suitcases, Fendi furs. Adidas tracksuits, red wool hats, yellow hotel bathrobes. It means attention to detail. It means some of the best film costumes in the world.
Bottle Rocket, 1996
Wes Anderson's first film tells the story of a heist gone wrong and introduced the world to Luke and Owen Wilson, who both made their feature film debut in the movie. The look, particularly for Luke Wilson as Anthony Adams, is all about normcore, although this film was obviously made years before the term 'normcore' had been coined. Basically, there are fleeces.
Rushmore, 1998
Jason Schwartzman plays Max Fischer, a teenage playwright in love with both his school, Rushmore, and a young pretty primary teacher, Rosemary Cross, played by Olivia Williams. Rushmore is a private school so Max is attired in a blazer with a tie. He often accessorises with a hat, particularly a beret, and is very well-groomed, which can be attributed to the fact that his father is a barber (although Max fibs that he is a doctor). Rosemary is grieving for her dead husband and her wardrobe is sweet and comfortable. It's all about scrunchies and cardigans.
The Royal Tenenbaums, 2001
This film marked Anderson's third time collaborating with costume designer Karen Patch but this film was bigger and more visually ambitious than their previous projects and so one of the best known costumes in cinema was created: that of Margot Tenenbaum, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. The heavy dark kohl eyeliner, the Lacoste tennis dress, the hair clip, the wooden finger and the Fendi mink coat are all instantly recognisable as Margot trademarks. Of course the rest of the family (and friends) aren't too badly turned out either. Like the spiffing Henry Sherman played by Danny Glover.
But it's maudlin Margot's costume that is the most brilliantly realised and it has become an enduring look, offering both real-life and fancy-dress styling inspiration.
Look, even when Margot takes her clothes off, she's pretty stylish. That blunt bob, that attitude, that pink phone. Margot forever.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, 2004
Anderson regulars Angelica Huston and Owen Wilson joined Anderson constant Bill Murray and Anderson newcomer Cate Blanchett to tell this story of a oceanographer on a voyage of revenge against a shark. Many of the costumes, designed by three-time-Oscar-winning Milena Canonero, are practical in appearance given the oceanic nature of the setting, so there are waterproof jackets and khaki suits and lots of trainers.
But then Jeff Goldblum turns up, as Steve Zissou's nemesis, and totally brings it on the glamour front. You have to admire a man brave enough to wear pink. Even if it's just a scarf.
Oh, and the late Isabella Blow makes a cameo appearance, interacting with Bill Murray's Zissou wearing, of course, a Philip Treacey hat. So what started with everybody cavorting about in sailing gear turns out to be very stylish.
Hotel Chevalier, 2007
This short film, which was released as a prologue to The Darjeeling Limited, is a quiet, small film in tone and feeling, an intimate glimpse into the pain shared by two recently separated lovers – Jack (Jason Schwartzman) and Jack's ex-girlfriend (Natalie Portman) – reunited for a couple of hours in a hotel room. The hotel setting lends it that slightly sad, slightly lonely air but always with a luxurious edge. The costumes, designed by Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, are predicatbly lovely, almost as lovely as the views of Paris from Jack's balcony.
Look at that lovely delicate silk blouse, it's got Marc Jacobs written all over it. And look at Natalie Portman. Of course you'd be heartbroken. Poor Jack.
The Darjeeling Limited, 2007
Poor sad Jack meets up with his brothers, poor sad Francis (Owen Wilson) and poor sad Peter (Adrien Brody) and they journey across India to reconcile with their mother. The brothers wear suits that have seen better days but their luggage is the Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton cases we first spied in Hotel Chevalier, and it's pretty damn spectacular.
It soon becomes apparent that Jack has taken the dressing gown from the Hotel Chevalier – and who could blame him?
Fantastic Mr. Fox, 2009
This stop-motion animated film based on the Roald Dahl story lacks none of the visual flourishes found in Wes Anderson's previous (more human) work and, indeed, Mr. Fox, played by George Clooney, all decked out in a rust-coloured corduroy suit, is the Anderson character that most resembles the director. We also really like Mrs. Fox's (Meryl Streep) sweet yellow dress.
Moonrise Kingdom, 2012
Costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone, collaborating with Wes Anderson for the first time, creates a brilliant array of 1960s looks for this film about two 12-year-olds in love. There are Scout uniforms, knee-socks, brilliant mom-style dresses on Frances McDormand as Mrs. Bishop, fantastic plaid trousers on Bill Murray as Mr. Bishop and pyjamas (an Anderson staple, the man loves pyjamas) aplenty.
Twelve-year-old lovers Sam and Suzy even manage to make being 12 look stylish and everybody knows that being 12 is usually distinctly un-stylish.
The Grand Budapest Hotel, 2014
Ralph Fiennes plays M. Gustave, a vain but lovable hotel concierge with a penchant for older ladies like the rich Madame D. (Tilda Swinton). His uniform – costumes were designed by Milena Canonero once again – is always impeccably presented, regal and deep purple. Her outfits meanwhile are suitably grand, all pearls and velvet: you can practically smell the old lady scent of expensive perfume and musty fabric wafting from them.
Even in death, Madame D. looks wonderful and wealthy, with painted nails and lips.
M. Gustave's young protégé, a lobby boy called Zero, is similarly attired to the concierge but his hat clearly states his role and his drawn-on moustache hints at his youth. His wife-to-be Agatha wears a uniform for her job at a nearby patisserie but even so there are personal touches, like the way she wears her jumper underneath her dress. It's those little touches that make a Wes Anderson film so fabulous to look at.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is released today, March 7.
