Unexpected Inspo: Charade
Nobody wears a hat like Audrey 🕵️♀️
It’s my belief that the main reason movies and TV continue to be so inspiring is because of how creatively collaborative they are. So many artists and departments work together to put something engaging and special out into the world. Even if you don’t love the acting, maybe the costumes have you drooling. Or, if you think the script is weak, the scenic design or score could take your breath away. The final product is an amalgamation of hundreds of different creative visions, each one with its own strengths and perspective.
That’s why, even when a movie maybe isn’t the best or doesn’t hold up, there are still gems to be found. This was my recent experience watching the 1963 caper Charade.
Starring Audrey Hepburn shortly off the tails of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and a salt and peppered Cary Grant, this charming but incredibly dated “screwball thriller” didn’t specifically affect me as a piece of cinema. Still, there were a lot of elements that inspired me.
Here are some of the film’s components that got my creative juices flowing, along with some modern inspiration to bring a bit of swinging mod energy into your world.
The peak 1960s opening credits hooked me right out of the gate. Before we even got into the movie's plot, I’d had Ben replay the titles three times. With Cold War colors, psychedelic transitions, and hints of pop art, they set the tone for the zany and aesthetically pleasing romp.
Title designer Maurice Binder, most known for creating the iconic James Bond gun barrel opening titles, developed a technicolor midcentury fever dream for the credits that rely heavily on transitions, so I definitely recommend you watch it.
The colors are perfection - I want a striped shirt in every combination and custom wallpaper made out of some of the swirls.
Retro Design: The title sequences reminded me of a few illustrators, photogs, and artists whose work feels very technicolor and retro in their own ways.
Lisa Congdon: I’ve loved Congdon’s colorful geometric work for a minute, and even have some of her adorable enamelware in our kitchen!
Another graphic designer I’ve followed for a while who does some really cute stuff with geometric shapes and cool text is Olivia Herrick!
Photographer Lissyelle Laricchia plays around with psychedelic lighting, surrealist composition and playful elements.
Leave it to the Swedes to have amazing taste - Wall of Art is a design studio in Stockholm that prioritizes “thoughtful design for creative spaces” and has a ton of great art and posters to discover, with many in throwback palette or nostalgic graphic style.
Bailey Schmidt is a painter whose experience as a graphic designer is visibly influential in her pieces. Her work isn’t as geometrical as Binder’s, but her colorful and joyful work reminds me a little bit of early Warhol paintings!
And just for fun, I loved stumbling across this history of psychedelic design post while looking for art!
I also couldn’t help finding some striped tees in unique color combos… Oversized Lucy & Yak multicolor stripe tee, this multicolor Breton from Boden, this 70s ring-neck Gap striped baby tee, or this basil & pea combo stripe from Gudrun Sjoden.
Paired perfectly with the titles (and the rest of the movie) is a swinging 60s score, composed by the iconic Henry Mancini.
I love when composers have such a recognizable style that you can immediately pinpoint it’s them. His music is always such a joyful, specific audible time machine, and the way he blurs and merges genres is a masterclass in synthesis.
Vibey Music! If you like Mancini’s work (think Breakfast at Tiffany’s), here are some recommendations for artists (older and modern) whose throwback vibes will give you your own Megan Draper moment:
In 2015, Waltel Branco recorded a whole samba album in the style of Mancini called Assim na Terra Como no Céu that is SUCH a vibe!
He also recorded a full album of samba versions of Mancini covers that’s perfect background music for your next cocktail party.
Mabe a little on the nose, but I’ve always loved Frank Ocean’s Moon River cover
Mancini contemporary Juan García Esquivel was a Mexican band leader (more commonly referred to mononymously as Esquivel!) known for his swinging lounge music that would eventually be called “Space Age Bachelor Pad Music”
There’s a handful of modern chanteuses whose style is extremely nostalgic and melodic. A few I like are: Laufey, Stephen Sanchez, and Giselle!
Another contemporary (at least in terms of years active) of Mancini was Bola Sete, a Brazilian guitarist who was popular in the 1960s jazz scene.
It’s no surprise that Audrey Hepburn, style icon for the ages, looks flawless in every frame. And it’s also unsurprising that her costumes were all designed by longtime friend and collaborator Hubert de Givenchy. The two had worked closely together for ten years by this point, and Givenchy is widely known for popularizing the little black dress through Hepburn’s Holly Golightly, hints of which are seen again here.
Throughout the movie, Audrey dons her go-to classic accessories that we all know and love: a black alligator handbag, 3/4 length gloves, and patent leather kitten heels. But what really stands out are the hats.
LOOK AT THIS! Honestly, the 360 birdcage veil is what inspired this whole post.
While Halston pioneered the pillbox hat, Givenchy certainly mastered it. The Jackie Kennedy effect is on full display here, with elegant skirt suits, monochrome moments and a hat for every occasion. It’s strange to think that the film was released just three weeks after her husband’s assassination when her pink suit and hat became iconic for different reasons.
A lot of the complete outfits in the movie receive criminally low screen time - with Hepburn sitting down, shot bust-up or removing the coats and hats quickly into a scene - so capturing the full looks got a bit tricky, but let me confirm that each one is a ten-to-toe. (What Ben and I call outfits that are - as you may have guessed - a 10 from head to toe.)
As if this mustard dress with a wide funnel neckline weren’t chic enough, girlfriend has a MATCHING COAT to layer over it.
In an interview about their friendship, Hepburn said, "His are the only clothes in which I feel myself. He is far more than a couturier; he is a creator of personality.”
Take a page from Hepburn and Givenchy and infuse your look with some retro inspo!
THINK MOD! Some cute 60’s inspiration from Reformation: I stan a big collar moment like on the Edalene Dress (or short sleeve version), and this Hunter Knit Cardigan Set (love this shade of blue) is very modern Jackie.
The Perfect LBD: A roundup of some little black dresses I think are timeless:
Nothing says 60s chic more than this mod shift dress with feather cuffs! (Also love this crewneck midi version)
From Paise, we LOVE a cape moment!
These LBDs are GIVING GIVENCHY: The Cote Cap Sleeve Pocket Mini Dress from Leau, this tulle midi dress with bow straps, or this very Betty Draper bowknot midi dress (perfect event dress!)
The puffy sleeves on this jacquard mini dress or the midi version are a swoon
This sweet scoop neck black linen mini dress could be worn for any occasion
HATS! I know we’re not all going to run out and start wearing pillboxes again (dare to dream,) but I love a good hat moment. I stumbled across Sibi Hats, which has some adorably chic chapeaus! Some of my favorites were this French silk beret, this adorable straw boater, or, for obvious reasons, the Audrey!
Kitten Heels
THE AUDREY black leather kitten heels from LK Bennett
Or for something a little more fun, from Sam Edelman: black polkadot bow mesh kitten heels, silver block heel slingbacks, or a little leopard print slingback moment
On ThredUp, the specific search for "Black faux crocodile leather handbag with top handle and flap closure" yielded some pretty accurate and varied results!
Are there any movies you don’t love but love the aesthetics??
Such a fun read ! Lots to consider ✨️💕🎨