carrie bradshaw - The New School Portfolio

MAY 1987
“Less is
a
bore.”
-QUOTE BY ROBERT VENTURI THAT
EXEMPLIFIES THE ‘80S STYLISTA,
CARRIE BRADSHAW
Fashion History: Survey
Final Project by Caitlin Corbin
HISTORICISM, FILM, PRINT MEDIA, AND CONTEMPORARY FASHION PROJECT
19
84 -19 89
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Series Overview 1
Parallel Style 3
Additional Trends 5
Style Icons 6
Magazine Overview 7
Current Designers 8
Contrasting Style 9
Marketing Campaign 10
Bibliography 12
Now Playing
The Carrie Diaries
Developed in 2012 to 2014, the teen drama series, The Carrie Diaries, aired on the
CW television network as a prequel to the Sex and the City television phenomenon
of the ‘90s. The show took place throughout Carrie Bradshaw’s high school years
starting in 1984 as she was a junior. She rises as a fashion icon as she breaks away
from her average high school bubble and into the style mecca of New York City. Her
eyes are opened to the extravagant 80s while working alongside the fashion editors
of Interview Magazine. The vibrant, thought-provoking fashion trends of the time
period are exemplified in many episodes of the popular series.
Featured fashion designers on the series: Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade, Modcloth, Issa,
Ann Taylor, Betsey Johnson, ASOS, Topshop, Forever 21
1
Sebastian Kydd is the captivating
new kid in Connecticut. He has an
on-and-off romance with Carrie,
developing a relationship with her
despite her crazy life in the city.
In the year 1984, Carrie Bradshaw
is a 17 year-old passionate writer
and fashionista in Connecticut.
She secretly works for Interview
Magazine in New York City, while
everyone else believes she is
taking on a law firm internship.
Jill “Mouse” Chen is Carrie’s
extremely smart, nerdy, kindhearted
best friend from Connecticut.
Larissa Loughlin is Interview
Magazine’s trendy fashion editor
who becomes Carrie’s mentor in
the city after encountering her on
a Century 21 shopping trip. She is
an outspoken style influencer.
Maggie Landers
is Carrie’s
free-spirited
gal pal from
Connecticut who
doesn’t take life
too seriously.
2
t
n
a
r
e
b
u
x
E hties
g
i
E
The late ‘80s would
applaud the series for its
wardrobe accuracy. Here
are some of the historical
trends that are seen in
The Carrie Diaries.
Hooray
for
Hair
:
Influential music icons such as Madonna and Whitney
Houston began to elevate their hairstyles and head accessories, which spread
like wildfire throughout their fans.
Whitney Houston, “I Wanna
Dance with Somebody” music
video. 1987
Madonna, photographed by
Helmut Wer. 1984
Carrie Bradshaw in The Carrie
Diaries. 2013
Prim
and
Powerful:
Shoulder pads took the
traditional women’s suit by storm,
popularizing the oversized trend.
Designers such as Yves Saint
Laurent and Giorgio Armani
designed signature “power” suits
for women that lengthened the
shoulders and narrowed the waist.
Oprah Winfrey in a
sequined blazer. 1989
3
Larissa Loughlin in
The Carrie Diaries. 2013
Wild
Child
:
Animal prints were seen in a variety of ‘80s trends, from leggings,
jackets, dresses, and even hair accessories. Many heavy metal bands adorned zebra
or leopard prints in their wardrobes.
Heavy metal band, Cinderella,
on their album cover. 1986
Joan Van Ark in a leopard
bodycon dress. 1987
Larissa Loughlin wearing leopard
pants in The Carrie Diaries. 2014
Disco
Sensation
:
Dance culture and the club scene strongly influenced the
bold colors, silhouettes, and personality of the late 1980s fashion. Flamboyant trends
were set by a rising gay population and their fabulous night lives in New York and
London. Clothing became androgynous, urban, and playful.
Larissa Loughlin in
The Carrie Diaries. 2013
Samantha Jones and Donna
LaDonna in The Carrie Diaries.
2014
Carrie Bradshaw in The Carrie
Diaries. 2013
4
The band Chic in loud colors.
1984
Additional Trends
Fit
and
Fabulous
:
Activewear made a grand debut in the regular fashion
scene as both men and women began to wear legwarmers, tights, and even
leotards to regular aerobics classes. Bright colors clung close on the body
throughout these athletic trends.
Aerobics videos were a huge hit in the late
1980’s.
Jane Fonda in her aerobics
workout video. 1985
Subversive
Sexes
:
Major sexual experiementation was seen through
Vivienne Westwood’s designs in the 1980’s. Not only were boys dressing in
feminine pieces, but undergarments were exposed, clothes were padded, and
shoes were majorly elevated with platforms.
(Left) A model in a
1984 issue of Vogue.
(Right) Platform shoes
from A/W 1988 collection. Leotard,
1984. All Vivienne
Westwood.
Prom
Paradise
:
Glamorous, opulent dresses for the traditional high
school prom were highly sought after by teen girls. High school dances were a
time for ruffles, colors galore, and enormous shoulder sleeves.
5
Style Stars
(Left) Molly
Ringwald,
actress. 1986
(Right) Brook
Shields, actress.
1988
Prince, musician. 1985
(Above) Demi Moore, actress. 1987
Joan Collins, actress. 1987
Boy George, musician. 1984
& their designers...
Madonna, musician and superstar. 1989
DKNY • Vivienne Westwood • Jean Paul
Gaultier • Giorgio Armani • Ralph
Lauren • Calvin Klein • John Galliano •
Bruce Oldfield • Versace • Christian
LaCroix • Vera Mont • Azzedine Alaia •
Prada • Vera Wang • Dolce and Gabbana
• Iain R Webb • Katherine Hammet •
Gloria Vanderbilt • Marciano GUESS
6
Late ‘80s Magazine Mayhem
VOGUE, Dec. 1984
VOGUE, Jul. 1987
Cover star: Cyndi
Lauper
Featured interview:
Steve
Winwood
Interview, Apr. 1986
7
y
l
t
n
e
r
r
u
C
s
0
‘8
Multifaceted fashion
trends in the 21st century
have mirrored the ‘80s
wardrobe.
Moschino F/W 2015
Marc Jacobs S/S 2013
Designer Jeremy Scott
infused his collection with
hip-hop culture, splashes
of color, and graffitti.
The renown designer
elevates his designs with
shoulder pads and
delicate ornaments.
Saint Laurent F/W 2015
This current collection is full
of different animal prints for
both men and women.
Met Gala 2013
Punk was the theme of 2013’s fashion
ball. Marc Jacobs designed a fishnet
dress for Miley Cyrus, while Sienna Miller
adorned a studded Burberry jacket.
8
Questionably
Chic
Maggie Landers wears a
casual A-line dress, but
that neckline was not
adopted until later on.
Although The Carrie Diaries was
an ‘80s time machine, there
were still a few trends that
misrepresented the time period.
Carrie flaunts a dramatic
cut and snaky print in this
scene, which resembles
more of the sexy ‘70s.
Here, Carrie is seen wearing
printed jeggings, which were
not popularized in society until
the new mmilleniuem.
Carrie’s sister, Dorrit,
regularly exemplifies
Vivienne Westwood’s
aesthetic. However,
sometimes her
attempts would be a
little askew. For example, heart-shapes
were not a typical
pattern on ‘80s
shirts.
Carrie is indeed
wearing bright colors
of the time period,
but this mini skirt is
out of date. The ‘60s
was the ideal time to
heighten the hemline
of mini skirts.
9
Marketing Campain:
The Carrie Diaries by
Nasty Gal is an ecommerce website that integrates fashion-forward thinking and
vintage curation. The market is ultra feminine, fearless, and “unapologetically sexy”.
Nasty Gal’s products are the best ‘80s revolution in the 21st Century.
• Billboards that say, “CARRIE is the new Nasty Gal” advertising both brands
• Use promotional codeword “CARRIE” for online purchases
• Have a “Shop the Scene” section of the website where you can purchase looks
from the show
• The show’s brightest, most outwardly ‘80s pieces will exist through contemporary
Nasty Gal designers
FEATURED BRANDS:
Jefferey Campbell
Finders Keepers
Keepsake
Steve Madden
Solace London
Unif
American Retro
Nasty Gal
Nasty Gal on the Prowl
Leopard Trench Coat
Jefferey Campbell
Power-Cut Platform Heel
Nasty Gal Boogie Night
Sequined Leggings
Nasty Gal Digital
Rage Knit Dress
10
Doris Q Dino
Net Skirt
Blank React Perforated
Leather Sandal
“And we were
dressed from head
to toe in love…
the only label
that never goes
out of style.”
-Carrie Bradshaw
11
Bibliography
“The Carrie Diaries.” IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 01 May 2015.
-This database provided further information on the history of the television series.
“The Carrie Diaries Fashion.” Worn on TV. Web. 01 May 2015.
-This website was beneficial while pinpointing fashion trends that were inaccurate for the time
period and had plenty of photos that I incorporated in my project.
“The Carrie Diaries Screencaps Gallery.” Kiss Them Goodbye. Web. 01 May 2015.
-I gathered additional photos from this website, which had a collection of screencaps from
the series.
“The Carrie Diaries Quotes.” TV Fanatic. N.p., 16 May 2012. Web. 01 May 2015.
-This source contains a plethora of quotes from the series.
“Nasty Gal” http://www.nastygal.com/
-This is the online retailer that is the foundation for the marketing campaign that I designed.
Leon, Sarah. “Cyndi Lauper on Interview Magazine, 1986: A Look Back.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 20 Sept. 2011. Web. 01 May 2015.
-This article provided information for the April 1986 issue of Interview Magazine that I
included in my research.
McNamara, Natasha. “Style Icons of the ‘80s.” Glamour UK. Conde Nast. Web. 01
May 2015.
-I utilized this website to discover the sought-after fashionistas and superstars of the late
1980s.
New School Library. http://library.newschool.edu/
-On this database, I had access to the Vogue archives and the book Fashion: The Definiive
History of Costume and Style
Villa, Mandi. “That’s a Wrap! See All the Carrie Diaries Season One Style Here.” Pop
Sugar. 8 Apr. 2013. Web. 01 May 2015.
-I used this source to discover the specific designers that made up the costumes worn in
The Carrie Diaries.
Final Project by Caitlin Corbin
Instructor: Aneesa Sheikh
Fashion History: Survey
Spring 2015
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