Comics have always proved inspiring for fashion designers, but, you may argue, fashion also played a role in the developments of comics, both for what regards narratives and characters.
In the past we have often seen more obvious links between these two worlds with designers releasing licensed products and launching fashion collections integrating drawings and illustrations or artists portraying their characters in designer clothes and turning their illustrations into fashionable works of art.
Yet we also saw more subtle connections, from the fierce attire of superheroes proving inspiring for exhibitions, to correspondences between comics and fashion or artists borrowing ideas for their covers from fashion photography.
In more recent years some designers pushed the boundaries by having their portfolio illustrated by prominent artists.
Earlier on this year Jimmy Choo released a capsule collection inspired by Sailor Moon, the famous Japanese manga written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi to celebrate last year's 30th anniversary of the anime; "Astro Boy", the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka, inspired instead MSCHF's ubiquitous red boots that soon turned into the must-have footwear of the year on social media.
Christian Louboutin recently announced a Marvel capsule collection of footwear, bags, and caps as part of Disney's 100th-anniversary celebration. Known for his love of comics, the Paris-based shoe designer drew inspiration from strong characters, vibrant colors, the onomatopoeic words found in comic books, as well as the original 1960s "Batman" TV series.
The designs, set to hit stores and online at the beginning of October, incorporate elements from the Marvel universe, with Infinity Stones adorning heels. Other inspirations include Moon Knight's mummy-like wrappings turned into gladiator sandals in iridescent leather, and the fish scales of Namor, also known as the Sub-Mariner, reinvented as spikes.
Louboutin previously worked on different Disney projects, creating the styles for the 1996 live action remake of "101 Dalmatians," and developing other collaborations throughout the years for "The Muppets," "Maleficent" and also "Star Wars." This isn't also the first time the designer turns to comics for inspirations: last year, he introduced a children's range accompanied by a comic book.
This new collection actually continues this tradition as it comes with a limited-edition book entitled "The Loubiverse Explodes!" (only 1,500 copies of the comic book will be produced exclusively for the designer's top clients).
In this story Louboutin is an Egyptian archaeologist endowed with creative powers, like that of embellishment. The comic takes Louboutin on an adventure alongside Marvel characters such as Black Widow, Shuri, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Avengers, highlighting the extraordinary in the everyday. The moral of the story is celebrating the superpowers possessed by ordinary people.
However, the collaboration raises questions about its target audience: comic enthusiasts may not necessarily be interested in purchasing high-end fashion items (prices range from $1,195 to $3,995 for shoes; $2,390 to $3,490 for bags; and $545 to $595 for children's styles), while luxury fashion consumers may not have a strong affinity for comics. Furthermore, there's a twisted sense of irony in the comic book's celebration of beauty found in everyday life and the extraordinary qualities possessed by ordinary individuals while the limited edition comic is primarily targeted at affluent customers, which may not align with the portrayal of "ordinary people" that it champions.
Yet this collaboration and this limited edition comic book should maybe prompt us to wonder - is there room for a new fashion comic? Alan Moore's "Fashion Beast," originally commissioned by the late punk impresario Malcolm McLaren, explored the world of fashion in a 200-page script in 1985, which remained largely forgotten for nearly three decades. The project, a story that developed in a dystopian future, was then adapted by writer Antony Johnston and artist Facundo Percio and published in comic book format by Avatar Press released in 2012.
Similarly, "Fashion in Action," a fashion-forward, female-led comic written, drawn, colored by John K. Snyder III in 1985, was re-released in 2017 after a Kickstarter campaign.
Originally published as a strip by Eclipse Comics in the magazine Scout, the comic was a blend of action, horror, violence and glamour, all rolled into one and with a style that looked incredibly different from the vast majority of comics of the time.
The story starts in 2086 and revolves around Frances Knight and her squad, "the world's highest priced and best dressed celebrity protection agency." The girls guard the world's rich and beautiful and work in their base, the refurbished Statue of Liberty.
Frances and her team fight against Dr. Cruel, and his accomplice, the violently unpredictable Roxanne, Frances Knight's nemesis. Cruel and his psychopathic protege replace late night talk show host Johnny Mars with a robot doppelganger, complete with a toxic serum in his palm to turn anyone he shakes hands with into an ape during a celebrity-filled wedding.
Style-wise Frances Knight is a blend of The Eurythmics' Annie Lennox and David Bowie with just a touch of Catherine Deneuve in "The Hunger" and the iconic eye-patch from The Man in the Hathaway Shirt (1950s menswear ads by British advertising executive David Ogilvy, known for his emphasis on creative copy and campaign themes; in the ad the eye patch was an expedient that allowed Ogilvy to turn a product, the humble shirt, into a mysterious story View this photo).
Frances favours the power suits that were fashionable in the '80s (think Armani or Ralph Lauren); but she looks stunning in a simple black pencil skirt matched with a pristine white shirt (a look reminiscent of designer Anne Klein View this photo) and long flowing coat.
The wardrobe of her team is tailored to each character, but Snyder had a passion for functional and practical clothes, so he put emphasis on sensible clothes or glamour designs that still allowed his characters to fight. Therefore you will never see in this comic book scantily dressed heroines fighting in thongs and bras.
We do see Roxanne, a sort of proto-Harley Quinn who uses her makeup and clown-like appearance as a means of challenging the established order, in a red body-suit covered in words traced in black. This garment may appear provocative at first glance, but it is actually a fashion reference as it was inspired by Stephen Sprouse's Fall 1984 graffiti collection (View this photo). Another reference to those times is the hairstyle sported by Mr Sydman, Johnny's manager, unmistakably reminiscent of Klaus Nomi's distinctive look
While some may highlight this was still a product of "masculine feminism", a girls' comic about women made by a man, it was still a breath of fresh air.
Having grown up surrounded by strong women, the author didn't dress the women in ridiculous ways, but opted for diversity and functional yet stylish clothes: his women - Frances, Kelly, Sarah, Ursula and Talia - came in all sorts of shapes and sizes, with skin tones ranging from dark to light, and could move, walk and run, while still looking stunning. Way more stylish and active than Charlie's Angels (and led by a woman, not by a man who told them what to do...), these fearless young women were trained in security but were not supposed to be superheroines.
In Snyders' words, the series reflected "the times we were then living in by projecting it onto a futuristic society where the cult of celebrity and personality would become the status quo. It only seemed natural at the time to cast a group of strong-willed women as a symbol of reason and security in the middle of an ego-driven world full of social and political unrest. It was a creatively rewarding experience that was born out of the height of the creator-owned alternative market of the early / mid-80's, but was a short-lived series that I have always hoped for the opportunity to re-introduce and return to and continue."
More stylish than "Tank Girl" and characterized by more complex pages with an overwhelming number of word balloons, the comic book also included a reference to the '40s. Snyder accompanied indeed his stories with paper doll pages reminiscent of those you may have found in comics such as "Jane Arden," "Flyin' Jenny," "Brenda Starr," "Patsy Walker", and "Torchy Brown".
Snyder's pages dedicated to his diverse cast may have been compared to these early experiments to paper dolls, or to Bill Woggon's Katy Keene comics that also featured her friends (one design originally donned by Katy's friend Lucki Red Lorelei in one of the doll pages, a red dress with the word "Lucky" scribbled all over it, may be a further link to Snyder's Roxanne's look). Comic book artist Trina Robbins wrote a feature about the paper doll pages in "Fashion in Action" that was included in the 2017 edition of the book.
"Fashion in Action" wrapped up in the late '80s, a period when fashion comics had lost their appeal. But Snyder's tales featuring his spirited and dynamic women, remained a testament to the potential transformation of this genre with an infusion of vibrant energy and rich artistic and fashion references.
John Ostrander, co-creator of Amanda Waller and the 1980's Suicide Squad), states in the foreword to the 2017 edition of the comic book, "John K. Snyder III's Fashion In Action was a unique strip when it first came out and is still a striking visual story today."
You can bet that this will probably get a film adaptation or a Netflix series at some point. Till then, grab a copy of it, and dream about a fashion comic that we would like to read, full of intriguing stories, dynamic characters and glorious styles, a fashion comic for all and not a limited edition exclusively dedicated to wealthy consumers with a penchant for luxury accessories.
Comments