Sometimes the best fashion doesn’t come from an editorial, or a runway show; movies push the boundaries of what we wear with every frame. Great costuming can serve to inspire audiences and designers alike with thoughtful interpretations of period dress or imaginative twists on the look of the moment, and Brazilian film has long been noted for its inventiveness. Nowhere is that more evident than in the attire worn by its most famous heroines—get to know five Brazilian films with incredible clothes and seriously influential glamour, and watch your own wardrobe decisions reap the benefits.
Black Orpheus
With Black Orpheus, French director Marcel Camus transformed the classic Greek myth into a sultry cinematic masterpiece set in a Rio de Janeiro favela in the middle of carnival. The film’s striking mix of late-’50s-style dresses—Eurydice’s wardrobe is particularly stunning—and elaborate gold costumes for the carnival sequences provide plenty of inspiration. Now considered a classic, designers from Thakoon Panichgul to Duro Olowu have cited it as a reference point for their collections.
Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands
Wrestling memories of her handsome lothario husband, Vadinho, and the reality of life with her responsible yet boring second spouse, Teodoro, Dona Flor faces the age-old question: passion, or pragmatism? As the film’s heroine, Sônia Braga sports everything from a bridal gown to an ornate funeral gown, with an array of pastel dresses in between.
The House of Sand
Real-life mother and daughter Fernanda Montenegro and Fernanda Torres play mother and daughter in Andrucha Waddington’s atmospheric House of Sand; the story (generations of settlers living in the arid deserts of Lençóis Maranhenses) may seem like an unlikely fashion source, but Cláudia Kopke’s striking costuming keeps viewers enthralled.
Carlota Joaquina: Princesa do Brazil
The jewel-toned costumes worn by Marieta Severo as Princess Carlota Joaquina are nothing short of astonishing; red turbans, layers of gold jewelry, gilded fans, and powdered wigs combine to form a sumptuous package. Though it’s a given that a royal would have an extravagant wardrobe, what makes the film unique is that nearly every character gets the same treatment.
Bye Bye Brazil
Given the outlandish getups favored by circus performers, you’d expect a film about a troupe of them to be filled with over-the-top clothes, right? Carlos Diegues’s Bye Bye Brazil doesn’t disappoint, offering a trippy look at early-’80s fashion—jumpsuits and novelty T-shirts abound—and a touch of psychedelia, courtesy of the colorful and revealing wares the crew wears as they ply their trade.
Courtesy: Vogue
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