Yves Saint Laurent‘s 1966 Le Smoking tuxedo jacket is among the most iconic fashion pieces of all time. The tuxedo jacket for women, with its satin lapels and sharp shoulders, was adopted as a symbol of liberation and revolution.
Paolo Sorrentino‘s latest feature, “Parthenope” is a love letter to the director’s native Naples. Focused on the theme of “missed youth,” the film’s titular character is a young woman born in Naples — Neapolitans in Italy are also known as “Parthenopeans” — played by newcomer Celeste Dalla Porta. The film follows her journey from youth to middle age. The character’s fashion follows her through the ages, starting with youthful oranges and bright colors, to darker colors in her old age.
In following her journey, Carlo Poggioli, the film’s costume designer says Sorrentino “had a very clear idea of what visually he would like to see in front of the camera.” While Poggioli created many of Parthenope’s looks, Sorrentino called on Saint Laurent to provide a visual into the character’s mind. The company’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello stepped in to help define her wardrobe and provided pieces that helped realize Poggioli’s creations.
In their conversations, Sorrentino knew Vaccarello would be the perfect fit because of the fashion house’s vintage repertoire. He says he wanted the film’s fashion to “have a timeless quality to it, but be plausible both for the period and the story that we are telling.”
Poggioli agrees. Saint Laurent was perfect. He says, “The collaboration was amazing. We talked about the colors and shape.”
In one scene, Parthenope, now a young woman in her thirties, dons the iconic tuxedo jacket. It serves as a visual metaphor for where the character is at this point in her life. It highlights her desire for independence and freedom.
According to Poggioli, all the fashion pieces the character wears were recreated by Vaccarello. He says, “We didn’t use any archive pieces. … Everything was made.” That includes the iconic dinner jacket. Says Poggioli, “Anthony had cutters and tailors dedicated to our production.” He adds Saint Laurent even had period-accurate fabrics to recreate the piece, including the tuxedo jacket.
All the fittings were done in Paris and flown in to Naples for shooting.
Vaccarello also recreated a jewel-encrusted ivory piece, a black satin evening gown and a gold lamé cape with a matching gown.
