Unlike slang, the vocabulary of fashion isn’t always fluid. Descriptors like “elegant,” “timeless,” and “poised” have been dropped in fashion conversations for years, and only a few replacements for them come to mind. This lack of evolution, however, rarely stifles the way we engage with, or wear, what we see on the runway. These words work, because they’re as accurate, reliable, and universally understood as the fashions they describe.

There is nothing dated about the word “classic,” and that is the foundation of Mark Shale and actress Miranda July’s wardrobe. Though her wardrobe is mostly comprised of second-hand items from vintage stores or estate sales, she wears classic pieces with confidence and gives them new life with quirky accessories and bright pops of color. Like fashion, film takes themes we’ve already seen explored (love, power, complex human relationships, etc.) but reintroduces them in unexpected ways; and Miranda July follows that formula on screen and on the streets. The juxtaposition of old content with a fresh perspective is what allows us to connect with classic fashions and film themes time and again.

In Me You and Everyone We Know, Miranda July makes us reconsider vintage pieces, and our understanding of pain. Writing, directing, and starring in the movie, July acts with agency-- on and off camera-- and her character’s strength is complimented by her wardrobe, with powerful silhouettes and finely tailored garments. One message the movie puts forth is take control of your personal life, and your personal style-- which can be an outward expression of our internal states. July handles suffering with the same mentality, through the dialogue she writes. In one scene, her character, Christine Jesperson, gripes about foot pain from her shoes. Her love interest, Richard Swersey, says, “People think that foot pain is a fact of life, but life is actually better than that.“ The fashion analogy doesn’t seem coincidental; advising against complacency, July reminds us that we can always improve the quality of our lives with an awareness of the subtleties that make us unique on the inside and out.

Her DIY spirit, paired with a classic foundation of style, is shared by the Italian design house Moschino. At once elegant and playful, Moschino has a history of inverting classic looks since its launch in 1983. Embroidering Italian catchphrases onto the back of Chanel-like tweed jackets, patching cartoons of Lolita onto houndstooth pencil skirts, and tying Birkin bag-sized bows onto collars are a few ways the brand has updated classics. Their motto, “Who’s to say what’s good taste?” (de gustibus non est disputandum), encourages wearers to edit fashion into their own style -- the same pluck mentality of Miranda July. Take their rendition of a pencil pant: bow-plated at the waist band, Moschino renews a classic style we’ve seen in magazines for years. Pair it with a romantic spin on stripes or a billowy silk blouse in one of this season’s rust-tinted neutrals; the update reads as dainty or as dynamic as the wearer chooses.


Watch a scene from Me You and Everyone We Know below:



-- Marissa Muller, Marketing Coordinator