La Piscine

How did the movie ” La Piscine ” become an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the fashion world?

Long, meaningful glances that speak louder than words, tanned bodies with drops of water glinting in the sun, melodious French that turns every sentence into a holiday of charm, a pinch of sexual tension, jealousy and voyeuristic peeking into the illicit and one pool next to a villa on the Cote d’Azur which stands as a metaphor, but also an obvious synonym of carefree summer leisure, perfect like a revived vision from the imagination. Psychological thriller ” La Piscine ” from 1969 is one of those films that evokes nostalgia for times in which we did not live, and which are watched to simply satisfy escapist aspirations, enjoying the beauty and immersing headlong into the seductive, slightly bohemian atmosphere of a summer. Jacques Deray’s film is a classic, with Romy Schneider (Marianne), Alain Delon (Jean-Paul), Maurice Ronet (Harry) and Jane Birkin (Pénélope) in the main roles. It has an important part in the history of pop culture thanks to the fashion segment that magically merges with the scenography, charmingly but unobtrusively permeating the characters and rounding off the film’s atmosphere in a measured manner, as any good costume design does. So much so that half a century after the film was released, it still inspires many fashion houses to immerse themselves in ” La Piscine”, at least for a moment.

Mini dresses, psychedelic patterns, trapezoidal cuts, unbuttoned shirts and rather large sunglasses – the movie “La Piscine” unmistakably defines the spirit of the 60s of the last century, although the clothes worn by the characters are basically very simple and unpretentious in every sense. When it comes to the bathing suits worn by Romy Schneider, despite their ordinary simplicity, they became legendary. Apart from the fact that they seem timeless, those bathing suits were the reasons the actress’ image changed since the audience remembered her depicting Empress Sissi, wrapped in dramatic but chaste gowns with countless layers of fabric.   Costume design in the film ” La Piscine ” is signed by noone less than André Courrèges, one of the central figures of the fashion revolution of the 60s, who, together with Paco Rabanne and Pierre Cardin, freed women from the shackles of “neat” femininity of the 50s and created a silhouette, memorable for a whole decade. The architect of fashion design, as many consider him, subordinated all silhouettes just as the construction master Cristóbal Balenciaga taught him, and he wove this sensibility and skill, freed from any superfluous details, into ” La Piscine ” creating a style that goes hand in hand with the unrivaled charm of French nonchalance. Drawing attention to what is on everyone’s mind fantasizing about summer – minimalistic costumes that direct the gaze to the wet skin that shines under the warm Mediterranean sun.

Because of the eternal brilliance of the film ” La Piscine “, but also the close relationship that Romy Schneider had with Coco Chanel, the French fashion house paid tribute to the legendary actress several times, as well as to the film by which she will be remembered. In 1979 Ridley Scott directed the advertising campaign for CHANEL N°5 named ” La Piscine “, and Virginie Viard weaved Gabrielle and Romy’s friendship into the Spring/Summer 2021 collection as homage to muses of the house. A cult French film also inspired the house Dior, which made unpublished photographs of Alain Delon, recorded during the filming, the protagonists of its Eau Sauvage, and the house described both the actor and the fragrance as ” hypnotic and sensual “. Scenes from the legendary pool in the campaign for the spring/summer 2011 collection were recreated, through the lens of Mikael Jansson, by Massimiliano Giornetti, the creative director of the Salvatore Ferragamo house. The American designer Tory Burch found inspiration in Marianne, Schneider’s character, and built the entire spring 2014 collection on it. ” Band of Outsiders ” and Victoria Beckham were also inspired by  “La Piscine” for their creations. The well-known designer based the 55 models she created this year in collaboration with the Spanish brand Mango on the simple charm of the film’s costume design, but also on its irresistible atmosphere.

Based on the cult film and named after David Hockney’s legendary painting, Guadagnino’s ” A Bigger Splash ” from 2015, also plunged into well thought-out fashion waters. Italian costume designer Giulia Piersanti, who gained experience working as a knitwear designer at houses such as Fendi, Chloé, Lanvin, Missoni and Balenciaga, in collaboration with Raf Simons created a notable fashion story, and the looks worn by Tilda Swinton, playing the character of Marianne, were especially irresistible. “In the beginning, we had an elaborate color palette and beautifully controlled costumes, but eventually we decided to discard all of that and embraced pieces that looked like someone just threw them in a suitcase.”, explained Piersanti for Vogue. Swinton wears Diori n the film and no one can dispute that the costume design is great.  Anyway, ” La Piscine ” is a version that will forever remain a source of inspiration. What is the reason? I cannot say. It may be that everything looks better covered with a veil of nostalgia.