Today, the connection between celebrities and fashion is incredibly strong. Many famous entertainers, actors, and models collaborate with fashion brands. These relationships are very beneficial for stars because they boost their popularity and turn them into style icons. In this article, we will explore how fashion and collaboration with brands contributed to the careers of Jennifer Lawrence, Cara Delevingne, and Dita von Teese.
At the beginning of her career in the late 2000s, Jennifer Lawrence preferred dresses that allowed her to show off as much skin as possible. The most of them were short body-con pieces that exposed her legs and arms. Also, Lawrence loved shiny fabrics that looked a bit untidy when she was photographed with a flash. Considering her down-to-earth personality, it was clear that she did not care much about being a style icon. With the growth of her popularity, Lawrence started choosing sleeker and expensive-looking gowns by premium brands. As she has become Dior’s ambassador, her red carpet looks have become even more refined, and the gowns’ sharp lines and geometric details contrast her luscious curves.
In 2010, Lawrence got in the spotlight when she stunned critics with her acting in Winter’s Bone. Since then, she has been cast to play in teen and superhero franchises as well as in complexed psychological dramas. In 2012, she won an Academy Award for Best Actress, which cemented her position in Hollywood and made her incredibly popular among teens as well as adults.
At that time, she was offered a contract with Dior. According to Ella Alexander, Dior’s creative director Raf Simons chose Lawrence because he found her “unique and moving.” In 2017, she appeared in the advertising campaign for the brand’s fall collection, which became iconic due to its powerful feminist message. Lawrence, who famously criticised the wage gap in Hollywood and called for gender equality, was wearing the “We all should be feminists” t-shirt. Apart from the t-shirt, the actress was wearing a pair of jeans and a blazer, which accounted for a casual and relaxed look, which was very unusual for Dior. This campaign reinforced Lawrence’s image of a person who cares about social justice and contributed to the popularisation of feminism.
Cara Delevingne is another celebrity who is famous for her strong support of feminism and down-to-earth personality. Her everyday style has always been associated with relaxed tomboyish looks that incorporate beanies, skinny jeans, and denim shorts. For red carpet events, she used to wear conventionally feminine and sexy gowns at the beginning of her modelling career. Later, Delevingne has turned to more dramatic and androgynous style, which fits her eccentric personality much better. For example, she shaved her head in 2017. Apparently, this change has happened because her tomboy spirit has become the brand on its own, and she does not feel the pressure to comply with the outdated beauty standards for women.
Although Delevingne signed with a model agency during the late 2000s, success came to her a couple of years later. The turning point of her career occurred when Karl Lagerfeld chose her for Chanel runway shows and advertising campaigns. According to Smith, the designer compares her to Charlie Chaplin and loves her free spirit. Delevigne’s rock-n-roll vibes helped to refresh the old brand and market its products to younger generations of consumers.
One of the most famous Delevigne’s projects for Chanel is the short animated film made for promotion of the Gabrielle bag in 2017. This campaign strongly relied on her tomboy style and interest in skateboarding to redefine the brand’s concept of femininity. It completed the process of Cara Delevigne’s transformation into the icon of modern young women who struggle with conventional views on female fashion and lifestyle.
Dita von Teese, in her turn, has become the icon for people with quite the opposite views. Before she started performing as a burlesque dancer, her name was Heather Sweet, and her blonde hair and rosy cheeks matched her surname very well. Nevertheless, she has always been interested in more dramatic and sophisticated image inspired by vintage fashion and old Hollywood films. Von Teese started her career in burlesque to get closer to that fascinating world of glamour. She dyed her hair black and started wearing stockings, high heels, and feminine dresses. Her looks always have references to the 1930s, 1940s, or 1950s. The performer’s financial success enabled her to buy authentic vintage pieces and luxurious creations of modern designers who, in their turn, got inspired by her dedication to old-school glamour.
Dita von Teese became internationally famous after she appeared on Playboy’s cover in 2002. Her elaborate custom-made corset, silk stockings, lace gloves, and the 1940s-inspired hairstyle made her stand out among Pamela Anderson-like models of that period. Von Teese’s style was embraced by Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood, turning her into a renowned style icon.
Dita’s appearance in the hologram made for the Cristian Louboutin exhibition made headlines in 2012. With the cutting-edge technology, her image was transformed into an ethereal dream-like vision. In the short documentary Making of the Hologram, von Teese said that she never anticipated the honour to work with such amazing technologies for Louboutin. This unique project combines her vintage-inspired style with techniques that have never been used by fashion brands before, attracting even more attention to the performer and proving that her image has become truly iconic.
Overall, Jennifer Lawrence, Cara Delevigne, and Dita von Teese are the excellent examples of how collaboration with fashion brands can reinforce one’s public message and boost his or her popularity. Their work for Dior, Chanel, and Christian Louboutin made them even more popular and helped them to spread their views on femininity and fashion.
