Wednesday, August 29, 2012

The Lana Effect

Lana Del Rey - love her or loathe her - has certainly made her mark on pop culture.


Her bee-stung lips, doe eyes and faint bee-hive are popping up everywhere - from the current Spring/Summer fashion influx to film. 

Last night I saw Wes Anderson's latest quirky offering, Moonrise Kingdom, which is a truly sweet film about two misunderstood tweens, bound together by their love for adventure (and each other). Featuring the usual suspects we've come to expect in a Wes Anderson film - Francis McDormand, Bruce Willis and Tilda Swinton - as well as a few more (Bill Murray and Edward Norton), it is really the character of the children that shines here (I actually felt there was a lack of depth to most of the adult  characters). And it is in the young female protagonist - played by Kara Hayward - that we get glimpses of what could easily be a young Lana Del Rey. 


Left of centre interests, barely masked disdain for her parents, and those all-seeing heavily-lidded eyes. Moonrise Kingdom is great, and definitely well worth watching (although not as offbeat as some of Wes Anderson's other films). I gave it 3.85 stars.  



Then we have the fashion. Wildfox Couture's bikini campaign features a lusciously haired, sad-eyed gamine... Just like Lana. Check it out.








I absolutely love this air of impenetrable mystery. A woman with secrets, who expects nothing from the world. 

Self-described as LA noir or a ghetto Nancy Sinatra, the allure of Del Rey - whether you like her music or not (I must admit there are only two songs I like - the film clips are my favourite bit) - is on the up. Having recently worked with H&M for their Fall collection, she was also plastered over the side of Cartier in Tokyo while I was there, and she has recently been named as the face for the launch of Jaguar's latest release. 


While I'm perfectly content with the Del-Rey-ification of fashion, I just hope people don't start copying her tattoos (one of them "Trust No One" - thanks Fox Mulder - is just unbelievably lame). Best start practising those wing-tipped eyes and big hair... 




No comments: