Whether it’s being channeled by a troubled university student skulking on campus or a brooding supermodel on the runway, it’s difficult to deny the pervasive influence of the Salander style in all that is in vogue.
The release of the American film adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, quite simply put, has taken the fashion world by storm. The character of Lisbeth Salander, played by the actress Rooney Mara, is perhaps the most memorable character to step off of the screen in quite some time. In fact, the distinction between Salander and Mara has become increasingly distorted, as Mara seems to have permanently indoctrinated certain features of her characters style into her own, which was previously feminine, laced with gamine naïveté.
The mastermind behind this gangster-meets-extraterrestrial hybrid is the film’s costume designer, Trish Summerville. Prior to this film, Summerland had experience in costume designing for the performances and music videos of the likes of Christina Aguilera, Pink, Avril Lavigne, and Janet Jackson. Stieg Larsson’s novel doesn’t provide much detail regarding Salander’s look, merely referencing that the character is a natural redhead who dyes her hair black, and that she broods in dark garb. “It was important for all her clothing to seem very authentic, nothing brand new… like she could disappear into the shadows and…(not) call attention to herself” said the costume designer.
Just over a month ago, Summerville designed a Salander-inspired capsule collection for the Swedish retail clothing giant H&M. An array of thirty pieces, including affordable dark skinny jeans, leather jackets, and long wool coats, the look channels the ominous feel of the movie, but is very wearable. There is an element of irony in this specific collaboration. Summerville explains “In the second book, The Girl Who Plays With Fire, once she (Salander) has money, she goes to H&M and has a shopping spree. So it (the collaboration) plays really nicely hand-in-hand. It’s extremely relevant because we do use pieces of clothing from H&M (in the first film). It’s very much real to the Salander character. We didn’t go off the deep end and do gowns or anything.”
This sexually ambiguous gothic punk vibe has peppered the runways of a plethora of designers, starting from Fall 2011 collections, and has only gained force since then. Balenciaga, Alexander Wang, Louis Vuitton, and Alexander McQueen have infused aspects of the infectious trend into their pieces. Vuitton and McQueen borrowed more womanly shapes and both created structured, leather dresses and dominatrix heels that were adorned or wrapped with studs or laces. In contrast, Wang and Balenciaga embraced a more rebellious vibe with long hooded jackets and holey cardigans- essentially everything and anything that oozed androgyny.
The most notable designer that Salander has played muse to has been Riccardo Risci for Givenchy Couture’s Spring 2012 line. Risci used models with multiple freakish piercings and placed both elaborate nose rings and intricate faux-diamond earrings on them, both resembling miniature chandeliers. As well, he embellished the models in crocodile skin that was cut scale by scale, numbered, and then reassembled (a process which takes over 350 hours) on dresses and jackets to craft the persona of the line.
And if this isn’t enough evidence to convince you of the omnipresent influence of Larsson’s character, tattoo parlours and salons have reported a significant increase in customers waving around photos of Rooney Mara in character as Salander requesting to be inked, pierced, or have their hair sculpted to channel her oddball punkish vibe. I’m not insinuating you need to pierce your nipples, bleach your eyebrows away, or get a tattoo of a dragon to master the Salander swag. The look is far easier to master once you over come its dominatrix intimidation. Give it a stab, and I’m willing to bet that before you know it, you’ll find yourself seduced by your novel attire.