A theory of the 80s form the 80s… (Night of 100 Stars - Diamond Fashion Show - 1985)

Joan Collins is analysing the connections between fashion and the entertainment industry




“Most of us who enjoy beautiful clothes, are attracted by a color or a silhouette or a lashes fabric, we don’t spend a lot of time wandering what influenced the designer who created the outfit that we are covered, but influences that certainly are and through the years arguably one of the biggest has come from music and the entertainment industries Even if we perhaps didn’t realized it is having an effect. Take the wals for example, which became very popular here in the mid 19th century. In 1800 women wearing long constricting ungulate skirts but by the time of the civil war, thank goodness, Miss Scarlet had a hoop skirt to dance in. Then in 1910 along came the turkey trot with those tiny mincing steps and fashion provided the perfect skirt for it. The 20’s brought the Charleston that little dance brought shorter skirts fast and this fashion influences on and on… the tangos of the 30s and those marvelous slim satins the jitter box of the 40s and the swing skirts and bobby socks and the gogo girl of the 60s with the tinny mini skirt. But now, here we are in the 80s and the spectrum of the available entertainment is so wild is so varied that one might wonder what the influence will be this time… Wonder no more… Let the glittering diamond fashion show begin”