Hepburn Core Post #5 Shelby

In Funny Faces, Hepburn is transformed from a loner bookworm into a chic high fashion model who wins the guy of her dreams. In the 1950s, fashion and film became “mutually supporting channels of exploitation” (135)” (Brown 131). Together, film presented fashion as glamorous and chic—a way of life any upwardly mobile person should aim to obtain. Fashion liked modern film for its ability to product place and display upcoming line-ups (131). After her physical change she won a good-looking guy, which further pushes the idea of consumerism that buying things will bring happiness. 

Consumerism in the 1950s was on the rise and this contributed to the success of this film and Hepburn’s fame. Hepburn emerged as a star due to several factors that linked the rise in consumerism to “the rise in tourism, particularly transatlantic tourism.” Fashion and tourism were then seen as going hand in hand. This fits perfectly within the movie Funny Faces. Hepburn’s character Jo begins as a normal girl who is transformed into a chic fashion icon, which traveling to Paris was part of that transformation. The postwar "refeminization" of fashion got its inspiration from designers in Paris, like Christian Dior (131). During Jo’s time in Paris, she seems like she is on vacation the entire time although she is technically working as a model. This is another element of tourism that linked itself to consumerism. "Furthermore, her independence is reinforced by the sense that none of Hepburn's characters never has to work. In a manner that ties Hepburn's screen persona to the expanding tourism industry of the 1950s...Hepburn is associated both with not working, and more positively, with holidays" (135).  The combination of fashion, travel and leisure ‘holiday’ time creates an image of privilege and wealth that many consumers of the 1950s would have aspired for.

This reminds me of the movie The Devil Wears Prada. A lot of the movie is about Anne Hathaway’s character and her coworker buzzing about the Paris Fashion Week and all of the great clothes they would get. Her coworker wasn’t eating so that she could fit into all of the free clothes. Anne’s character in Paris also never seems to be working—and also gets with a cute guy! The end of the movie ended with Anne quitting her job and losing some friendships because she had negatively turned into a different person. It is interesting that today this kind of film feels the need to hint to the audience about the dangers of consumerism. Perhaps that is because half a decade later we have seen/experienced the negative effects of 1950s high-consumerism.  However, the majority of the movie parallels Funny Faces and is full of beautiful people and high fashion and a lifestyle that an audience today still desires for.