Age-gap fashion is expertly captured by the novel "The Idea of You".
This fantasy has been captivating human imagination for ages. Films like "What Price Hollywood" and "A Star is Born" explored this idea over a century ago. "Notting Hill" released in 1999 took it to new heights with Julia Roberts, an American movie star, and Hugh Grant, a British bookstore owner, falling in love. More recently, "Starstruck" on Disney Channel and BBC Three depicted the excitement and pain of dating an A-lister as an ordinary person.
Michael Showalter brings this trope to life anew in "The Idea of You" available on Amazon Prime from May 2. Adapted from Robinne Lee's 2017 novel, this version centers on LA where dreams of stardom are born. Anne Hathaway stars as Solène Marchand, a 40-year-old art gallery owner and divorced mother of one, while Nicholas Galitzine plays 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, a teen idol in the fictional band, August Moon.
After encountering each other at Hayes' trailer during Coachella, both share an instant connection. And with the internet emphasizing similarities between Lee's novel and the real-life age gap romance between Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde, the author acknowledged her fascination with the younger star's life. "Inspired is a strong word," she told Vogue in 2020.
Beyond a heartfelt and glamorous romance, "The Idea of You" is a coming-of-age story in disguise. It delves into the female fight for identity and individuality after motherhood. Anne Hathaway emphasized this at the movie's SXSW premiere by saying, "We talk about coming-of-age stories as something that occurs early in life. I don't know about you, but I feel like I keep evolving."
Showalter's adaptation doesn't reduce Solène to the stereotypes of cougar or crone. Instead, fashion designer Jacqueline Demeterio highlighted the complexity of Solène's character by avoiding outfits that evoke a "Pretty Woman" makeover or granny chic. "Forty is not old," she stated. "I didn't want it to look like an older woman pursuing a younger man." So, there's no leopard print, teen fashion, or "Golden Girls"-style pussybows. "She has her own style," Demeterio explained, "which hasn't lost her cool even after evolving with time and her body."
From the film's start, Solène's fashion tastes are clear in a Chloè denim dress from Fall-Winter 2023 and blonde suede Isabel Marant boots. These are the types of stylish, refined yet understated labels you may expect from a successful gallery owner. Chloè, Etro, Gabriella Hearst, Valentino, and vintage Chanel feature prominently. These designates represent sophisticated choices for an affluent woman in her prime earnings years.
While Demeterio, Hathaway, and Solène share similar ages, understanding the mindset of a 20-something heartthrob required a different approach. "I explored different wardrobe ideas," she explained, "but initially went the androgynous route with silk blouses and flared trousers. However, I worried about overdoing it and not wanting to detract from the story." She eventually settled for a balanced mix of streetwear and vintage pieces for Hayes. "There's many ways to style a boyband," she said. "You can go for BTS suits or coordinated Prada, or mix in vintage pieces with streetwear, which is what we chose."
Harry Styles was definitely a source of inspiration for the character of Hayes, with his patchwork tattoos and cozy knit cardigans. However, Demeterio claims that it wasn't meant to be a direct imitation of the singer. "We were sending pictures back and forth, and Nick had suggested Matty Healy as another option," she explained. "But it wasn't meant to be him. It was more about the high-quality, designer pieces that someone at Hayes' level would wear, even for something as simple as a cardigan."
In the movie, we see Hayes performing at Coachella in a pair of suit trousers and cotton vest, which is similar to the style of The 1975 singer, Matty Healy. Other luxurious items that made it into the wardrobe included a Bottega Veneta tank top and Loewe trousers. "He would have his stylist go out and buy these designer pieces, even if it's just a cardigan," she says. "It's about how it fits and how it hangs."
For those wanting to recreate Hayes' A-list off-duty look, Demeterio recommends tailoring your T-shirts. "Nick was always bringing in his clothes, asking if we could shorten them or if our tailor could come and shorten them for him," she laughs. "I literally created a monster of perfect T-shirt proportions."
One of the key challenges in designing Hayes' wardrobe was representing his 16-year age gap through his clothes. In the movie, when Hayes meets Solène at her Silver Lakes art gallery, we see an obvious visual difference between the two characters. Nick is dressed in a slouchy cardigan, white tank, and snapback cap, while Hathaway is in a structured velvet blazer. "They're star-crossed lovers, and we wanted to show that through their wardrobes," Demeterio explains. "We wanted to make it very clear through these clothes that there was a big age gap. Society would judge them harshly, so we wanted it to be in your face a bit."
Another way Demeterio subverted typical rom-com cliches was by making the celebrity character less glamorous than his love interest. In most movies, the celebrity is the more glamorous one, but in "The Idea of You," it's Hayes who wears more casual, laid-back clothes. Hathaway, on the other hand, is dressed in high-fashion pieces like Chanel. "In the end, she's the one who walks away in a rust-red Gabriela Hearst suit," she says.
So in summary, Demeterio focused on capturing Hayes' age gap and class through his clothes, ultimately creating a style that was relaxed and comfortable yet still luxurious.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
