Now please place the pastel-colored popcorn cups in strict symmetry on the counter: Wes Anderson has a new film in theaters. For the launch of “The Phoenician Scheme”, we browse through the character catalog of a director whose style not only delights the film world but also the fashion world. Louis Vuitton, Prada and Fendi have already collaborated with the American. And Alessandro Michele’s early days at Gucci in particular were characterized by inspirations from Anderson’s oeuvre.
But which characters deserve our kiss on the hand as the absolute queens and kings of the closets? This question is finally, finally answered.
12th Francis (“The Darjeeling Limited”)
We dress for traveling as if we were bumming from the couch to the fridge. But every time an On sneaker bobs in the departure lounge, a Boeing loses its wings. Okay, not really. But “The Darjeeling Limited” is also a manifesto for stylish travel, from the Louis Vuitton suitcases to the Marc Jacobs suits. And even if we don’t recommend imitating it: Any business casual dress gains allure when topped off with a few bandages and a blue eye.
11th Rhett (“Hotel Chevalier”)
A man’s broken heart is a dazzling accessory. In the short film “Hotel Chevalier”, Natalie Portman wears it with a nonchalance as bold as the toothpick in the corner of her mouth. For the final burial of their romance, she changes from a gray Ulster coat into a banana-yellow bathrobe. One catches the rain of Paris. The other, perhaps, the last tears of a love that was. Bonus material: The second best slow-motion scene in Wes Anderson’s film history.
10th Boss (“Isle of Dogs”)
A shredded sports jersey, bottomless and perhaps a leather collar? Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve found it: the perfect outfit for a relaxed and kinky Sunday afternoon. But please don’t blame us if you walk out the front door like this and are taken away by the vice squad before you even get to the elevator.
9. J.K.L. Berensen (“The French Dispatch”)
When journalist Rosamond Bernier (1916 – 2016) gave lectures on art, her subjects faded into the splendor of her wardrobe. Wes Anderson pays tribute to the style icon and founder of L’oeil magazine with his love letter to print journalism. In “The French Dispatch”, Tilda Swinton once again outshines all the normal mortals in her orbit. Especially in her orange sun goddess caftan, which even Demis Roussos would go down on one knee to kiss the hem of.
8 Mr. Fox (“Fantastic Mr. Fox”)
In a tie and short-sleeved shirt outside office hours, Mr. Fox anticipated the office core trend by 15 years. We are also still waiting for someone to combine the brown corduroy suit with a polo shirt in a smarter way. And then two ears of corn in the breast pocket instead of a flower in the buttonhole? Pretty, uh, clever.
7. the chief steward (“The Darjeeling Limited”)
He checks the tickets on the Darjeeling Limited, but in our Style Train, actor Waris Ahluwalia sits in the driver’s cabin. As Chief Steward, he contrasts his colorful uniform with a strictness that would otherwise require you to hit outstretched fingers with a ruler. The highlight of the ensemble, the maritime striped Dastar, was designed by Ahluwalia himself. A piece of cake for the man who founded the House of Waris jewelry label and was once voted one of the best-dressed men by Vanity Fair.
6th Sister Liesl (“The Phoenician Scheme”)
The Catholics are so back, baby! Leo XIV is elected Woke Pope II and Sister Liesl rocks the habit more heavenly than Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan and Rihanna. However, the contrast between the white habit and the blood-red lips is what makes the outfit so fashionable. The turquoise eyeshadow also creates a look that could part the seas. Newcomer Mia Threapleton, daughter of Kate Winslet, writes her own chapter in Wes Anderson’s style bible with her first major appearance.
5. Pelé dos Santos (“The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou”)
The Team Zissou uniform, inspired by marine explorer Jacques Cousteau, is interpreted differently by its wearers: Klaus Daimler (Willem Dafoe) with sporty shorts, Vladimir Wolodarsky (Noah Taylor) in a mechanic’s smock and teashade sunglasses or Annie-Marie Sakowitz (Robyn Cohen) with a highly problematic “Tits Out Policy” in terms of HR technology. But no one wears the baby blue ensemble and the rurbine red beanie more relaxed than on-board bossa nova jukebox Pelé dos Santos, played by Seu Jorge in a retro polo shirt and with a waterproof touring guitar.
4. Eli Cash (“The Royal Tenenbaums”)
A rigorous cocaine addiction is not a prerequisite, but it is definitely helpful to pull off the urban cowboy look with sufficient self-confidence. Risks and side effects include wearing fringed jackets without putting your arms through your sleeves and writing bad western novels. But instead of spur-of-the-moment machismo, Eli Cash is surrounded by the melancholy of a Marlboro Man funeral. Which is hardly surprising when you’re the fifth wheel on a covered wagon in a love triangle with two step-siblings.
3 Suzy Bishop (“Moonrise Kingdom”)
Suzy Bishop is making her way through the wilderness as if she were Emily in Paris. In our style poker, her beetroot beret beats the Zissou beanies, especially when combined with the Chanel-but-not-really dress and its Peter Pan collar. Her pink coat with cape deserves an extra Girl Scout badge. Despite the yé-yé vibe, it gives Suzy the authority of an English night watchman. Oh, and please let’s finally wear binoculars with the naturalness of a cell phone cord this summer.
2. M. Gustave (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”)
It’s high time to mention the woman without whose vision this list would be rather short: Milena Canonero, Anderson’s costume designer numero uno. The Italian is a Hollywood legend and has won four Oscars for her work – including for “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. Although Prada and Fendi also provided looks and luggage, it is Canonero’s designs that deserve five stars. Her intense choice of colors transforms Monsieur Gustave’s sterile concierge uniform into a fairytale superhero costume.
1. Margot Tenenbaum (“The Royal Tenenbaums”)
Mink coat, tennis dress and enough eyeliner to trace the city limits of New York City: Margot Tenenbaum has more style in her chopped-off finger than hipster hotbed Williamsburg ever had in its entire neighborhood. But even a Hermès Birkin bag can’t take the world-weariness of the former child prodigy. Perhaps this is why Margot has become a patron saint and style icon for all those women who always feel they are in the wrong place; Please don’t confront me with my failures, I had not forgotten them.
Trailer for “The Phoenician Scheme” on YouTube.
