Hitchcock’s Woman of Fashion

2006 | Between Stigma and Enigma

Many Hitchcock films focus on transgressive female characters – strong but troubled figures who are ultimately punished for their deviance. Alongside elements of suspense and romance, the films often unfold as investigations into these women, and, by implication, into femininity itself. Appearance becomes crucial here, with costume and styling used to construct an image which is alluring, powerful and also, implicitly, dangerous. Film historian Adrian Garvey presents a lecture illustrated with film excerpts from Hitchcock films including Rebecca (1940), Rear Window (1954) and Marnie (1964), considering how different ideas of fashion and femininity are represented. Followed by the screening of Vertigo.

With a talk by film historian Adrian Garvey.

>Read Adrian Garvey’s essay Hitchcock’s Woman of Fashion

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Vertigo

Many Hitchcock films focus on transgressive female characters – strong but troubled figures who are ultimately punished for their deviance... More »