London exhibition shows off five decades of iconic Bond style
Sean Connery relaxes on the bumper of his Aston Martin DB5 during the filming of location scenes for ‘Goldfinger’ in the Swiss Alps. – Copyright 1964 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation.LOS ANGELES, July 5 – Gucci suits, gadgets and Scaramanga’s Golden Gun are examples of the 400 artifacts that fill the rooms of London’s Barbican Centre to celebrate the 50th anniversary of James Bond with the exhibit Designing 007 – Fifty Years of Bond Style, July 6-September 5.
From Ursula Andress’s white bikini in 1962’s Dr. No to Daniel Craig’s sky blue trunks from Casino Royale, this retrospective covering five decades highlights the stylish story of 007’s classic intrigue and influential film brand.
With displays of graphics, posters, props and costumes, the show is a trip through the 22 films of the unbeatable James Bond franchise with exotic imagery and objects, such as Sean Connery’s 1964 Aston Martin DB5 and Roger Moore’s white tuxedo from Octopussy.
Villains’ items featured include Oddjob’s steel-rimmed bowler from Goldfinger, Rosa Klebb’s knife-flicking shoes from From Russia With Love, Tee Hee’s metal arms from Live and Let Die, and Jaw’s metal teeth from The Spy Who Loved Me.
The six actors who’ve portrayed James Bond are shown on posters, from Connery, Moore and Timothy Dalton to Pierce Brosnan, the one-off George Lazenby, and Craig, starring in the 23rd installment, Skyfall, releasing this November.
Curators Bronwyn Cosgrave, a fashion historian, and Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming, who created designs in the films, were afforded access to exhibit collaborator EON Productions’ archives to create this unprecedented collection presented in the Curve gallery, Pit Theater and other themed spaces.
Fashions donned by Bond over five decades display Armani, Givenchy, Prada, Oscar de la Renta, Tom Ford, and Versace, as well as Pussy Galore’s waistcoat and the spacesuit from Moonraker.
Set artwork by production designers and state-of-the-art weapons like a micro-pistol designed by special effects experts join models, the amphibious “Wet Willie” Lotus Esprit and the Jetpack from Thunderball to present the multi-faceted aspects of the films.
Designing 007 – Fifty Years of Bond Style will head out on an international tour for three years after September.
http://www.barbican.org.uk/bond – AFP
