Diane Keaton and Fashion: How One Wardrobe Changed Everything
The death of Diane Keaton has meant the loss of one of Hollywood's most beloved actresses, but also the farewell to a woman who transformed fashion with her way of dressing. Not only for her interesting aesthetic choices on the red carpet, but because in the 1970s she helped redefine the concept of femininity and altered the relationship between personal identity and cinematic style. The turning point came with Annie Hall (1977), by Woody Allen, with a wardrobe considered by many to be one of the most influential of the 20th century.
It all began during filming. Designer Ruth Morley had prepared dresses faithful to the aesthetic of seventies romantic comedies: a "polished" femininity and "decent" sexualization. But when Diane Keaton showed up for rehearsals in her own clothes—men's shirts, waistcoats, ties, wide-legged trousers, and fedoras—Allen and Morley knew it was clear: this would be the character's wardrobe. "Diane was Annie. We just had to complement what she had already created with her way of dressing," Morley would explain years later. Thus, the wardrobe ofAnnie Hall It wasn't designed from scratch: it was the translation of Keaton's personal style onto the screen. One of the most emblematic cases of one celebrity wardrobe crossover: when an actress transfers her own style to the character and it ends up setting a massive cultural trend.
It has often been said that the costumes were the work of Ralph Lauren, but the story is more nuanced. Keaton was already a regular customer of the brand, which reinterpreted English tailoring with a touch of elegance. college American, functional, and relaxed. Morley, knowing him, bought several Ralph Lauren pieces to incorporate into the film. Unintentionally, Keaton catapulted the brand into cinematic history, and Lauren, with impeccable commercial acumen, made that aesthetic the core of his identity: an American, intellectual, and unisex elegance.
But Keaton didn't just appear out of nowhere. Before her, Marlene Dietrich had already defied convention by wearing a tailcoat and trousers and wearing them to film. Morocco (1930); a style that would later inspire Yves Saint Laurent's women's tuxedo.
Katharine Hepburn had also been a pioneer in wearing trousers to film and real life, giving shape to characters such as What a wild girl! (1938), which exactly reflected her off-camera style. The differences with Keaton? First, the massive reach of the trend, not only in street fashion, but also in future brands such as The Row or Phoebe Philo (Céline). Second, the fact that it went beyond a simple outfit to become a narrative archetype – the urban, independent, slightly eccentric and intellectual woman – revisited on multiple occasions, such as with Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally (1989), Julie Delpy in Before dawn (1995) or Keira Knightley in Begin again (2013). And finally, because Annie Hall It is literally structured around the character and his wardrobe is a fundamental part of the construction of his character and the development of the narrative.
Three women who, beyond setting trends, wore ideas, since, in all three cases, there is a direct relationship between their style and a clear desire for female emancipation. They understood that the way we dress determines how we present ourselves in the world, our place in it, and how it perceives us. Keaton summed it up perfectly: she didn't want to imitate men, but rather to embrace their freedom and comfort. A statement completely in tune with the second wave of feminism that took place in the 1970s and which, among other things, fought to blur the lines between the sexes.
With Dietrich and Hepburn, Keaton transformed functional, masculine clothing into a symbol of feminine independence and authenticity. Her Annie Hall style, which remained with her throughout her life, didn't seek to please: it sought to be. And therein lies her revolution.