The Thomas Crown Affair(s)

Rene Russo/The Thomas Crown Affair by divadebbi (Clothes by Michael Kors)

I remember seeing the original Thomas Crown Affair when I was young and impressionable. It starred Faye Dunaway as a brilliant insurance investigator. Some brilliantly devised bank heists were being committed in Boston and the police were stumped.  

They called in Faye Dunaway, (at the peak of her beauty,) in a desperate attempt to solve them.  It is she, who figures out that the master mind is Thomas Crown, a bored billionaire playboy, (played by Steve McQueen at his most handsome,) who for kicks, commits them to test his skill and nerve.  I was enthralled with her her brains and her chic. I thought, "that's what I want to be like when I grow up"!!!

In this film, the incredible ensembles worn by Faye Dunaway, were created by Oscar nominated costume designer Theodora Von Runkle.  Von Runkle also had designed Dunaway's memorable wardrobe in Bonnie and Clyde, as well as for her personally.

The cat and mouse games between them were delicious and so was the love affair-of heart, mind and body.  The kiss that they finally give into, during an equally matched chess game, is   still the longest one in film creation.

Magnificent.

When they remade this film with Rene Russo and Pierce Brosnan  in 1999, Rene was in her late forties and also at the peak of her beauty. Pierce, (though a wee slim for my taste), was devilish and delicious in his role.

Remakes can be such  painful let downs, I was a bit reticent to even see it (after beingcrushed by the hatchet job done to"Sabrina",) but TC2 was every bit as much fun as the original. They changed a few details; Boston to New York, Banks to Boticelli's and Botero's, but the essence and that mad, passionate attraction, remained gorgeously intact.

Michael Kors did the entire wardrobe for the film and Rene Russo wore it all like a second skin.  To his complete credit, 13 years later, every outfit looks as effortless and chic as it did when it was first released.

Rene's hair, also caused quite a stir, for both the exquisite cut and the dramatic fiery auburn color.

One of the Polyvore groups I am part of, is featuring a new contest.  The theme was to create a set based on one of our fashion muses. I tripped down memory lane and thought of this alluring character, played with wry confidence by both actresses.

Clothes may "make the man", but they also may "make the woman" too...

xox,
DD