Cartoon Characters Inspire High Fashion
Our favorite animated characters come to life in the fashion world.
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Who doesn't remember the good old days of Saturday morning cartoons? To this day, there are few childhood memories that can actually compete with the joy of waking up on a Saturday to watch our favorite cartoon characters on TV. Oh how simple life was back then - without the stress of money, relationships, work, or the million other pressures of adulthood. All we had to do is sit in front of the television and allow ourselves to be transported into a world of animated bliss. Come to think of it, the biggest decision we had to struggle with was deciding between the bowl of Trix and the bowl of Lucky Charms- oh yeah life was really tough.
It seems that we are not the only ones feeling nostalgic for the good old days - for the past few seasons, we've been seeing cartoon-inspired looks pop up all over the runways. Apparently, designers are just as eager to relive the happiness of their youth as we are. What better way to do so then through fashion? From Big Bird to Fred Flintstone, here is our list of some of our favorite animated characters as seen on the runways.
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1. Carmen Sandiego: Lanvin Resort 2010 (above)
Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? If you were a child of the Nineties, then you have definitely heard that phrase once or twice or a thousand times. From 1991 to 1996, children everywhere were tuning in to watch the popular television game show, based on rogue ACME agent Carmen Sandiego. Carmen taught us about geography, history, math, and English-it was finally an educational show we didn't mind watching. No wonder parents loved it too! It is very apparent that Alber Elbaz was channeling some of that Carmen Sandiego mystery when he designed Lanvin's Resort 2010 collection. This look just screams jet-setting villain- what better way to portray Carmen and her V.I.L.E. (Villains International League of Evil) gang?
2. Catwoman: Altuzarra Fall 2010
Altuzarra's head-to-toe leather one-piece could only be made for one character: Catwoman. Who could pull off the sexy look better then everyone's favorite sexy supervillain? While the DC comics' feline fatale may have originally been intended to be a villainous character, we can't help but love her. Everything from Catwoman's whip to her leather jumpsuits scream style. It's no wonder Altuzarra decided to channel her in the Fall 2010 collection.
3. Fred Flintstone: Jeremy Scott Spring 2010
Yaba Daba Doo! Those are the first "words" that would come to anyone's mind after seeing Jeremy Scott's Spring 2010 runway. The collection transported us back a few eras to the prehistoric town of Bedrock- a place every child wished existed. Everything about this orange and black ensemble screamed Fred Flintstone (minus the fact that no one in Bedrock actually wore shoes).
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4. Gumby: G-Star Fall 2010
Gumby, which ran for an astounding 35-years, has entertained children of many different generations. In fact, while we love the green guy, our parents may just love him even more. Everyone's favorite animated clay figure came to life in G-Star's Fall 2010 collection, when this head to toe green ensemble came down the runway. It may be over-the-top, but it sure brings us back.
5. Minnie Mouse: Chanel Iman for Vogue Germany December 2009
Model Chanel Iman donned a pair of mouse ears and an oversized bow for a Minnie-inspired spread in last year's Vogue Germany. Representing everyone's second favorite mouse-sorry Minnie but Micky comes first-Chanel somehow makes mouse ears look sexy. Our favorite part is the Minnie polka-dot print bow, which was spot on in our books.
6. Big Bird: Sonia Rykiel Spring 2009
The eight-foot two-inch bird is arguably one of the most loveable characters on Sesame Street. Perhaps it was bright yellow or the textural fluff that inspired Sonia Rykiel's Spring 2009 show, but we couldn't help but think of the happy bird. As far as runway-to-real-way goes, we can't say this is a look that we'd recommend wearing to your next soiree, but it sure does take us back to 123 Sesame Street.
7. Rainbow Brite: Jean-Charles de Castelbajac Spring 2009
The always eccentric designer once again proved he isn't afraid to take risks. If you're really nostalgic for the cartoons of your childhood, then look no further then Jean-Charles de Castelbajac's Spring 2009 collection. The entire show was like being transported into a Lego World meets Rainbow Brite's Rainbow Land mashup. The only thing missing was Starlite, the talking, flying horse.
8. Daria Morgendorffer: Luella Spring 2008
So maybe it wasn't exactly kid-friendly, but Daria is still up there on the list of our beloved animated shows. We first saw Daria Morgendorffer as a character on Beavis and Butthead, but her sarcastic and pessimistic personality really shined on the MTV spinoff (besides balancing sister Quinn's saccharine airheaded quips). Daria may have been just another angst-filled teenager, but she got thegeeky-chic look down way before it was ever trendy. Luella Bartley did an amazing job at capturing the character's essence on her Spring 2008 runway. Those glasses and boots epitomize Daria-- we could definitely see her wearing the whole look. If only she were still around today.
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9. Mad Hatter: Vivienne Westwood Fall 2007
Since Tim Burton's recently released remake of Alice in Wonderland, you don't have to look far to find fashions inspired by Alice's iconic characters. On our search for cartoon inspired fashion, we stumbled upon countless interpretations of the Mad Hatter- but this one from Vivienne Westwood's Fall 2007 collection led the pack. While we love Johnny Depp's recent rendition, this Vivienne Westwood look is a lot more wearable. The hat might be a bit much, but is it wrong that we kind of want to own the whole ensemble?
10. Kermit the Frog: Prada Fall 2007
Another loveable green character, was spotted at Prada's Fall 2007 show. Kermit's fuzzy green turned out to be quite the ready-to-wear inspiration. There's only one way to describe this look- a walking, real-life Muppet. All that was missing was Kermit's iconic bulging eyes and frog voice.
11. Wonder Woman: Dior Spring 2001
Since Wonder Woman's original inception back in the 1940s, there have been dozens of portrayals of the feminist superhero. From books to television to video games, Wonder Woman has been reproduced in almost every mode imaginable. (Chalk it up to the girl power spirit!) Christian Dior's Spring 2001 collection added yet another interpretation to the list - the high-fashion Wonder Woman. Lasso of Truth not included.
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