Girls on film

Painter, photographer, graphic designer and greetings card designer – Soula Zavacopoulos is a one-woman creative studio. Jim Clayton meets Ealing’s Queen of Arts

Above: Erin Fetherstone Spring/Summer 2008

Mention Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the chances are an image of Audrey Hepburn in a little black dress and elbow-length gloves will instantly spring to mind. Only last year Sienna Miller’s performance as Edie Sedgwick in Factory Girl inspired the return of 1960s Mod styles and boldly-patterned mini dresses, while Keira Knightley’s floor-length 1930s gown in Atonement persuaded many to abandon the usual autumn/winter black and choose, of all colours, poison ivy green. All of the above are examples of the intimate and enduring relationship between fashion and cinema; so, how will the big screen influence trends this year?

The St Trinian’s re-make has, predictably, heralded an outbreak of pinafores, white shirts, stripy ties, blazers and hoicked-up box-pleat skirts. Schoolgirl style cropped up on the catwalks in the shape of tartan mini kilts and skinny ties at Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B and geek chic at Luella – think over-sized black-rimmed glasses and thigh-length pleated skirts. Naturally, said items have also been faithfully rolled out on the High Street: at Warehouse you’ll find a suitably uniform-like waistcoat (£40) and pleated mini (£35), Topshop stocks a maroon boating blazer (£55) and Tabio on Kensington High Street has an excellent range of knee-length socks. A crisp shirt, girlie patent Mary Janes (£80 from Kurt Geiger) and a V-neck sweater will complete the look.

In fashion circles there has been huge interest in the forthcoming Angelina Jolie vehicle, The Changeling. Set in 1920s Los Angeles, it puts the spotlight on the felt cloche hats, fur-trimmed coats, below-the-knee pencil skirts and tap-style shoes that typified the era. It’s a vintage style that is easily replicated: pair a FCUK brown faux fur coat (£120) with any of the pencil skirts already adorning High Street stores, add a brown cloche hat (£12 from Zara) and leather gloves – and make the Marc by Marc Jacobs Mary-Jane courts with ruched sides and bow detail (£284) your major buy. A pair of seamed tights will add the finishing touch.

The ultimate fashion/film combo this year will undoubtedly be the Sex and the City movie. A celluloid catwalk show of covetable items from the spring/summer collections, the film has everything from the overt sexiness of Samantha (white fur coat and Vanessa Noel boots) to the business-like Miranda (Prada shift dress) and the prim-and-proper Charlotte (Fendi Touyou Voodoo bag and over-sized Chanel brooch). True to form, however, it is Carrie’s kooky mish-mash of outfits and accessories that is set to make the biggest impact – especially now that ‘clashing is the new matching’ in the fashion world.

If your budget doesn’t stretch to Carrie’s £7,617 Dolce & Gabbana tulle and feather puffball dress or £500 Fendi bondage shoes, choose a vintage puffball from Karen Millen/Miss Selfridge/Oasis that mismatches with a jacket you already own and then build your outfit around accessories such as feathers, arm warmers, corsages, belts – anything goes! Arrogant Cat on Kensington Church Street stocks super-wide croc belts and The Jacksons on All Saint’s Road, W11 has plenty of weird and wonderful accessories that guarantee to clash with any wardrobe.

All of which leaves one question: will St Trinian’s schoolgirl styles, Twenties and Thirties chic or take-no-prisoners Manhattan eccentricity prove to have the staying power of Audrey Hepburn’s black dress? Probably not – but that won't make wearing these looks any less fun while they last.

Bella Blissett is fashion, health and beauty writer at the Evening Standard