The Eye Has to Travel

Diana Vreeland and 'The Eye Had to Travel'

In today's lecture and seminar's we watched the film 'The Eye Had to Travel', an inspirational and fascinating film about Diana Vreeland's 50 years of international fashion. I found the film interesting, informative and inspiring. Diana Vreeland was an incredibly creative woman, who saw the world in an entirely unique and almost magical fantastical way; her whole life's work reflects this, and her innovative thinking and interested take on all things fashion. Her interest in what surrounded fashion is admirable; to be able to take in culture, surroundings, era, historical events, revolutions and politics, and see beyond the fabric, materialism of fashion and into the world that the industry creates is a fascinating and incredible feet when done so effortlessly. The result of her ever-growing passion was the power and impression that her work had on the industry, she was on top of the fashion world. She spoke in the film of clothes being the key to everything, she said "you can see and feel everything through clothes" and stated that even a revolution can be seen coming through changing fashion trends. 
Her work was always luxurious, as was her lifestyle, she spent and made money all the time, her world revolved around money, she says so within the interview in the film, stating that "money is everything" and "anyone who says otherwise is mad". Her work was also very much about story telling, something that matched her personality entirely, she lived in her own fantasy world, where things were the way she believed they should be and therefore not necessarily how they really were. She was as aware of this as those around her, but says quite simply that "we live through our dreams and imagination, for really it's the only reality we know". She was a key player in the history of fashion, changing the image of both Harper's Bizarre and Vogue; she always did something new and something different, even when going back to past era's where historical elements of fashion were made her own. She took unusual people and made them into models, she saw something in people that the others could not and the results were incredible, unique photographs. 

Trailer

Here is the trailer for the movie:

Q&A

Did I enjoy it?

Yes, I really enjoyed the film, it was fascination and engaging, the same was it is with other similar documentary style films that give you this close-up and personal take on the lives of these icons to the fashion world. Such as with Bill Cunningham in 'Bill Cunningham's New York', the correlation between these two great people in the fashion world is their love, passion and dedication for what they do. And it isn't always about the clothes and the lifestyle that can often be associated with it, but instead the beauty and almost fantasy of it all.

Was I inspired? 

Yes. I think that the work Vreeland did was spectacular and unique and all together quite wonderful. She had such a individual way of looking at the world, and fashion; she took in everything about the clothes, not just the material, the colour, the cut etc...but the setting, where it's from, why it's been made, who's wearing it, the culture behind it, the fantasy life that can be attached to it. As they say in the film, the magazines for her where always about trying to 'give people what they can't get at home'.

What characteristics made Vreeland successful? Good or bad?

I think that the film makes it clear that there are many sides to Diana Vreeland, not all of them positive, but certainly all of them contributed to her success. For example, her drive, her passion and her love for what she did, her need to work and her need for the industry and the clothes; these were the things that kept her there, she both wanted and needed it. However, as the film portrays, this may have made her less of a good wife and mother to her 2 children, as her passion and love went into her work, she travelled a lot for photoshoots and model scouting. Her daring attitude was definitely a positive contribution to her work, this made her take risks and go all out on an idea without a worry or a second thought or a doubt as to whether it may sink or swim. This head-strong certainty made her swim. 

Would you recommend the film? To who? And why?

I would definitely recommend this film, it's both interesting and inspiring. I think that anyone with a similar interest in fashion, especially those who read Harper's Bizarre or Vogue and are interested in it's history as Diana Vreeland definitely played a vital part in both. However, I also think somebody interested in art, design or media and advertising would be interested and inspired by this film; her way of seeing and interpreting, not just the clothes but the world, is unique and admirable. 

Sketchbook

Here is an image of the notes within my sketchbook in relation to the film: