KULTURA / CULTURE
SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL Miley Cyrus and the lost souls of archival fashion
project.” The film also features vampiric, darkly romantic Mugler creations from his autumn 1998 collection. “These icon- ic pieces play a major role in the visual storytelling of the film and album pack- aging, offering a rare window into fash- ion history,” explains Kenneth. “The the- atricality of Mugler’s runway shows the drama, the power and the glamour felt like the perfect match for the scale and emotion of this film.” But Cyrus also wears bespoke custom creations in the film. In addition to looks from the house of Alaïa, she al- so sports a special Alexander McQueen dress designed by Seán McGirr in scenes shot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “The inspiration was drawn from the raw spirit of one of Lee McQueen’s tattered Savage Beauty designs,” says Kenneth. “Every look was a true labour of love, with each detail carefully considered.” Kenneth admits that his favourite part of the project was seeing all the vintage pieces revived on Miley. “The most ful- filling part for me is watching her em- body these pieces in a way that’s power- ful and entirely her”. She recreates the most magical Mugler moments with a tear in her eye and a fearless stare. She resurrects Mackie’s Broadway spectacle and gives it a Nashville edge. She slips into Gaultier like a woman who knows her past, dominates her present and doesn’t seek permission to shape the fu- ture. For all those quietly yearning for the by- gone days when fashion shows were larger than life, Naomi Campbell’s cam- eo appearance in the video for the track Every Girl You‘ve Ever Loved will prove cathartic. In an empty, industrial space – representing a dusty warehouse convert- ed into a cold fashion stage – Naomi, as the godmother of fashion and voice of conscience, walks alongside Miley, dressed in sophisticatedly form-fitting creations while whispering in a low but authoritative voice: “She has the per- fect scent… She speaks perfect French… Pose, pose, pose.” This isn’t just a style moment worthy of adoration — it‘s a gesture of the symbolic handing over of the “fashion icon torch”. This is a mo- ment of drama and silence, poetry and history — a synergy hotter than nostal- gia and more powerful than any ‘Most Wanted’ piece.
The fashion inspiration for the visual album that accompanies the film Something Beautiful comes from vintage pieces by designers like Mugler, Gaultier and Bob Mackie
I f Madonna had herself crowned the high priestess of image rein- vention, then Miley Cyrus clear- ly intends to be remembered as the patron saint of creative rein- carnation. From a Disney star to a dig- ital rebel; from a Malibu flower nymph to a Grammy-winning diva, Cyrus has always been the pop prophetess that we didn’t know we needed. And now? She is entering the phase of her most seductive transformation. Something Beautiful is her ninth studio album, which includes 13 new songs and – as the cherry on top – a visual film directed by Miley herself, togeth- er with Jacob Bixenman and Brendan Walter, and with additional cinematog- raphy by the famous Benoît Debie (the man responsible for making Spring Breakers a visual frenzy). In tandem with her longtime stylist Bradley Ken- neth, a visual code was created that isn’t only razor sharp, but is so precise
in its choices, as if Anna Wintour and Cecil B. DeMille had a love child raised on Mugler’s corsets and Mackie’s shoul- der straps. Given that Something Beautiful had a clear cinematic vision from the outset, the pair focused on archival creations: pulling vintage designs from the vaults of Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaulti- er and Bob Mackie to emphasise the al- bum’s surreal, otherworldly feel. Let’s start with the vintages. The al- bum cover images shows Cyrus sport- ing Mugler’s “Spider” dress from his spring 1997 collection — a piece that once shone on the Paris catwalk like a phantasmagoria of supernatural sexi- ness is now shimmering again like it did during this creator’s golden age of ec- centricity. “Manfred was inspired by the way morning dew glistens on a spider- web,” explains Kenneth. “It’s a piece that marries fragility and strength in such a beautiful way, which felt perfect for this
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