By Elio Iannacci, Special to The Globe and Mail, Published Yesterday
“Don’t dream it, be it.”
While widely recognized as one of the most famous mantras in musical history, few know that this phrase from The Rocky Horror Picture Show – which celebrates the 50th anniversary of its cinematic debut in the U.K. on Aug. 14 – originated in the world of fashion.
Long before the 1975 film became a cult classic, its creator, Richard O’Brien, discovered the slogan on a lingerie ad. “It made complete sense that Richard found the phrase on a Frederick’s of Hollywood advert,” says Sue Blane, the legendary costume designer behind Rocky’s original stage productions and the 1975 film.
“Much of what I designed was a take on a Frederick’s catalogue I saw – and still have,” she says of the hyper-feminine lingerie and marabou-trimmed baby dolls the retailer was known for. “Obviously, Rocky’s costumes were a rather disrupted and distorted take, but Frederick’s started up some ideas.”
Blane, now 76, is a decorated force in British theatre and cinema. She was bestowed an MBE (Members of the Order of the British Empire) in 2006 and is one of few theatre designers to be a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI). Blane’s CV spans opera, ballet, drama, TV and film. Her post-Rocky work includes period film Lady Jane, often cited as a visual precursor to A Room with a View, Downton Abbey and Bridgerton.
In contrast, Rocky features burlesque corsets, glittering capes and dominatrix heels; the wardrobe wasn’t seen as just spectacle – it was about scene-stealing transgressive power.
“‘Don’t dream it, be it’ became a mission statement, a map, a primary directive,” Blane says.The movie – often dubbed a musical comedy horror – follows Brad and Janet, a seemingly normal couple stranded by a storm who take refuge in a castle inhabited by the eccentric and gender-fusing Dr. Frank-N-Furter and his guests. Stripped of their clothes and social norms, they experience a night of provocation before escaping in their underwear.
Continue/Read Original Article: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/article-rocky-horror-picture-show-fashion-style/
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