“I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men.” – Marlene Dietrich
After her theatrical debut in Germany in minor roles, it was on the big screen that she became world famous. First in Der blaue Engel in 1930 and, the same year, in another film by Josef von Sternberg, Morocco, in which she was nominated for the Oscar for best actress. Lola-Lola, the cabaret singer played by Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel is the very definintion of what a femme fatale is. Marlene gives us her wry humor, with an ounce of cynicism and a lot of melancholy. Marlene Dietrich also marks her time with her style and elegance during her public appearances, dressing with great fashion designers, especially French.
This German celebrity committed very early against Nazism, until being nationalized American in 1939. Marlene Dietrich flew to the European front, in England and in Italy, where she sang for the soldiers during the World War Two. This femme fatale is also a singer. Her cover of the song, Lili Marleen, was used for Nazi propaganda purposes and then by the Allies. In 1949, she performed La vie en rose by Edith Piaf in London where she was filming for an Alfred Hitchcock film. She then sings all over the world during tours in the United States, the USSR but also in Germany.
This strong and reckless character is affirmed by the outfits she wears. Glamorous and androgynous icon, Marlene Dietrich marked her generation with her pants and iconic tuxedos. It was in 1930 that the actress and singer struck everyone’s mind when she appeared in a two-piece suit and a top hat in the film, Morocco. She plays a cabaret singer alongside the famous Gary Cooper. She appears in a black tuxedo, consisting of a jacket with a silk satin lapel and trousers with a satin band worn with a white shirt, a bow tie of the same color and a black top hat. Marlene does not hesitate to show off as a men’s pantsuit in civilian life as well. At that time, pants were strictly reserved for men. Throughout her public and cinematic appearances, Marlene has built an image of femme fatale, while playing on a certain sexual ambiguity. She regularly appears in male clothes and exerts her charm on both men and women. She was one of the first to understand and use the seductive power of a man’s tuxedo worn by a woman.
Her boldness makes it a symbol of the emancipation of women. Her taste for typically masculine clothes that convey an idea of authority, of being able, makes her even more powerful. By appropriating the pants and daring to wear tuxedos in public, Marlene Dietrich claims the power of women. Even today, Marlene Dietrich remains a strong symbol of “female empowerment” often cited by women committed to gender equality. Symbol of glamor and commitment, the actress remains one of the big stars of the big screen and of the song of the XXth century.