Elementary, My Dear Westwood

In modern day pop culture there are a number of fictional characters who stand as style icons. The wardrobes of these characters have become synonymous with their names, and to generation after generation, their images remain unaging and pristine. James Bond and his impeccably cut dinner jackets come to mind, as does Eloise tearing through The Plaza in Mary Jane's and a pleated black skirt. High up on that list is also Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.

Deerstalker hats, pipes and monocles reign supreme in the world of the good Doctor and Mr. Holmes, as they have been intriguing fans since 1887 with their intellectual prowess, astute observations and deductive reasoning abilities. But that is not all. London's most famous consulting detective is witty, yes, but he had the wardrobe to match the mind.

One-hundred and twenty-two years later, Jenny Beaven, a famed British designer was given the chance to bring her personal vision of the crime-solving twosome to life when Guy Richie hired her as the head of wardrobe for his 2009 take on the classic character.

The film has not yet been released so we have only taken a gander over the promo-shots and leaked stills, but so far, we like what we see. Beaven seems to have the creative foresight to keep up with Richie's modern-day spin on the Holmes-story. While influences from The Rolling Stones shine through, it is none other than the work of Vivienne Westwood and her new romantic, eighties look that is most obviously paralleled.

Westwood is the reigning queen of new wave fashions, and her panache for reinterpretations of 17th and 18th cloth principles and traditional elements fits in with the world of Sherlock Holmes so perfectly, we kind of wonder how we never saw the parallels before?