Lenny Kravitz's popular cover of the ’70s rock anthem American Woman has once again made its way into the zeitgeist.
The song, with the amazing riffs, was written by Canadian band The Guess Who in 1969 with lyrics: I don’t need your war machines,I don’t need your ghetto scenes, critical of American foreign policy in Vietnam.
Kravitz cranked out his cover in 1999 for an Austin Powers movie. In 2018 it’s used as a song that represents an era.
Reality star Kyle Richards (Paris Hilton’s aunt) adopted the song and its title for a comedy series inspired by her ’70s mom and her childhood in this period in American history.
It stars side-smiling Alicia Silverstone, Mena Suvari and John Riggi and while it isn’t exactly anti-war, it is awkwardly riding the coattails of #MeToo.
As American Woman tells the story of Bonnie, an unconventional mom struggling to raise her two daughters after leaving her cheating husband amid the rise of second-wave feminism in the 1970s.
While the series received mixed reviews and has since been cancelled, we are certain you will enjoy the eye candy.
Meryl Streep as Katharine Graham, The Washington Post’s first female publisher in the film ‘The Post’, wearing an Indian silk kaftan by designer Ann Roth.
Filmmakers needn’t document today’s fashion – all you need to do for that is log onto Instagram or social media in general for your fix. What they are doing spectacularly are period films.
The ’70s come to life in American Woman.
From micro to maxi skirts; halter-neck floral granny dresses, lycra and disco hot pants, this was the era of emancipation. Women dressed with confidence and flamboyance.
In the age before Aids they were sensual, even brash and had an air of life without consequences – hence the numerous ciggies in smoky images!
Of course this was also a convergence. Fashion was an amalgamation of styles: ’60s hippie-style kaftans and kimonos brought a craft aesthetic: see the ladies of American Woman in their crochet cossies or Alicia Silverstone’s empire cut dress with a sequin neckline.
Nathalie Kelley and Elizabeth Gillies in the ‘Dynasty’ reboot on Netflix.
Ethnic influences extended to exquisite items such as beautiful Chinese quilted jackets. And who could forget Meryl Streep in an ivory Indian silk kaftan in another film, The Post, released earlier this year. Or Jennifer Lawrence in that fur trim jacket in American Hustle.
From Yves Saint Laurent robes; oversized Dior sunglasses; and Gucci florals to the wrap dress by Diane von Fürstenberg, the ’70s gave us the retro we repeat over and over again today.
So why are we loving retro?
A keen observation of the ’70s revival we are experiencing is that many designers at the helm of fashion today, such as Stella McCartney (surely not without their own reference), had mom (Linda in her case) for inspiration, and that these moms were off that very generation.