On AnOther Loves this week we pay homage to the humble staircase, as AnOther commissioning editor Laura Bradley’s Spiral staircase is voted as most Loved post on AnOther Loves…
An often overlooked and yet essential part of our day-to-day living, staircases date back to prehistoric times and are designed to functionally bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances.
Playing a central role in Alfred Hitchcock’s films, staircases feature prominently in Psycho: as part of the path up to the Bates mansion, as the entrance to the fruit cellar, and as the site of Detective Arbogast's murder. In Shadow of a Doubt, Charlie Oakley (Joseph Cotten) attempts to murder his niece by rigging a staircase to collapse. And, In Dial M for Murder, a key kept under the stair carpet plays a pivotal role in booking the murderer. This stylistic interest in staircases is accredited to the influence of German Expressionism, which often featured heavily stylised and menacing staircases, for example in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Also a feature in fashion, most recently Miuccia Prada hosted her spring/summer 2012 Miu Miu show in Palais Diea in Paris where models marched down a stone staircase to a soundtrack of thunder and moans. Jil Sander’s cinematic spring/summer 2012 campaign photographed by Willy Vanderperre pictures models Natasha Poly, Daria Strokous, Clement Chabernaud and Aiden Andrews stepping down a steep staircase under moody lighting and dramatic shadows. And no one will forget one of Tim Walker’s most iconic fashion photographs taken in Gujarat, India in 2005 for British Vogue featuring flame-haired beauty Lily Cole delicately hunched on a spiral staircase as her light blue dress cascades to the floor.
On AnOther Loves this week we pay homage to the humble staircase, as AnOther commissioning editor Laura Bradley’s Spiral staircase is voted as the most Loved post of the week on AnOther Loves…
What made you choose this spiral staircase?
I posted a striking concrete modernist staircase the other week and have been searching for other examples ever since. This isn't my usual taste but something caught my attention about this one; I can't help but imagine what the rest of the space is like.
Used in fashion and film for style (Tim Walker’s iconic image) and symbolism (Hitchcock films) – what is your favourite staircase in culture?
The iconic mirrored staircase in Chanel's Rue Cambon boutique in Paris is one of my favourites and I love the portrait of Coco sat on the steps. I also love the beautiful staircase at Liberty.
If you were photographed on these stairs what would you be wearing?
My taste is usually minimal but this staircase demands a look that is far more dramatic. I'm quite obsessed with the fantastic skullcaps by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen spring/summer 2012 and one of the floor-length gowns.
Staircases are often used to make an entrance – what do you think is the best way to make an entrance?
At a party, it's best to go with "fashionably late". 15 or so minutes after the party has started.
What is the best staircase that you have walked down?
I used to hate it at the time but I do miss the walk up the five flights at Central Saint Martins, Charing Cross Road. It's so sad that there are no students hanging around on that staircase anymore. It makes me really proud to have been one of the many students (including Lee McQueen and Simon Foxton) who walked those stairs.
Do you take the stairs or the lift?
I quite enjoy a lift ride, especially if I'm wearing heels. It's always enjoyable to spend a ride with someone who's wearing a really brilliant fragrance. Prada d'infusion for men is one of the best, it's not over-powering yet leaves a lasting impression.
Stairways also represent the acquisition of learning – what is the best bit of knowledge someone has bestowed on you?
My tutor, the fashion historian Judith Watt once said one of the biggest mistakes to make in fashion is to mispronounce a designer's name. I was fascinated by it and it eventually inspired our column the Pronunciation Guide for AnOther. My first editor and mentor Penny Martin (now editor of The Gentlewoman) taught me a lot about writing and the importance of good research; advice that will stay with me forever.
Text by Lucia Davies
