Pamela Anderson is poaching attention on the Toronto International Film Festival opening night premiere of the documentary The Last Showgirl, which chronicles her life and rise to stardom. As one of Hollywood’s most glamorous and bold fashionistas, today Anderson tore apart that iconic Sin City glamour once so ably fulfilled by the Rat Pack. Her red-carpet look was absolutely a mesh of old-Hollywood glamour with edgy modern femininity-a real crowd-pleaser at one of the biggest events of the year for cinema.
The Rat Pack-the celebrated group of entertainers fronted by Frank Sinatra-personified Las Vegas style: sleek tuxes, sharp tailoring, and an attitude that said, “The hell with it all.”
Anderson captured this look, but through a more liberated and feminine lens. To premiere her movie The Last Showgirl, she wore an extremely daring outfit mixing in the best Rat Pack elements-the sleek silhouettes and the high-glam accessories-with more novel contemporary touches: a pushy corset-bodice pairing with a draped skirt adds a touch of burlesque to her outline.
Anderson paid homage to the gaudy, supersize Las Vegas of old but reimagined it in the light of today. Vintage glamour and high-definition design seemed to converse with the script of her documentary in which she interprets all that has transpired in her life as a showgirl and then comes out of the experience as something of a journey of self-discovery, empowerment, and control over her own story.
This added a style to her hair and makeup restyling of Sin City glamour. Anderson’s updo-look – classic with the feel of old-school Hollywood icons – contrasted minimalist yet edgy makeup in how it allowed her natural beauty to shine through. In keeping with old-time allurement captured in the persona of a showgirl, the overall look signaled a modern, confident woman in control of her image.
The sartorial statement was, of course, Pam Anderson’s presence at TIFF-but it was also a reclaiming of an era and a persona with which she has been associated for most of her career. Balancing the elegance of the Rat Pack with avant-garde twists on the female form, Anderson gave concrete form to the evolution of her cultural icon by providing a glamorous yesterday with a new, contemporary spin.
