The remake of Swept Away and the biopic Frida are the most recent examples of big studio pictures being used as vehicles for fashion designers. In the old days, a dress worn by, say, Joan Crawford could sell in the millions. But back then, the studios were the designers who would sell the rights to make knockoffs to Macy's or Sears. Today, the likes of Cartier and Versace are buying screen time because they get more bang for the buck than they do in the fashion mags. David D'Arcy reports.
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