How One of Robert De Niro's Most Iconic Characters Changed Men's Fashion
Robert De Niro's Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver became far more than a film character. His disheveled military-surplus look, built around a worn M-65 field jacket, turned into a lasting menswear archetype.
GQ writer Liza Corsillo described De Niro's wardrobe in the film as a "proto-punk style statement." Military surplus looks like Bickle's have since become fully mainstream in menswear.
According to Vogue, Bickle's transformation from a quiet loner into an "avenging angel" hinged on his look. His mohawk and M-65 jacket combination was described as nearly unheard of at the time. He paired both with his signature aviator sunglasses.
Vogue noted the character's reach extended straight onto the runway. Alexander McQueen named his entire Fall 1993 collection after the film, complete with prints of Bickle himself.
The BFI has also traced a direct line between the film and the punk movement. Bickle's escalating hairstyle appeared the same year the Ramones released their debut album. It arguably predicted the punk look before it fully took hold.
How Robert De Niro Looks Back on Taxi Driver Today
Robert De Niro recently opened up about how Taxi Driver has aged.
"You never can think that you're doing something that's going to have an impact," he told Page Six.
He added that he never approaches a role expecting it to become iconic. According to De Niro, a film's ultimate success is always out of an actor's hands.
Despite his own doubts, Taxi Driver is now widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. In 1994, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.
This year marks the film's 50th anniversary. De Niro and director Martin Scorsese recently reunited for a public discussion following a special festival screening.
Decades later, Travis Bickle remains one of De Niro's most defining roles. Its influence on fashion, film and culture has only grown since the character first appeared on screen.
source https://www.mensjournal.com/style/how-one-of-robert-de-niros-most-iconic-characters-changed-mens-fashion
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