Fashion and cinema have long shared a symbiotic relationship (just look at any of Miuccia Prada or Raf Simons’ collections). Even so, few films have etched themselves into the fashion psyche with quite the same force as Almost Famous. Sure, film critics might remember Cameron Crowe’s 2000 semi-autobiographical ode to rock ‘n’ roll for its tender coming-of-age narrative and sun-drenched So-Cal soundtrack, but there’s no denying that its sartorial signatures have left a lasting legacy.
At the centre of the film’s style mythology is Penny Lane, a mysterious muse and self-titled “Band-Aid” (not to be confused with a ‘groupie’—a distinction Lane describes thus: “Groupies sleep with rockstars because they want to be near someone famous. We are here because of the music, we inspire the music.”). It was Lane who set me on a decades-long search for a shaggy Afghan-style coat—a quest that ultimately ended on my 30th birthday when my sister presented me with a dusky pink suede, knee-grazing Penny Lane coat which, wait for it, reverses to reveal an ochre corduroy lining with a fuzzy rosewater trim that can be worn both ways. It is among my most cherished possessions.
