The recent internet frenzy of ’90s nostalgia have brought Fran Drescher’s titular character from The Nanny to our current pop-culture lexicon. One could argue that Fran’s sartorial choices were their own character in the show, thanks to the talent of costume designer Brenda Cooper. Visually centric social media apps such as Instagram and Pinterest provide the perfect home for Fran Fine’s show-stopping ensembles thus making her a viral sensation.
One particular Instagram @thenannyart is exemplifying notions of fashion as wearable art by comparing Fran Fine’s looks with fine art.
Fran as a Piet Mondrian
Brussels-based independent curator and founder of drawingroomplay.com, Louis-Philippe Van Eeckhoutte recalls watching the show as a teen and being inspired by the “beauty in the artifice of this over-the-top-sitcom.” After seeing a still shot of Drescher’s character looking over her shoulder in a red and white patterned jacket, he was struck by how much the image resembled Gerard Richter’s 1988 painting, Betty. Using his keen eye for making visual connections, Van Eeckhoutte has curated an impressive gallery of images that combine Fran’s outfits with contemporary art.
The one that started it all: Fran as a Gerhard Richter.
Additionally, Van Eeckhoutte’s juxtaposition between the “high culture” of the art world and the ’90s camp of the sitcom addresses the show’s narrative, in which the class difference between Fran and the Sheffields was a defining theme. The lady in red from Queens and her over-the-top, tell-it-like-it-is persona contrasted with the Sheffields’ refined, jaded existence on the privileged Upper East Side.
Fran as a Picasso
Fran as a Josh Smith
Images courtesy of Louis-Philippe Van Eeckhoutte of @thenanny art via Instagram
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