Robert Redford died on Tuesday at his home in Utah, aged 89. The Hollywood icon was a pioneering actor, Oscar-winning director and a driving force behind the independent film movement.
Redford starred in landmark films such as “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Way We Were,” “All the President’s Men,” and “The Sting.” As a director, he won an Academy Award for “Ordinary People” and later received acclaim for works like “Quiz Show”.
Redford’s most enduring legacy is the creation of the Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, which became the premier showcase for independent filmmakers and a launchpad for talents like Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh. By fostering independent cinema, Redford transformed the way films could be made and seen in the U.S..
Redford was also considered a style icon. His relaxed, classic look, exemplified by his characters, had lasting effects on American fashion. In 1974, Ralph Lauren designed costumes for Redford and the rest of the cast of “The Great Gatsby,” creating Twenties-inspired suits that took his brand to a new level of popularity.
“Robert Redford was America’s movie star – from ‘Gatsby’ to ‘The Sundance Kid’ – but it was his personal commitment to preserving his craft and the natural world he loved that will be his enduring legacy. We will miss his joy and optimistic view of living,” said Ralph Lauren via statement to WWD.
Off-screen, Redford also made denim, button-downs and tweed blazers his signature look in the 1960s and 1970s, accompanied by his strawberry-blond hair. His influence persists in the worlds of both cinema and style.
Here, WWD takes a closer look at his style, both on and off screen, through the years.
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Robert Redford, 1960
Image Credit: Corbis via Getty Images A portrait of Robert Redford.
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Robert Redford, 1965
Image Credit: Getty Images Robert Redford poses on the set of “Inside Daisy Clover,” 1965.
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Robert Redford and Lola Redford, 1960s
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Actor Robert Redford with wife Lola Redford, wearing ski suits, standing in the snow in Sundance, Utah.
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Robert Redford, 1962
Image Credit: CBS via Getty Images Robert Redford in “A Tangled Web” from “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour” on Dec. 13, 1962.
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Robert Redford, 1962
Image Credit: CBS via Getty Images Robert Redford in “A Tangled Web” from “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour” on Dec. 13, 1962.
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Robert Redford, 1965
Image Credit: Getty Images A portrait of Robert Redford.
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Robert Redford, 1967
Image Credit: Getty Images Robert Redford and Jane Fonda in a promotional portrait for “Barefoot In The Park,” directed by Gene Saks, 1967.
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Robert Redford, 1967
Image Credit: Getty Images Robert Redford and Jane Fonda walking arm in arm on a Manhattan street from the 1967 film “Barefoot in the Park.”
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Robert Redford, 1969
Image Credit: Getty Images Robert Redford wearing a white shirt with a black neckerchief loose around his neck, in a scene from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” filmed in Utah, United States, 1969.
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Robert Redford, 1969
Image Credit: Getty Images Robert Redford sitting on a rock in a scene from “Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here,” filmed in California, United States, 1969.
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Robert Redford, 1969
Image Credit: Getty Images Robert Redford in a scene from Michael Ritchie’s “Downhill Racer,” circa 1969.
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Robert Redford, 1969
Image Credit: Getty Images Robert Redford in a scene from Michael Ritchie’s “Downhill Racer,” circa 1969.
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Robert Redford, 1969
Image Credit: Getty Images Robert Redford poses on the set of “Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid,” 1969.
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Robert Redford, 1969
Image Credit: Getty Images Robert Redford as The Sundance Kid in the western film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” 1969.
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Robert Redford, 1970
Image Credit: Getty Images Robert Redford on a movie set circa 1970.
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Robert Redford, 1972
Image Credit: Getty Images Robert Redford in a publicity still for “Jeremiah Johnson,” shot on location in Utah, United States, 1972.
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Robert Redford, 1973
Image Credit: Getty Images Robert Redford wearing a striped brown jacket and a grey newsboy cap, the set of “The Sting”, filmed in the United States, 1973.
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Robert Redford, 1973
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Robert Redford on the set of “The Great Gatsby.”
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Robert Redford, 1974
Image Credit: Sal Traina Peter Simins Robert Redford at Fifth Avenue in New York City on Nov. 25, 1974.
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Robert Redford, 1974
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Robert Redford (L) and Lola Van Wagenen (C, back to camera) attend a fundraiser for senatorial candidate Wayne Owens at the home of W. Averell Harriman in Washington, D.C., on May 13, 1974.
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Robert Redford, 1974
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Lola Van Wagenen (C) and Robert Redford (R) attend a fundraiser for senatorial candidate Wayne Owens at the home of W. Averell Harriman in Washington, D.C., on May 13, 1974.
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Robert Redford, 1975
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Robert Redford attends the premiere party for “Great Waldo Pepper” on March 12, 1975 at Rivoli Restaurant in New York City.
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Robert Redford, 1976
Image Credit: Tony Palmieri, Sal Traina Robert Redford attends the New York premiere of “All the President’s Men” at the Loews Astor Plaza cinema, followed by an afterparty at the U.S. Steakhouse, in New York City on April 5, 1976.
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Robert Redford, 1978
Image Credit: Tony Palmieri Robert Redford gives an interview about his upcoming appearance at the United Nations to promote solar energy in New York City on April 21, 1978.
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Robert Redford, 1980
Image Credit: Guy DeLort Robert Redford attends the screening of “The Solar Film” at the American Film Institute Theater in Washington, D.C., on March 7, 1980.
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Robert Redford, 1980s
Image Credit: Getty Images Robert Redford in the 1980s in New York City.
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Robert Redford, 1988
Image Credit: Corbis/VCG via Getty Images Robert Redford stands in Red Square with a spire of the Kremlin in the background.
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Robert Redford, 2002
Image Credit: WireImage Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand during The 74th Annual Academy Awards – Press Room at Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Calif.
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Robert Redford, 2016
Image Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Variety Robert Redford at the Sundance Film Festival Opening Press Conference in 2016.
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Robert Redford, 2009
Image Credit: Steve Eichner Robert Redford attends Americans for the Arts’ 2009 National Arts Awards at Cipriani 42nd Street.