Thanks to donations from over 600 people in North America (and some beyond) $30,000 has been raised to restore now fragile dresses from Gone with the Wind. They do give a damn, etc. The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas rolled out a campaign that took just three weeks to gather funds. The center plans to restore five gowns that were all worn by Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara. Jill Morena, collection assistant for the Ransom Center commented on the state of the costumes, which although had been housed in a temperature controlled environment were still in a state of disrepair: Most costumes are not constructed to last…

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon Director: Floria Sigismondi 1975. Rock is a male-dominated genre, but young wannabe guitarist Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) has other ideas. She wants to start an all girl rock band called ‘The Runaways’. And that basically is the set-up of this conventional, yet hugely entertaining music biopic of the real life rebellious rock ensemble. With their band, The Runaways kicked started the term ‘Girl Power’, i.e. youth female liberation, which was resurrected in the 1990s by the Spice Girls. Throughout this story we are reminded that women weren’t given the freedom afforded men in the music business. They were treated like sex objects, not…

This week’s world of costume design reduced to links and soundbites. Kristin M. Burke Costume designer Kristin M. Burke talks about her career. Love this interview and love Kristin. Brave Merida gets a rather shocking makeover by Disney. The Great Gatsby It’s out now so we can all judge for ourselves. In the meantime here is Catherine Martin talking about how she made the costumes ‘feel modern’. Sophie de Rakoff Legally Blonde and This Mean’s War costume designer Sophie de Rakoff discusses the misunderstood job of creating contemporary looks on-screen. X-Men: Days of Future Past Bryan Singer tweeting more pics of Louise Migenbach’s 1973 era costumes. Mad Men Catch up…

What did you miss in costume design this week? Well… Doctor Who John Hurt’s character identity revealed by costume designer Howard Burden? Oh dear. The Sound of Music Bid on the second most famous pinafore in Hollywood history. A Field in England Get the big buckle, big boots, big everything look by Emma Fryer. Pacific Rim Kate Hawley on tackling ‘hard sci-fi’. Bonhams Lot 1793, Tetsuro Tanba’s traditional Japanese costume for You Only Live Twice (1967) and others went under the hammer this week at Bonhams. The Lone Ranger Unsurprisingly, Johnny Depp was very involved with his costume. …and there are Lone Ranger ‘leather goods’ if you fancy them, too.…

By the mid 1970s, denim had been accepted as day wear for everyone and yet still remained intrinsically associated with adolescent ‘drop out’ culture. Warren Beatty was 37 at the time of shooting The Parallax View (1974) so could hardly be described as young; he looks a touch too old for his sky-blue western Levi ‘Trucker’ denim jacket and brown twill hip-hugger pants. Nonetheless the casual denim jacket remains a potent symbol of seventies action hero. Mainstream acceptable yet scruffy, Beatty’s attire resists his character Joe Fredy’s profession as a serious, determined journalist, but not his wayward personality. A denim jacket seen in this era subliminally plants the seed of…

As predicted, a new Tron Legacy trailer has debuted at San Diego Comic Con, along with eight minutes of finished footage (which we’ll admit we haven’t seen). It’s all go for the MCP. The design of the black Tron Legacy light suit is frankly wicked, a prefect modern update from Jeff Bridges’ stretchy number in the original, both functional looking and sexy (co-star Garrett Hedlund describes it as “the wardrobe of a lifetime”). These new suits appear to be made from Lycra, mesh and leather, possibly in two or three pieces, housing various sized illuminated sections wired with electricity. Just by the by, THIS company have some officially licensed replicas…

Watch the trailer HERE The latest in a queue of trailers for Ridley Scott’s version of Robin Hood has arrived. This one shows us more than pain; we get some basic plot too. As based on the 12th century legend, spurred on by the death of his father, Robin of the Hood ( Russell Crowe) is fighting the rampant taxation and oppression of England’s green and pleasant land. This third Scott preview confirms that simple premise, now with more intense dialogue and even intenser stares. Also several clips of Mark Strong on typically ferocious form as Sir Godfrey. He receives a well-aimed arrow in the neck by Hood (guessing this…

This week’s big fat costume design stories from around the web. The Great Gatsby No controversy apparently: Catherine Martin discusses working with Prada on The Great Gatsby. Revenge Multi-Emmy winning costume designer Jill M. Ohanneson talks about dressing The Hamptons in Revenge, “I recently made Nolan a lobster jacket, as a nod to Ryan Gosling in Drive.” Do the Right Thing Brilliant new supercut video from Daniel Reis the man behind Every Outfit Cher Wears in Clueless. This one features the vivid colours and patterns worn in shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and films such as White Men Can’t Jump and Do the Right Thing. The Great Gatsby…

Tales from the costume crypt. The Talented Mr Ripley Remembering the stellar work of Ann Roth and Gary Jones. Blue Jasmine Costume designer Suzy Benzinger on budgets, Fendi and Cate Blanchett. The Butler Transformations…Ruth Carter discusses mimicking classic fashion designers such as Bill Blass to recreate Nancy Reagan (played by Jane Fonda). Jenn Rogien The Girls’ costume designer is now Gap’s official ‘styled by’ expert. Orange is the New Black More Miss Rogien, this time talking authenticity and maxi-pad shoes. Roman Holiday Just brilliant costume analysis of the film by DTSFT. Elysium A brief chat with costume designer April Ferry. Unsurprisingly, it was Jodie Foster who brought Armani on board.…

After some not especially revealing, though still rather tantalising costume wise, X-Men: First Class images released three weeks ago, comes a far more revealing trailer. It is unexpectedly classy too. X-Men: First Class is helmed by Kick Ass (2010) and Stardust (2007) director Mathew Vaughn and co-scripted by both of those films’ screenwriter Jane Goldman. This is worth mentioning because she clearly has a knack for adapting comic books/graphic novels, unless First Class is an exception, which we hope not. Anyway, check out the trailer below. Costumes by Sammy Sheldon – also a Vaughn regular: It is now apparent that both Vaughn and Sheldon have toned down the ‘sixtiesness’ of…