Well, new ish, as there are about a hundred different clips of Paranormal Activity 2 on the internet at the moment. This does look interesting though; not least costume wise. In a very ordinary way. Despite this clip being only seven seconds long it does shed potentially enormous light on the new story. It is also a bit spoilery if you have not seen the first film, so bear that in mind before you watch: Hmm, that’s possible prequel territory – although probably not worth speculating over too deeply as we will find out for definite in a few days. What is interesting, however, even in this mini-clip, is the…

The Victoria and Albert Museum, London is hosting an exhibition of dresses and accessories once belonging to Grace Kelly. You have from now until 26th September to get there and gaze. There are a multitude of Kelly’s finest and most memorable outfits on display. Some will look less than pristine as Princess Grace of Monaco was not averse to wearing garments and handbags until long past their best. A classier contrast to modern celebrities who sport an item once before consigning it to the bin marked ‘Seen’ and splashing out on another. Author and all round society man Ian Fleming was the same in this respect. He apparently used to…

Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick has rightly been praised for her work on Behind the Candelabra. Her intricate research and attention to detail helped create a believable world for Liberace (Michael Douglas) and his lover Scott Thorson (Matt Damon), both on stage and off. Here, exclusively for Clothes on Film, she describes five of her recreated stage ensembles alongside official illustrations (some with with fabric swatches) by Christian Cordella. Click on the images to enlarge. Liberace’s White Iconic Fur Coat with 16 ft Train Faux white fox lined completely with silver sequins. The skins are separated by triple rows of rhinestone bands that are mitred into a chevron design at centre…

In many ways Argo is a love letter to the 1970s; through genre, production design, hair and make-up, and especially costume. This is a vivid reconstruction of the era by costume designer Jacqueline West (The Social Network, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) complete with flares, kipper ties and silk scarves, yet it never strays into parody Anchorman territory. Director and star Ben Affleck’s intelligence agent Tony Mendez is dressed throughout in pseudo cowboy attire: high-waist boot-cut jeans, big buckle belt, Cuban heel boots and sports jacket. He is the enigmatic stranger who strolls into town and solves everybody’s problems and then leaves the lonely hero. Argo’s sartorial standout is…

We cannot cover every costume related story here at Clothes on Film, or even most until we get an army of writers and a faster internet connection. So just in case we have missed anything important here is a head count of costume design articles from around the web this week. Mad Men is tapering off slightly, but there is more and more Great Gatsby out there every day. The Great Gatsby (1974) Costume designer May Routh (The Man Who Fell to Earth, being There) remembers when the 1974 version of The Great Gatsby was released, “For one scene the director decided the extras would all jump in a fountain…

The week, the costume stories. Oldboy Ruth Carter on working with Elizabeth Olsen and co. for Spike Lee’s upcoming remake. Some really fab costume sketches too. Piero Tosi The wonderful costume designer (The Leopard, The Night Porter), now 86, receives an honorary Oscar. Sleepy Hollow Generous costume designer Kristin M. Burke once again answers fan questions on Twitter. We really must catch up with this show. 20 Worst Dressed Movie Characters Don’t agree with half of these but it’s a fun list nonetheless. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Further insight into Trish Sumerville’s creative process. This interview, by Kristen Hohenadel, is one of the best currently doing the rounds. …and…

We’ll put our hands up and say right off the bat that we were not looking forward to this remake of Chan-wook Park’s 2003 South-Korean masterpiece Oldboy. It really seemed like the absolute definition of why not to remake a film: namely that it’s brilliant in the first place and because it’s not in English. Unfortunately this (admittedly earlyish) red-band trailer of director Spike Lee’s 2013 interpretation has done little to change our mind: Lee has again worked with costume designer Ruth E. Carter, who make no mistake is a genius – Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Amistad, these and more are reasons why she is at the top…

What have you missed costume wise this week? Well…. Sandy Powell In conversation with Kinvara Balfour at the Regent Street Apple Store, 18th November. Scandal Lyn Paolo has no intention of becoming a fashion designer. Sleepy Hollow We’re a bit behind with this now but looking forward to a marathon catch up. Here series costume designer Kristin M. Burke answers fan questions posed on Twitter. Bad Grandpa Kristin Burke chats to costume designer Lindsey Kear about working without a script. The Great Gatsby Catherine Martin was initially worried the film would look like “a flapper themed 21st birthday party”. Thor: The Dark World Spoilers abound, but if you’ve seen the…

Must admit, we kind of saw this one coming. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire costume designer Trish Summerville has teamed up with online fashion retailer Net-a-Porter to produce 16 ready-to-wear outfits, leather goods and jewellery tied into the film. These ensembles will available exclusively at Net-a-Porter while being simultaneously promoted through Lionsgate’s Capital Couture website. Summerville, recently honoured as Costume Designer of the Year at the 10th Annual Style Awards, commented she’s “extremely proud of the designs that we created for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and there’s no partner more appropriate for Capitol Couture than the world’s most cutting-edge luxury retailer”. If anyone can make such a collection work,…

Hats are one of the standout trends from this season’s Fall/Winter Collections. They add elegance and glamour to any outfit for both men and women. Costume Designer Theadora Van Runkle’s Oscar nominated work for Bonnie and Clyde (1967), directed by Arthur Penn and starring Warren Beatty as Clyde Barrow and Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker, is a great example of how the simple addition of a hat can say a lot about a character. The function of hats and other forms of headwear are not simply to cover the head and protect it from the elements. Their use has defined social and cultural identity throughout mankind’s history, and they go…