A few weeks ago, Clothes on Film were invited to spend a day at Angels the costumiers. We had a private tour of their hire warehouse, watched tailors and dressmakers at work, then interviewed creative manager Jeremy Angel, son of Chairman Tim Angel about how the business is structured and their plans for future. What we discovered was illuminating. More than just a rental shop for film, theatre and television costume, Angels also provide inspiration to the fashion industry. Angels was established by Morris Angel in the Seven Dials region of London as a used clothing store in 1840, essentially selling tailors’ samples and excess stock. Soon the store relocated…

Fabric of Cinema is Clothes on Film editor Chris Laverty’s regular column in design journal Arts Illustrated. Its second issue has recently gone to print covering the subject of activism in art (subtitled ‘Wake up, stand up’). Fitting neatly around this theme from a costume perspective is the movement known as Blaxploitation, the subject of Laverty’s latest column, analysing how young people in America, particularly males, assumed the dress codes of gangsters and outlaws on screen. Was this actually an artistically progressive movement in cinema or ultimately regressive? The following are extracts from the article in question, which can be read in full on pages 94-97 of Arts Illustrated volume…

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn Directed By: Steven Spielberg For a film made by the best known director on the planet, with a cast of recognisable faces and a deeply evocative story, perhaps the biggest compliment we can pay Joanna Johnston’s costumes in Lincoln is that you hardly notice them. Considering this is a time of top hats, frock coats, crinolines and bonnets, this is high praise indeed. Not for one second does Lincoln evoke that horribly redundant phrase the ‘period drama’. Instead we are gently submerged into an era that in lesser hands could have been costumed to death as the world’s most expensive school play. Johnston…

Directed By: Rupert Wyatt Starring: Andy Serkis, James Franco, Freida Pinto Ignore the clunky, borderline baffling title, as Rise of the Planet of the Apes is gripping entertainment from start to finish. It’s reasonably smart too, with plenty of subtext on everything from ethnicity to hierarchical costume without skimping on the physical action. Director Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist, 2008) is going places in Hollywood. You would be wrong to assume this is not an actors’ film either. It may be populated by Weta motion capture simians, but these are performances themselves; in the case of Andy Serkis as hyper-intelligent, revolutionist chimpanzee Caesar, a subtly complex performance worthy of recognition. While…

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo Directed By: Joss Whedon A worrying trend has emerged with heavily hyped, big budget movies: to proclaim them either genius or turkey. Gone is the middle ground. While Avengers Assemble may be far removed from turkey, it is not genius; it is a witty, well-acted sci-fi adventure bolstered by a great deal of novelty factor. The near impossible task of cramming six unique comic book personalities into a coherent narrative is made to look easy by director/co-writer Joss Whedon. Everyone gets a role to play. Captain America (Chris Evans – really into the part now) takes command, Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.)…

Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang Directed By: James Cameron Avatar (2009) is one of those ‘don’t judge a book by its cover films’. Just on the first trailer alone it seemed director James Cameron had been overdosing on his FernGully: The Last Rainforest video. Plus the promo art, for all its build up, was less than inspiring; looking something akin to an early nineties Rutger Hauer movie. Though being as this has nothing to do with the content of the film itself, it is irrelevant. It isn’t, of course, because even on a subliminal level factors such as these can affect a viewing experience. But it is supposed…

Directed By: Francis Lawrence Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz, Robert Pattinson Old fashioned and sentimental, Water for Elephants still has much to offer those in search of spectacle and matinee romance, not least for its readable costumes by Jacqueline West. Set during America’s Great Depression, the story gathers pace with an empathetic opening and initially captivating performance by Robert Pattinson as Jacob Jankowski, an as yet unqualified vet who, following a family tragedy joins up with a travelling circus. Unfortunately after this exciting set up, Water for Elephants settles into the predictable search for identity via discovering oneself; Jacob falls in love with circus performer Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), a glamorous…

For all involved, Behind the Candelabra is a tremendous achievement: directing, acting, production design and especially costume. Liberace’s stage outfits are recreated faithfully, all the pearls, bugle beads and sequins you would expect. But even more impressive is seeing him at home behind closed doors. Liberace’s (Michael Douglas) life with young Scott Thorson (Matt Damon) is a believable banquet of highs and lows. With every gaudy golden hit there is the inevitable comedown of botched plastic surgery and seedy depravity. This is what Behind the Candelabra is about; the man away from the glitter. He had it all and wanted more. Liberace was the gay Gatsby. Due to Behind the…

Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Michael Keaton (voices) Directed By: Lee Unkrich One of the funniest scenes in Toy Story 3 involves new character Ken. Moreover it actually involves Barbie disguised as Ken. The joke comes from the fact that Ken’s clothes are overtly feminine in style, so much so that when Barbie’s stilettos are revealed beneath her disguise it does not give the game away. Her sceptic merely rolls his eyes. Ken wears high heel shoes? Sure, that seems about right. Ken (voiced by Michael Keaton) is a perfect addition to Toy Story 3 because like very other character in this world there is more to him than meets…

Starring: John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet Directed By: Roland Emmerich 2012 is an unbelievably dumb and sentimental movie. The plot sags like a soggy biscuit and the science is utter garbage. Neither of which would matter much but the whole thing is so drawn out it could give you haemorrhoids. If the end of the world is coming, you’ll be preying it would come a damn sight faster and preferably right on top of where you are sitting first. Okay, so even for a disaster movie 2012 is definitely stupid, but is it funny stupid, say in the same way as Irwin Allen’s deadly Styrofoam wasp drama The Swarm…