Christie’s auction house are selling several design sketches by the renowned Edith Head. Each are for roles played by Grace Kelly in Alfred Hitchcock movies, one used in To Catch a Thief (1955) and three in Rear Window (1954). What an ideal early Christmas present. For yourself. From To Catch a Thief is a watercolour and pencil sketch of the black halterneck beach ensemble with wide brimmed hat worn by Grace Kelly as Frances Stephens. Estimated to reach £6,000 – £8,000. The most famous and popular designs from Rear Window are all available. First is a sketch of the extravagant ‘Paris dress’ Kelly wears as Lisa Fremont. It is an…

MINOR SPOILERS ‘Who is behind the mask, the observer or the wearer?’ a question posed by milliner Stephen Jones, who created a series of masks inspired by The Lone Ranger to tie-in with the film’s release. It is an interesting idea, that we are hidden from view in a mask yet paradoxically more visible than ever. No-one knows for sure where masks came from. We can trace their existence back to man’s earliest ancestors, but for what purpose? Entertainment? Disguise? Protection? In cinema the mask has become visual shorthand for the hero, or more accurately the superhero. The Lone Ranger spins this notion on its head somewhat, because although the…

It may not warrant scholarly interest, but National Treasure 2 is an enjoyable enough adventure, with globetrotting locations, a zippy script and trendy Diane Kruger, back again to show how contemporary fashion with a plot is far more fun than a flick through Vogue. After creating an eye-catching (and cleverly ironic) ball gown for Diane Kruger as Abigail Chase in the original film, Judianna Makovsky returned to design for sequel National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (2007, directed Jon Turteltaub). Most of the principal cast returned too, including Nicolas Cage as treasure hunter Ben Gates. Although, again, it is Diane Kruger who draws most of our attention. National Treasure 2…

In Tron Legacy, the light suit exemplifies two key facets of the mythology: light, as in energy, and ‘disc’ – lifeblood of the wearer. This suit is a meticulously designed ‘second skin’ that integrates seamlessly into director Joseph Kosinski’s vision of the Tron story universe. Here we examine the design of the new light suit including background to its creation, construction, symbolism and application in Tron Legacy. ‘The Grid’ is such a heavily computer generated world that the light suit was considered a practical means of bringing this environment to life for actors. Moreover, to physically illuminate each suit in post-production would have been too expensive. Costume designers Michael Wilkinson,…

Filmmaker Nic Fforde discusses how he come to realise the importance of costume design in his projects. Stories in films are all familiar to us in some way, no matter how remote the setting. The hell that unfolds aboard the Nostromo in Alien, LA’s icy criminal underworld in Heat or Rope’s Ivy League dinner party – a good story well told will whisk you away to its own self–contained world. All the tools of filmmaking are there to help create these worlds. What part does costume play in all this? My day job is to make films for advertising. We work on low budgets with small documentary crews. Whatever our…

For contemporary set spy thriller The Tourist starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp, Oscar winning costume designer Colleen Atwood took a break from historical and fantasy to create a modern yet playfully retro collection of gorgeous gowns and impeccable suits. We asked her a few questions about the film’s lavish look and how it evolves throughout. Playing classy mystery woman Elise Ward, Angelina Jolie dons twelve outfits in total, most created from the ground up by Colleen Atwood and inspired by current or vintage pieces. The soft, fitted grey dress she wears was actually a Charles James original. Her shoes, towering heels mostly, were all Salvatore Ferragamo. Floor length in…

They have finally done it. After four years in development, Nike has recreated their famous Nike MAG trainers worn by Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part II (1989). Thing is, at their current price on eBay you will be unlikely to ever actually see a pair, let alone own them. Nike has opted for eBay only auctions to sell these new pairs of which only 1,500 have been made. All proceeds go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation to benefit sufferers of Parkinson’s Disease. Bidding is currently around the $5,000 mark and climbing fast. With just a few hours left until the first auctions…

It has been a couple of weeks since this trailer surfaced, but having missed it then we feel it’s worth a post now. For anyone remotely interested in period costume, Rush looks to be something of a seventies-fest. Rush (directed by Ron Howard) tells the true story of Formula One drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) focusing on their intense and dangerous track rivalry. It is set in 1976 and features a wardrobe of era favourites such as fur trimmed coats and head-scarves for Olivia Wilde as model Suzy Miller and ringer tees for Hemsworth. Wilde does look incredible in this period, her hair and make-up…

Directed By: Joe Johnston Starring: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving Old school, Saturday matinee fun, Captain America: The First Avenger is director Joe Johnston’s best since The Rocketeer (1991) and features some of the finest superhero genre costume design ever committed to film. The assured skill of designer Anna B. Sheppard brings The First Avenger alive, blending potentially high camp ensembles into a believable story environment; one that is essentially a fantasy parallel of our own. It is childish and fun, but with a serious dramatic core at its heart. The 1940s backdrop is rich with costume and production design motifs; muted sepia with flashes of patriotic colour. Captain…

Arts Illustrated is an elegant new magazine looking at the best and most interesting in culture and design from around the world. Clothes on Film editor Chris Laverty has a regular column in the magazine entitled ‘The Fabric of Cinema’ in which he analyses the symbolic application of costume design in movies, both old and new. The maiden issue of Arts Illustrated focuses on neo-surrelism, and the first Fabric of Cinema column is about that master of costume surrealism, Eiko Ishioka. Laverty takes an in-depth, sometimes critical look at her work with particular focus on The Cell. Below are the first two paragraphs of the article, the remainder of which…