By no means intended as an exhaustive list, Clothes on Film ponder an overview of 2011 in costume. Costume designer Amy Westcott has finally been rewarded for her work on Black Swan with a CDG Award. Amy Westcott talks exclusively to Clothes on Film about her process on Black Swan, that Oscar snub and the recent controversy surrounding herself and Rodarte. The 83rd Academy Award nominations were not especially surprising, but for Best Costume Design category there were a couple of major upsets. A ferocious work from a filmmaker at the height of his game, Black Swan is an incredibly satisfying piece of cinema. The Costume Designers Guild (CDG) has…

Jackson Pollock spawned a thousand imitators in the art world when he chose to work in denim jeans. On Meg Ryan’s character Alice, hippie seems like a passing trend rather than a lifestyle choice. Costume designer Carloine Harris has recreates the vibrant look of the 1970s. Denim re-invented Audrey Hepburn from stylish and chic to cheeky and tomboyish. Despite its routine ending, The Runaways is a music biopic to be reckoned with. Pleasant surprise of the day, the first official photo for The A-Team movie has gone online – and it looks rather good. Betty ‘Rizzo’ played by Stockard Channing is not only the most complex character in Grease, but…

Potiche confirms that Catherine Deneuve will always be Belle de Jour, only now with added sense of humour. Unquestionably the most historically significant outfit Katie Holmes as Jackie Kennedy wears in the show is her rose pink tweed suit. Beautiful and affecting, even if it does collapse under the weight of its own earnestness at times. Public Enemies demonstrates how costume can actually drive a story narrative. Michael Caine is the epitome of badly folded cool. A new clip of Toy Story 3 has hit the internet. It’s got Ken. It’s got Ken wearing jeans. It’s got Ken dancing. Some essential style lessons learnt from Hot Tub Time Machine. Costume…

Costume designer Janty Yates has taken time out filming Robin Hood to chat about her contribution to an earlier Scott picture – Hannibal. Lord Christopher Laverty 2 Comments 5 Sep ’13 16 Feb ’10 18 Jul ’09

American Gigolo is not about its protagonist, it is about what he wears. American Gigolo is about Armani. Gena Rowlands’ costumes as Gloria evocate character through a fashionable capsule wardrobe. Sonia Grande’s costume design for Midnight in Paris offers everything we expect of 1920s Paris and the contemporary nouveau riche. Mark Bridges exclusively explains his costume choices for retro epic Boogie Nights. The arrival of Scarface on Blu-ray grants ideal opportunity to indulge in Patricia Norris’ exemplary, disco couture costumes. Lucie Bates exclusively discusses her work on Hanna, inducing parodies, subtext and working with Giorgio Armani. More clip than teaser trailer, but Meryl Streep certainly does look the part. All…

The first trailer for Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues steps from the 70’s to the 80’s in vivid style. Lord Christopher Laverty Comments Off on Anchorman 2 Trailer: Ron and Friends Meet the 80’s 1 Feb ’10 16 May ’11 3 Apr ’13

In the very opening scene of Rocky (1976, costume designer Robert Cambel), we see the title character in the ring, bare chested, hands encased in boxing gloves, the picture of sporting violence and masculinity. But this is no more than a surface assumption. Not two minutes later, we see Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) shrug on his faded brown towelling dressing gown, with “The Italian Stallion” embroidered on the back, and things start to shift. This is not a macho film concerned with the fight alone, but an exploration of masculinity in all its guises – the assumptions, the pretence and the reality. Clothes play an important part in this, both…

Unquestionably the most historically significant outfit Katie Holmes as Jackie Kennedy wears in the show is her rose pink tweed suit. La Femme Nikita re-defines the little black dress on film. Rachel’s Chanel suit was a personal request from Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner. Last week Clothes on Film visited the Grace Kelly: Style Icon exhibition. This is what we found out. Hollywood starlet Christina Ricci has featured in a short film for The Donna Karan Company called Four Play. It is all to promote their Eldridge handbag. Costume designers need to create a look that is both fashionable and timeless. Not an easy task. Amelia Earhart was known for…

The costumes of Rumble Fish express the importance of teenage dress codes before the segregating journey into adulthood. Clothes on Film have an exclusive chat with Academy Award winning costume designer Janty Yates about her work on Prometheus. Wes Anderson’s most sartorially significant film yet. Clothes on Film had an exclusive conversation with costume designer Joanna Johnston about her work on War Horse. Kathleen Kennedy chats exclusively to Clothes on Film about her experiences and understanding of costume design. Costume designer Joanna Johnston has recreated WW1 with staunch accuracy. The displaced sex appeal of uniforms in Mildred Pierce. Clothes on Film talks exclusively to Tate Taylor about his use of…

The first trailer for Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues steps from the 70’s to the 80’s in vivid style. Lord Christopher Laverty Comments Off on Anchorman 2 Trailer: Ron and Friends Meet the 80’s 1 Sep ’11 26 Feb ’10 25 Jul ’09