Trailer number one for The Wolverine and he appears to be dressed as a Yakuza. Lord Christopher Laverty 2 Comments 13 Sep ’11 18 Jul ’09 3 Aug ’10

Part two of our essay looking at sartorial identity in Sons of Anarchy, featuring exclusive insight from series costume designer Kelli Jones. Catch up with part 1 HERE. The women of SAMCRO include porn stars and pole dancers, but the club matriarch is Gemma played by Katey Sagal, formerly known as Peg Bundy in Married with Children. Gemma is the Queen of this world so her look is regal rock chick, “to make her look badass without looking like a slut. This sexy mama bitch doesn’t need to TRY” costume designer Kelli Jones says. With her background in music (she has performed with the likes of Bette Midler, Gene Simmons……

Some images and the latest trailer from Water for Elephants. Period costume design by Jacqueline West. Carice van Houten is a Resistance beauty of Jean Harlow-esque proportions in an unmissable red halterneck dress.

A landmark blend of acting, directing, structure and design, Chinatown is the greatest detective movie ever made.

Surely worth a look for eighties fans, the trailer for Hot Tub Time Machine recently hit the net. Lord Christopher Laverty 3 Comments 14 Oct ’19 7 Jul ’11 4 Oct ’13

The following is an abridged interview with Deborah Nadoolman Landis by Clothes on Film editor Chris Laverty for Moviescope magazine. Read the full version in issue 31 available now. “It’s like we’ve been in rehearsals and now we’re going to open on Broadway. Wait till you see it – you’re gonna flip out!” Prof. Deborah Nadoolman Landis is the closest costume design has to living royalty. She has costumed countless films including Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Blues Brothers and Coming to America (for which she was Academy Award nominated), stood as two-term president for The Costume Designers Guild, is a senior lecturer for UCLA (University of California, Los…

The Phantom of the Opera (2004, directed by Joel Schumacher) is a lavish depiction of its world, examining the nature of facade – the un-reality of the stage, the masked Phantom of the title, and the duality of “costume” within costume (the majority of clothes on screen are designed as costumes for use in performances in the narrative). Costume designer Alexandra Byrne makes use of symbolic colour palettes and silhouettes to bring this heightened world to life. We are first taken into the world of the Opera Populaire, 1870, with the dress rehearsal of “Hannibal”. It is interesting to note that not all are wearing full “costume” – corsets and…

One point of discussion after watching Lawless not involving violence, morals or hairstyles, has been the simple item of clothing worn by Tom Hardy as Forrest Bondurant. It seems that his rudimentary knitwear has caused head-scratching and amusement for some cinemagoers. Yet there is nothing odd in Forrest’s choice of attire, in fact historically speaking for the early 1930s in rural America it is spot-on accurate, not to mention perfectly in tune with his character; a gruff man, comfortable in his own skin, who cares about as much for fashion as he does money. This contrast between the man and his clothing provides an ironic twist. The knitted cardigan is…

Beginning in the late 1950s, into the 60’s, predominantly through the mid to late 70’s, then into the early 90’s, costume designer Stephanie Collie’s work for The Look of Love covers several distinct periods. This is the true story of King of Soho billionaire Paul Raymond (Steve Coogan) told via the many women in his life. Helpfully these women confirm to a specific body type which is still relatable as the model ideal today, i.e. very slender or the ‘no-body body’. This means that all the garments on screen look fantastic. They are costumes above all but still relevant as fashion; the 60’s especially still informs contemporary style for women’s…

A trailer for Brighton Rock has arrived online. Remake, reimagining – whatever you choose to call it, director Rowan Joffe’s new vision sees the 1938 crime novel by Graham Greene updated to the 1960s. This means Mods, Rockers, skinny suits and selvedge turn-ups. Thankfully this two minute preview does not run away with the notion. The Brighton Rock we all know and love was made in 1947, directed by John Boulting and starred Richard Attenborough as vicious local hood Pinkie Brown. Now we have Rowan Joffe (writer of The American) and Sam Riley (Franklyn, Control) in their place. Graham Greene’s book is a grim morality tale set against the backdrop…