MINOR SPOILERS Movies that feature contemporary fashion, particularly high-end and particularly for women, are a tricky sell costume wise. While men’s semi-formal to formal attire is generally shaped around the fundamental guise of the lounge suit, women’s clothing has a lot more avenues and possibilities. In addition to colour and pattern there is shape and form, which can vary dramatically for the fashionable wearer. What can vary dramatically can also date dramatically and this can be major stumbling block for costume designers. Films centred around the world of fashion, or those that include a lot of fashionable garments such as The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Clueless (1995) and Funny Face……

The final outfit for analysis from To Catch a Thief (1954, directed by Alfred Hitchcock) encompasses and challenges the absolute femininity of Grace Kelly, here playing wilful blueblood Frances Stevens. After suffering an embarrassing verbal defeat by mademoiselle Danielle Foussard (Brigitte Auber), in simply donning a coral pink top and pleated skirt with driving gloves, Frances is back in control. This particular ensemble, or rather the skirt, was a request by Grace to the film’s costume designer Edith Head. Keen at this point in the story to restore what she saw as a more ‘womanly’ inference to Frances, trousers, or even Capri pants, were not considered enough. Yet this is…

Judianna Makovsky’s costume design provides an intentional method of understanding The Hunger Games’ politics. Lord Christopher Laverty 10 Comments 19 Jun ’15 1 Aug ’14 14 Dec ’12

The religious and cultural significance of the costume design in foreign language Oscar winner A Separation. Contributor 4 Comments 8 Feb ’20 14 Dec ’12 10 Jul ’18

The religious and cultural significance of the costume design in foreign language Oscar winner A Separation. Contributor 4 Comments 11 Jan ’11 4 Feb ’14 22 Jan ’20

The religious and cultural significance of the costume design in foreign language Oscar winner A Separation. Contributor 4 Comments 3 Aug ’10 1 Sep ’15 10 Jul ’13

Clothes from films set during 1980s Gena Rowlands’ costumes as Gloria evocate character through a fashionable capsule wardrobe. Ruth E. Carter’s work on Do the Right Thing is a masterclass in how costume can influence the look and feel of a film. They have finally done it. Nike has recreated the famous Nike MAG trainers worn by Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future Part II. The arrival of Scarface on Blu-ray grants ideal opportunity to indulge in Patricia Norris’ exemplary, disco couture costumes. Win a Scarface limited edition Blu-ray DVD, scarf and money clip. Three sets to give away. Look as tasteless as Tony! More clip than teaser…

The religious and cultural significance of the costume design in foreign language Oscar winner A Separation. Contributor 4 Comments 10 Feb ’20 10 Jul ’13 19 Dec ’11

This week’s interesting costume design stories and links. We visited Brooks Brothers to check out their costume display from The Great Gatsby. The week’s big costume design stories and links. Some movie costume related stories you may have missed this week. We analyse exactly what Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin need to get right for their costume design in The Great Gatsby. The latest and probably last trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby before its début at Cannes. The press love Prada’s involvement with The Great Gatsby, but exactly how much does this help the film’s costume design? The best kept secret in costume design is finally…

Clothes and identity related film reviews Old fashioned and sentimental, Water for Elephants still has much to offer with its very readable costume design. An uncomfortable watch, Rabbit Hole is nonetheless essential viewing. A ferocious work from a filmmaker at the height of his game, Black Swan is an incredibly satisfying piece of cinema. Flourishes of brilliance, but buried beneath disjointed action sequences and a story that fails to make any sense at all. The bleakest Potter outing yet. Despite having watched Catfish at the Leeds International Film Festival, you will find no review of it here. Though George Clooney is excellent, The American fails to hit the emotional notes…