The Levi jacket worn by Ken Takakura as Ken Tanaka in Japan set thriller The Yakuza (1974, costume design by Dorothy Jeakins) is not Japanese denim. It was not made in Japan but is nonetheless representative of a time when denim as symbol of burgeoning Americana in the East would take off into the stratosphere, and has remained so ever since. Although Levi products were imported into Japan before the 1970s (Levi International was created in 1965), it was not until mid-decade that a Tokyo office was established. This was in response to growing popularity of all things American in Japan, especially denim and especially Levi. There was no single…

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio Directed By: Quentin Tarantino MILD SPOILERS A Quentin Tarantino movie cannot be summed up by genre. It transcends, using in this case ‘the Western’ to unfold a cruel, but humorous tale of robust men and women defined by the myth of the Old West. Case in point: Django Unchained is actually set in the Deep South. Each character we encounter is playing a role; constructing a persona comprised of violent gambits and double-talk. Sharen Davis’ costume design quietly reveals their intentions so we know these individuals before they know themselves. Slave Django (Jamie Foxx) may be unchained in the first scene, but he…

Costume catch up time. Puttin’ on the Glitz Clothes on Film editor Christopher Laverty will be teaming up with the incomparable Amber Jane Butchart for an exciting talk at the British Library. Man of Steel Michael Wilkinson talks about his design process on the film, plus his overall approach to costuming in general at this LACMA event. For Tyranny of Style, Brianne Gillen records the details. Divergent Carlo Poggioli’s costume sketches and character info. Looks good, but will probably save reading this until after watching. Due 21st. Constantine First look at the trenchcoat wearing, Sting-alike lead character for NBC’s new television series. True Detective Costume designer Jenny Eagan talks about…

It’s been all go with award nomination announcements for costume design over the past two weeks. Here is our round-up of the big three: BAFTA, CDG and Oscar. First up the BAFTA (British Academy of Film & Television Arts) Film Awards: The Artist – Mark Bridges Hugo – Sandy Powell Jane Eyre – Michael O’Connor My Week with Marilyn – Jill Taylor Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy – Jacqueline Durran Perhaps the most surprising nomination, even though it shouldn’t be, is Jacqueline Durran for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Overruling the costumers’ chapter vote for Anonymous (Lisy Christl), general voters chose Tinker, Tailor instead – and with good reason. Critic Guy Lodge…

From Chris Laverty’s regular column ‘Fabric of Cinema’ for Arts Illustrated magazine, here is an abridged version of the most recently published essay ‘A Migration of Talent’. The current issue of Arts Illustrated focuses on those that have moved across geographical boundaries to expand the scope of their work. It has long been the norm for costume designers from the UK to relocate, not necessarily permanently, to Hollywood. Their careers have been forged by the demands of the business they compete in. But what would have happened if, say, Sandy Powell (Shakespeare in Love), or Joanna Johnston (Who Framed Roger Rabbit) had never worked beyond these shores? How would their…

Tron Legacy arrives in UK cinemas on 17th December, but you can see it over two weeks early! We have TWO PAIRS of tickets to give away to a screening in London’s West End on Thursday 2nd December at 6.00 pm. If that is not an early Christmas present then we don’t know what is. As you are doubtlessly aware, Tron Legacy is the story of 27 year old Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) searching for his missing father Kevin (Jeff Bridges), once the world’s leading video game designer, in a high-tech cyber universe – the ‘Grid’ – where he has been trapped for twenty years. Help comes in the form…

There is little point in Clothes on Film delving too deeply into the first trailer for director J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars sequel The Force Awakens, mainly because it is just so much speculation at the moment, which of course is part of the fun, but also because there are far smarter (or more interested) minds on the Internet who will do a better job. That said how can you watch that trailer and not have an opinion? So here are ours, and with no contribution whatsoever from Star Wars VII costume designer Michael Kaplan. If he told us anything at this stage he would be thrown in the Sarlacc pit…

Part two of a new Dual Analysis costume film review. Based on the 1967 novel by Ira Levin, Rosemary’s Baby is a story about a young couple that is (voluntarily, on the part of the husband, and unwittingly on the part of the wife) lured into a satanic cult. The wife, Rosemary (Mia Farrow) is unknowingly impregnated with Satan’s spawn, and she slowly figures out what is happening to her as the movie progresses. This film gave me nightmares last night. It’s pretty creepy. A warning: do not watch this film if you are pregnant!! The young couple, Rosemary and Guy (John Cassavetes), moves into a beautiful Gothic apartment building…

Recently we were fortunate enough to get our hands on Amber Jane Butchart’s new book, her ‘Fashion Miscellany’, which has just been published by The IIex Press. If you don’t already know, Amber is a contributor to Clothes on Film and will soon be teaming up with editor Christopher Laverty for an evening of Jazz Era discussion at the British Library. Her book, by the way, is flippin’ brilliant. If you care even slightly about what we wear and why, AJBFM is an indispensable purchase. The layout of it is simple enough. It’s basically designed as a dip-in-and-out for research, or whenever you fancy a flick though. We’d call this…

Swing Time (1936) is full of lovely outfits, and all very luxurious thirties to lure cinemagoers out of their economic depression. Fred is near permanently attired in full evening suit – bar an immaculate fur collared overcoat and silk scarf for the snow sequence, while Ginger dons costume designer Bernard Newman’s flowing gowns for dancing and Chanel style suits and fox fur for day wear. Among all this luxury is a plain, yet deliciously feminine black dress worn for the ‘Pick Yourself Up’ waltz. This is a classic example of 1930s praise for a curvy female form. Post Hays code, dresses displayed less flesh but were pulled in tighter for…