Here is the first official photo of Chris Hemsworth as Thor, courtesy of Yahoo (nip over there for the full image). Just a sneaky peek at the costume, but it is enough to get the collective internet moaning/cheering. Simply titled ‘Thor’, this is director Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 slated version of the Marvel superhero. In addition to Hemsworth, the film also stars Natalie Portman as love interest Jane Foster, Anthony Hopkins as Thor’s father Odin and Tom Hiddleston playing big villain/Thor’s half-brother, Loki. For those not that well acquainted with the Marvel universe, Thor is not actually a person, he is a god. The god of thunder to be exact. In…

Shocking, but not really considering all the legal wrangling going on with the franchise recently, James Bond 23 has been shelved “indefinitely”. Not good news for any of us who enjoy gawping at the man’s enviable wardrobe. Without getting lost in our dusty legal dictionary, it appears that the main problem lies with Bond’s financial backers MGM. Having put themselves up for sale late last year, the company’s shareholders are currently in the process of arguing to accept the best offer (i.e. take the money and run) or hold out in hopes of keeping the studio afloat. In other words, they’re in limbo. Bond’s producers EON, as headed by Barbara…

Directed By: John Cameron Mitchell Starring: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest While it may be uncomfortable to watch, Rabbit Hole is nonetheless essential viewing. Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) are a suburbanite couple in mourning from the recent death of their young son. As Becca seeks solace in repression interspersed by outbreaks of rage, Howie wants to share his pain in hope of catharsis. Unsurprisingly their togetherness, their marriage, is slowly breaking apart. This is a film that defines its characters’ identity by their grief and how they choose to experience it. Kidman is a model of self-control as the Cath Kidston-esque housewife who seemingly has it…

Two weeks of juicy costume links. Sandy Powell A costumer who needs no introduction. This Sunday at the J. Paul Getty Museum she discusses the use of period photographs in her process. Puttin’ on the Glitz Tyranny of Style contributor Sophia Shillito recaps the British Library’s night of jazz, costume, gangsters, fashion and cocktails. Costume Test Photographs Costume tests for famous movies! Vera Miles as Madeleine! Vikings Joan Bergin talks Vikings season 2 addressing why the show hasn’t received any costume noms. It’s not very good, which may be factor, though that has nothing to do with the costumes. Saddle Shoes Lots and lots of saddle shoes, from Twin Peaks…

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…

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,…

Starring: Kara Hayward, Jared Gilman, Bruce Willis Directed By: Wes Anderson Costume design is an increasingly essential fixture in Wes Anderson’s films, fitting then that Moonrise Kingdom is his most sartorially significant picture so far. His first time collaboration with Kasia Walicka Maimone has yielded a pop culture retrospective of mid-1960s trends, with vibrant colour at the crux of revealing character. Period and setting research alone is extraordinary. The predominantly homemade costumes are sixties authentic; an eye-popping collection of loud trousers, knee socks, two-tone oxfords, hostess dresses with peter pan collars and khaki boy scout uniforms (the mind boggles at how long it must have taken to sew all the…

Near silent and shot entirely in black and white, The Artist is a captivating and irresistibly romantic vision of old Hollywood. With international and hopefully Oscar success on the horizon, we talk exclusively to the film’s supremely talented costume designer, Mark Bridges. Seemingly specialising, though perhaps not intentionally, in bringing to life period stories that are culturally defined by their era (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood), Bridges has again expertly recreated another, almost mythical bygone world. Here he explains to Clothes on Film his thought process behind costume design in The Artist, his passion for the silent era and how he managed to get every outfit ready to shoot…

Costume designer Catherine Marie Thomas proves that Sandra Bullock’s character in The Proposal (2009, directed by Anne Fletcher) does not need a closet full of clothes to make her mark. Here Catherine Marie Thomas discusses exclusively with Jill Burgess for Clothes on Film just why the film is so special to her. Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is a big shot New York book editor, making life hell for her assistant Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds). One morning Margaret is informed by her bosses that she has lost her visa status and will be deported to her native Canada. When Andrew appears to whisk her away from the meeting, Margaret announces to…

No actress personifies the vivid style and nutty playfulness of the flower power years more than Goldie Hawn. From the disheveled crop of sunny blonde locks and psychedelic mini dresses to the teeny bikinis and hand-painted slogan tattoos, Goldie’s most notable looks left an indelible stamp on 1960s pop culture. For three years her giggly, dizzy blonde routine and flawless comic timing charmed American television viewers and made her the most popular member of the ‘Laugh-In’ roster and her work on the legendary TV show led to her first starring role in a major motion picture, 1969’s Cactus Flower. In Cactus Flower, Goldie is cast as a Greenwich Village-dwelling hipster,…