George Lazenby’s fashionable Bond is sartorially similar to Daniel Craig in Skyfall. The costumes of Rumble Fish express the importance of teenage dress codes before the segregating journey into adulthood. Armour and indecisiveness: Audrey Hepburn is more than a little black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The religious and cultural significance of the costume design in foreign language Oscar winner A Separation. The subtle differentiation of character through costume design in Moon. “Fashion victim” or “ensemble-y challenged”. Examining the legacy of Mona May’s costume design for Clueless. Edith Head’s costume design for Vertigo demonstrates the power of clothes in forming identities on-screen. The glamorous look of the mid-1930s threads its…

Well if this doesn’t look staggering. Set from 1841, via upstate New York to the cotton fields of Louisiana, 12 Years a Slave is the true story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery. As the title suggests, he remains in this Hell for 12 long years. It’s an agonising subject, especially when not satirised like in Quentin Tarantino’s recent Django Unchained. What jumps out of this trailer are the fabrics…so many beautiful fabrics. Just look at the shirts worn by the plantation slaves: linen, tunic style (as they were), cut full with sleeves blooming from the elbows. The film will be particularly…

Arts Illustrated is an elegant new magazine looking at the best and most interesting in culture and design from around the world. Clothes on Film editor Chris Laverty has a regular column in the magazine entitled ‘The Fabric of Cinema’ in which he analyses the symbolic application of costume design in movies, both old and new. The maiden issue of Arts Illustrated focuses on neo-surrelism, and the first Fabric of Cinema column is about that master of costume surrealism, Eiko Ishioka. Laverty takes an in-depth, sometimes critical look at her work with particular focus on The Cell. Below are the first two paragraphs of the article, the remainder of which…

Outfits worn specifically by female actors on television Ray Holman chats exclusively about dressing Matt Smith as the new Doctor. Jim Caviezel as new Number Six spends most of his time in the preview footage wearing a green V-neck sweater and matching lightweight zipper. A straightforward loosely tied scarf around the handbag and Joan is the most stylish woman in the office. As office vamp Joan Holloway, Christina Hendricks gets the lion’s share of groovy outfits on 1960s set TV drama Mad Men.

Outfits worn specifically by female actors on film A slight but worth watching video about the costume and production design for frothy Walt Disney biography Saving Mr. Banks. If you have not seen the film it won’t spoil anything, and will probably get[…] If you have played The Last of Us on Playstation 3 it has likely ruined video gaming for you. The world created is so vivid and believable that every game afterward just feels dated and[…] Moments of sartorial significance, and that glimmer of recognition that we feel upon seeing an onscreen outfit worn more than once are found throughout Smooth Talk, Joyce Chopra’s underseen 1986 adaptation of…

Written, directed by and starring Adam Deacon, Anuvahood is the antithesis of grimy thrillers set on run-down London housing estates. This is a bright, vibrant film, its knowing costume design differentiating sharply between individuals and sects within the community. Anuvahood’s protagonist, Kenneth (Deacon), or ‘K’ as he longs to be known, is typical of his ilk. Someone who has watched one episode of The Wire and somehow thinks he is living the life, Kenneth aspires to be a gangster, or at least a gangster rapper. Dressed in cotton jersey tracksuits, wraparound sunglasses, even an ironic ‘Timmy Mallet’ (and Mallet’s Mallet) vest, Kenneth selects random style notes with no real clue…

Starring: John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet Directed By: Roland Emmerich 2012 is an unbelievably dumb and sentimental movie. The plot sags like a soggy biscuit and the science is utter garbage. Neither of which would matter much but the whole thing is so drawn out it could give you haemorrhoids. If the end of the world is coming, you’ll be preying it would come a damn sight faster and preferably right on top of where you are sitting first. Okay, so even for a disaster movie 2012 is definitely stupid, but is it funny stupid, say in the same way as Irwin Allen’s deadly Styrofoam wasp drama The Swarm…

The first full-length trailer for Disney’s new live-action adaptation of Cinderella was this week and featured tantalising glimpses of what promises to be a visually gorgeous film. The costumes, designed by three time Academy Award[…]

Denim in cinema has been popularised by some of the great screen icons of the twentieth century. From Marlon Brando (The Wild One) to Steve McQueen (Junior Bonner), Paul Newman (Cool Hand Luke) to John Travolta (Urban Cowboy), Grace Kelly (Rear Window) to Brigitte Bardot (And God Created Woman). Similar to the business suit, denim is a sartorial way of life that confers immediate personality on a person without them having to do or say anything; this personality has evolved through time and trends, though one facet remains intact: rebelliousness. Denim’s symbolism has been created on film from real life frontier mythology. Art imitates life; imitates art. At one time…

Two weeks of costume stories. Sheena Napier DTSFT cover this prolific costume designer’s chat at the V&A. And if you’ve not heard of Ms Napier we’ll just say: Backbeat, Poirot, Enchanted April. Sandy Powell Nice rundown of Ms. Powell’s Young Victoria event at the Getty Center. Lauren Fonville guest posts for Frocktalk. Wendy Benstead The costumer for stage and screen talks to Guise about her career so far, from sewing on her old Bernina to dressing Paloma Faith. We’ve met Wendy and she’s lovely. Debbie Reynolds Auction The Finale. Still time to sell your car, house, spouse. 14 Worst Movie Trainers Actually like most of these. Captain America: The Winter…