This is not The Cabin in the Woods. There are no big sartorial clues in Much Ado About Nothing for a switcheroo mid-point that makes you go “ahhh…now I get it”. Nonetheless, director Joss Whedon’s always inventive costume designer Shawna Trpcic could not resist the urge to pepper his film with subtle meaning. Plus everything on screen is contemporary set but shot in black and white. In costume terms it is a far tougher job to be seen and yet not seen, and even more so without the use of colour. Delicate application of fabric and pattern is vital. “I squinted at colours as I laid out photographs of the…

This week’s big fat costume design stories from around the web. The Great Gatsby No controversy apparently: Catherine Martin discusses working with Prada on The Great Gatsby. Revenge Multi-Emmy winning costume designer Jill M. Ohanneson talks about dressing The Hamptons in Revenge, “I recently made Nolan a lobster jacket, as a nod to Ryan Gosling in Drive.” Do the Right Thing Brilliant new supercut video from Daniel Reis the man behind Every Outfit Cher Wears in Clueless. This one features the vivid colours and patterns worn in shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and films such as White Men Can’t Jump and Do the Right Thing. The Great Gatsby…

While science-fiction and period costume can sell to collectors at auction for tens of thousands of dollars, the future of contemporary costume from the contemporary drama, comedy and thriller genres is unclear. Costumes from films set in the modern age are not valued as highly. Sourced from costume houses, high-street stores, and even actor’s own wardrobes, these pieces could be lost for good for future generations of collectors and fans if current mentality doesn’t change. Contemporary costume, even from popular movies, is surprisingly hard to trace. What has happened to George Clooney’s Aloha shirts from The Descendants? The film’s costume designer Wendy Chuck isn’t sure. “I have no idea where……

Something a bit different from our standard we liked it/didn’t like it review; here’s some style lessons learned from Hot Tub Time Machine’s costume designer Dayna Pink. Aviators are cool whenever: When loser gang Adam (John Cusack), Jacob (Clarke Duke), Nick (Craig Robinson) and Lou (Rob Corddry) transport back to Kodiak Valley Ski Resort circa 1986, aviator sunglasses are among the first sartorial giveaways on display. Lots of variations too, the standard wire frame with tints as popularised by Ray Ban, plus a bright red ‘shutter’ pair seen most recently on Kanye West. The closest Hot Tub Time Machine has to an out and out villain, Lou’s nemesis Blaine (Sebastian…

Trailer two for Shutter Island in pin sharp HD has hit the net. Leonardo DiCaprio and co revisit 1950s fashions under the discerning eye of director Martin Scorsese. Watch the trailer HERE Based on Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel of the same name and retaining its 1950s timeframe, Shutter Island follows two federal marshals, Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), as they investigate the disappearance of a mental patient from a creepy island facility in Massachusetts. Shutter Island promises to be a serious costume movie. Not just because of the enticing fifties setting, but also because Scorsese is someone who understands the important role clothes play in definition of…

One of the seventies’ more successful attempts to modernise fashions of the past. Lord Christopher Laverty 1 Comment 8 Feb ’20 5 Oct ’11 10 Dec ’10

What a busy twelve months it’s been for costume design. Really though, this art, or craft, or business (Deborah Nadoolman Landis insists it is definitely a business) gets more talked about each year. 2013 was especially exciting however as it seemed every month something even more thrilling arrived to fawn over. In the last few weeks alone we have had The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Sleepy Hollow, and now American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street on the horizon. Dipping back further, it was Stoker that got us excited about subtext, The Great Gatsby that slammed the lid on that twenties revival once and for all, and Behind…

Seemingly on a par with Tron Legacy: the movie is the mechanising machine surrounding it. Yet apparently this is no simple case of ‘cash-in and run’, it never was. Disney grasped the mindset of Tron from the very beginning. The name means more than product; it is a lifestyle choice. One might assume that Disney, the entertainment behemoth who continued financing Tron creator Steven Lisberger’s ambitious digital project in 1980 would have taken over the reigns and demanded a gamut of merchandise options to make Lucasfilm weep. Not so, claims Lisberger. There was surprisingly little compromise in their creative/fiscal balancing act: There is a fairly unknown quote from Walt Disney.…

Sharply tailored, violent, sexy and all-round immaculate HBO drama Boardwalk Empire hits British screens for the first time on 1st February (Sky Atlantic). For those who have not already seen the show, what will undoubtedly strike first is, thanks to costume designer John Dunn and tailor Martin Greenfield, just how beautifully turned out all the gentlemen in 1920’s set Atlantic City were. This is a time when being a real man meant wearing a deep red carnation on one’s jacket lapel and stiff collars to rival a neck brace. Ruler of Boardwalk Empire is Atlantic County treasurer Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), a former policeman turned corrupt politician running an alcohol…

We chat about why James Bond wearing a Tom Ford suit is almost a waste of time for the From Tailors with Love podcast. Costume on the brain? This won’t help. Michael Wilkinson Technology in costume design – BRILLIANT Costume Cafe podcast by Colleen Monroe. Sleepy Hallow Pilot costume designer Sanja Hays explains why Ichabod won’t be dressing in Gap tees anytime soon. Grand Theft Auto V Always indespesnible and relevant Tyranny of Style interviews GTA V costume designer Lyn Paolo, who also worked on TV shows Southland, E.R. and The West Wing. American Hustle Michael Wilkinson honoured for his work on a film we are jumping up and down…