Clothes on film

The leggy lure of Bombshell. Lord Christopher Laverty Comments Off on Bombshell: Below the Belt 21 Jul ’12 23 May ’20 1 Aug ’12

Directed By: Joseph Kosinksi Starring: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde Displacement of identity via corruption of the soul is the message at the heart of Tron Legacy. On premise alone this film has an incredible opportunity for depth and introspection. The Grid is a fascist state. Factions are separated via colour; costume differentiating allegiance, either to leader of the regime, CLU, (displaying red or yellow) or Grid dwellers, those passive or awaiting a rebellion (in white or blue). As CLU is fashioned in Kevin Flynn’s own image, director Joseph Kosinski employed cutting edge digital ‘sculpturing’ to ensure Jeff Bridges could play opposite himself aged twenty years younger. For the…

When Arnold Scaasi opened his couture salon in 1964, he soon became a couturier to the stars. He was already a favoured designer for Barbra Streisand when he famously dressed her for the 1969 Oscars. Streisand was up for Best Actress for her movie debut in Funny Girl and was established as something of an ‘individual’; usually described as ‘kooky’, she was completely different from anyone else, an innovator of style, and challenging and changing the ideas of beauty. So it is no surprise that when it came to her clothing choice for the Oscars, Streisand resisted the usual protocol of an evening gown and instead opted for a most…

Costume designers face a quandary: keep contemporary set films up to date, but ensure that they do not appear hideously outmoded in the future. In short they need to create a look that is both fashionable and timeless. Not an easy task. With this in mind consider some predicted winter/fall trends in women’s and men’s wear. If you spot any in this season’s movies there is either a seriously forward-thinking costume designer at work, or one who is going to regret his/her choices in the future. The great Edith Head once got caught showcasing what she thought would be the latest fashions in a film then lived to regret it;…

That is the long and the short of it: according to the wise words of this month’s Vogue India, Clothes on Film are one of the leading voices in digital fashion coverage. The exact words of their writer Dal Chodha were ‘game changer’, so we’ll happily run with that. You can read the full Vogue article in THIS PDF. We’re on page 156, the piece begins at p 148. Honestly we are not entirely sure what being bestowed such an honour means, but with names such as Victoria Beckham and Burberry included in the list we must be doing (and saying) something right. It does make Clothes on Film seem……

On the eve of Boardwalk Empire: Season 2 commencing, we had a chat with the show’s costume designers John Dunn and Lisa Padovani. The arrival of Scarface on Blu-ray grants ideal opportunity to indulge in Patricia Norris’ exemplary, disco couture costumes. Michael Caine created Jack Carter, yet his immaculate blue mohair suit was more than a little responsible for creating the myth. The full trailer for HBO’s Boardwalk Empire arrives. Period costume fans, set your jaw to dropped. One of the seventies’ more successful attempts to modernise fashions of the past.

Costume designer Lindy Hemming chats exclusively to Clothes on Film about her contribution to Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style. Michael Caine created Jack Carter, yet his immaculate blue mohair suit was more than a little responsible for creating the myth.

Michael Caine created Jack Carter, yet his immaculate blue mohair suit was more than a little responsible for creating the myth.

Michael Caine created Jack Carter, yet his immaculate blue mohair suit was more than a little responsible for creating the myth.

It’s the most celebrated, the most special, the most significant watch of all time; Rolex is symbolic of many things in the movies: style, wealth, attitude, and perhaps most importantly, taste. That is not to say a Rolex is elitist, but rather that the wearer on screen, anyone from James Bond to Steve McQueen, is someone possessed of the knowledge that there is no better. Rolex is the pinnacle. The history of Rolex on film is not nearly as interesting as the scope of its wearers and how this simple act of either subtle or ostentatious display can define character. Take James Bond, a man whose breeding was forced upon……