Clothes on film

Or when your costumes look like a building. Odile Dicks-Mireaux’s designs for High Rise (2016) are far more than that. But for a film set in such a heavily stylised world, especially one created by sci-fi author J.G. Ballard, homogeny is everything. In fact homogeny is terrifying. Everything is reflected in the aesthetic. The building towers, Tom Hiddleston’s trouser legs tower, and Luke Evans towers over everyone.  Director Ben Wheatley has claimed that he did not want High Rise to look like a ‘greatest hits of the seventies‘, but really that’s exactly what he’s got, certainly in terms of costume design – and that’s okay. It might not be the…

It is not entirely clear when The Personal History of David Copperfield takes place, mainly because, as far as we understand, it is not entirely clear when Charles Dickens’ original novel takes place either. If we go on its initially published serial timeline that puts the story at circa 1849, allowing for a few years either side. Point is; it’s the Victorian era. This period in history was lengthy, however, with many technical and industrial advances, such as the advent of aniline dyes – basically the first synthetic dyes – in the latter half of the 19th century. And, boy, did those Victorians go wild for a bit of colour.…

What has to be the final trailer for Blake Lively’s revenge thriller The Rhythm Section has hit and, faithful to the book, it looks to be a kaleidoscope of outfit changes and ludicrous wigs. Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh (Becoming Jane, The Guard, Little Women for TV) is on costume design duties for this one. Not to be all ‘we’ve read the book’ but, well, we have and, to be honest, it’s not that brilliant. However, the story zips along nicely and does features a compelling female lead. Being as Mark Burnell wrote The Rhythm Section in 1999, it’s astonishing that filmmakers have dragged their feet this long in getting a movie…

This one has been on the list ever since Clothes on Film launched ten years ago. Romancing the Stone (1984), and specifically Kathleen Turner’s character of Joan Wilder in the movie, has long been a costume favourite. Her very visible transition is what makes the costume character arc so fascinating. All kudos here to costume designer Marilyn Vance Straker for her clever and oh-so-stylish work. Turner is of the era – we definitely know it’s the eighties – but not dated, not really in any way now. Her look holds up. Having worked on some of the biggest box office projects Hollywood has ever produced, the likes of Ferris Bueller’s…

Tales from the costume crypt. The Talented Mr Ripley Remembering the stellar work of Ann Roth and Gary Jones. Blue Jasmine Costume designer Suzy Benzinger on budgets, Fendi and Cate Blanchett. The Butler Transformations…Ruth Carter discusses mimicking classic fashion designers such as Bill Blass to recreate Nancy Reagan (played by Jane Fonda). Jenn Rogien The Girls’ costume designer is now Gap’s official ‘styled by’ expert. Orange is the New Black More Miss Rogien, this time talking authenticity and maxi-pad shoes. Roman Holiday Just brilliant costume analysis of the film by DTSFT. Elysium A brief chat with costume designer April Ferry. Unsurprisingly, it was Jodie Foster who brought Armani on board.…

Costumes! Read all about it! Fifty Shades of Grey Will Victoria Beckham be the film’s costume designer? Oh dear, we smell another Black Swan situation. X-Men: First Class Part two of Gavia Baker’s superb costume round up. This time: menswear. Gwen Russell The costume maker of Dangerous Liaisons (not the costume DESIGNER like this sloppy article states) – she lives in Croydon, don’t cha know? Camera Ready In development TV show by Syfy, where 10 costume designers compete to create works of sartorial art for film, TV and music videos. Blue Jasmine Insightful guide to Cate Blanchett’s terribly chic and expensive costumes. Marathon Man Mode Parade has something interesting to…

Here is an extract from an enlightening interview with Ann Roth, costume designer of Working Girl (1988), The Talented Mr Ripley (1999) and now 1930s set TV drama Mildred Pierce starring Kate Winslet. Read the full interview over at Harper’s Bazaar to learn why costume design is definitely NOT fashion design. Interestingly, Ann Roth touches upon a similar point made by The Tudors’ costume designer Joan Bergin in our exclusive interview. Bergin explains that, like Roth, she creates for characters, not catwalk. This is a common misconception of the costume designer’s role. Sometimes there is overlap, intentional or not, but costumes are intended to serve the narrative; any allusion to…

Part 2 of our detailed look at the costumes in Tron Legacy. After examining the overall creation and construction of the light suits, we have now moved onto specific design elements for individual characters. Garrett Hedlund as Sam Flynn The only son of Kevin Flynn, Sam is 27 years old, daredevil, rebellious and haunted by the unexplained disappearance of his father. He is sucked into the Grid while following up a mysterious message apparently sent from inside his father’s old video games arcade. Hedlund’s primary costume is a disc game suit. It was far and away the most difficult for associate costume designer Christine Bieselin Clark and her team to…

Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Peter Mullan Directed By: Steven Spielberg War Horse is desperately pretty, sentimental and heartfelt to the point of exhaustion. In other words the return of late 1980s, very early 90’s schmaltzy Spielberg. Whether this is something to celebrate or lament we shall leave up to you. Steven Spielberg shoots through the eyes of a talented illustrator. Filthy trenches, plumes of poison gas, a disastrous Calvary charge; all as beautiful as they are horrific. Add in the continuous swell of John Williams’ score and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski‘s yolky sunsets (no cgi) and War Horse is every frame a Spielberg movie. Not subtle, the final act or…

The first trailer for director Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of War Horse has arrived online. It is only two minutes long so there is not much to see, but see it you should because it looks sumptuous. War Horse is based on Michael Morpurgo’s novel of the same name about a young Englishman’s bond with a horse during the First World War. The horse itself comes into contact with many characters and events throughout the story including serving in the British Calvary and befriending a French farmer. The screenplay is by Richard Curtis and Lee Hall, with some of the less abstract elements of Nick Stafford’s stageplay apparently remaining. Long time…