The Costume Designer - Winter 2015 by Costume Designers Guild

vol. 11, issue 1

FEATURES Edith Head Award: Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis. . . 19 Career Award: Aggie Guerard Rodgers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 The Case for Contemporary Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 CDG Award Nominations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Awarding Costume Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Holiday Party. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

DEPARTMENTS Editor’s Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD 11969 Ventura Blvd., First Floor Studio City, CA 91604 phone: 818.752.2400 fax: 818.752.2402 costumedesignersguild.com GENERAL CDG CORRESPONDENCE cdgia@costumedesignersguild.com COVER The Costume Designers Guild statuette Photographed by Jason Clark at Western Costume Company. TOC photo: Taraji P. Henson in Empire ©2014 FOX Broadcasting Co./Chuck Hodes/ FOX.

Union Label. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 President’s Letter Executive Director Labor Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Costume Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 A Day in the Life History of Dress

In Focus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Sneak Peek Boldface Names

Scrapbook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Winter 2015 The Costume Designer

EDITOR’S NOTE

In this wonderful new year I would like to challenge you, dear readers, to connect these dots. Take the points scattered like seeds, and link them together. In late 2014, I had the honor of attending the Cinearti Berenice presentation in Rome. Like our CDG Awards, they recognize Costume Design as well as other arts which lie in the camera’s gaze. Being there, and not being much of a linguist, I had to rely on attentiveness, observation, and being a little more friendly than I am usually comfortable with. The people around me felt familiar and welcoming. For one evening, we were united in the passion of celebrating our shared art. Being in that vast ballroom more than 6,000 miles away from Hollywood reminded me that our perceived differences are largely due to culture and geography, but our goals are similar. Like many of you, I attended Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis’ glorious exhibit several times (my thoughts and observations can be found in our fall 2014 issue). As more of my friends, from both Local 892 and 705, viewed Hollywood Costume firsthand, their remarks were striking. “I worked on a lot of those films,” one told me. Another said, “I was proud to see things I had built, and I brought my family.” A third added, “It means so much to have my work included,” and it continues. Two byproducts of Deborah’s herculean effort were to draw our members closer by uniting us with pride in our work, and to ignite us with our common purpose. Inspiration is contagious. I had the great delight of interviewing Deborah for this issue on the occasion of her receiving the inaugural Edith Head Award. We bring you her words, which are too fascinating to risk paraphrasing. Her article shares the story of her transformation from Costume Designer to costume advocate, and her deep union roots. We also bring you Career Achievement winner Aggie Guerard Rodgers and interviews with all thirty-five 2015 CDG nominees. This group underscores the fact that we are an international association, and they thrill with their candor and design triumphs. This coverage would not be possible without the tenacity of our associate editors Bonnie Nipar and Christine Cover Ferro, as well as regular contributor Stacy Ellen Rich, who chased designers across continents and time zones for their compelling answers to our question about the relationship between Costume Design and risk. I am also grateful to Western Costume for opening their doors to us for our cover photo shoot. A special thank you to President Eddie Marks, to the very accommodating workroom coordinator Heather Hands, and to Christine Cover Ferro, who was the perfect conspirator for a whirlwind afternoon hunting for the most exquisite fifties showgirl feathers. All of these facets are part of the same prism. All of the points are each of us, individually. But when we join together, it is powerful. Once we have the world in the net of our attention, with our mutual respect for each other, and our passion for Costume Design, what would the picture look like? Connect the dots.

costumedesignersguild.com EDITOR IN CHIEF

Anna Wyckoff

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Bonnie Nipar Christine Cover Ferro PRESIDENT

Salvador Perez

sperez@cdgia.com VICE PRESIDENT

Cate Adair

cadair@cdgia.com SECRETARY

Terry Gordon

tgordon@cdgia.com TREASURER

Marilyn Matthews

mmatthews@cdgia.com EXECUTIVE BOARD

Julie Weiss

jweiss@cdgia.com

April Ferry

aferry@cdgia.com

Mary Vogt

mvogt@cdgia.com

Christopher Lawrence clawrence@cdgia.com

Felipe Sanchez

Costume Illustrators Representative fsanchez@cdgia.com

Brigitta Romanov

ACD Representative bromanov@cdgia.com LABOR REPRESENTATIVES

Betty Madden Sharon Day

BOARD ALTERNATES

Ken van Duyne

kvanduyne@cdgia.com

Mona May

mmay@cdgia.com

Kristin Burke

kburke@cdgia.com

Jennifer Soulages

jsoulages@cdgia.com BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Jacqueline Saint Anne jsaintanne@cdgia.com

Cliff Chally

chally@cdgia.com

Barbara Inglehart

bingleheart@cdgia.com ALTERNATE TRUSTEE

Dorothy Amos

damos@cdgia.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Rachael M. Stanley rstanley@cdgia.com

Member services ADMINISTRATor

Suzanne Huntington

shuntington@cdgia.com

Anna Wyckoff awyckoff@cdgia.com

RECEPTIONIST/SECRETARY

Cheryl Marshall

cmarshall@cdgia.com PUBLISHER

IngleDodd Media ADVERTISING

310.207.4410

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

cdg@IngleDodd.com www.IngleDoddMedia.com

Warner Bros. Pictures would like to thank the

Costume Designers Guild and congratulate our nominees Excellence in Fantasy Film

Richard Taylor, Bob Buck, Ann Maskrey

Excellence in Period Film

Mark Bridges

CONTRIBUTORS

What is your favorite film ending?

Stacy Ellen Rich (Awards Coverage) I recently revisited The Graduate. The ending is a mere 5 minutes of screen time. Cinematic brilliance.

Bonnie Nipar (Associate Editor, Nominees) As a self-proclaimed super-sleuth of a good suspense plot, I am remarkably adroit at gleaning the small reveals that point to ‘who-did-it,’ often times very early in a film. That’s why I’m attracted to the endings that I don’t see coming… like the twist ending of Fight Club. In retrospect, I think Michael Kaplan’s brilliant Costume Design choices for the incendiary “Tyler Duran” should have been my clue that his character was really the alter ego of the milquetoast “Narrator.”!

Christine Cover Ferro (Associate Editor, Bold Face Names, Nominees, Awarding Costume Design) The image of Glenn Close as Mme. de Tourvel taking off her makeup in Dangerous Liaisons has stayed with me since the first time I saw it. There is something so stark and finite about her vulnerability in that moment. It leaves no question as to how complete her defeat has been

Robin Richesson (History of Dress, Illustrator) Casablanca is one of my favorites. On the darker side, Double Indemnity. More recently, I really got a kick out of the END CREDITS for Jennifer’s Body, which cleverly shows Amanda Seyfried’s character getting some bloody revenge! Very stealth.

VAlli Herman (Aggie Rodgers Career Achievement) I like a different sort of “happy” ending—when the oppressed are freed and when terrible wrongs are avenged. Quentin Tarantino delivered two of the most satisfying of that type in Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained.

Marcy Froehlich (History of Dress, Text) I love surprises, so to segue from the danger of the cliff at Mount Rushmore to the romance in the train cabin in North by Northwest, was great! Ah Hitchcock. 6

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

Nominated for

THE COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD FILM

Steven Noble

“Costume Designer Steven Noble Should Be Commended For His Meticulous Craft In Bringing The Time Period To The Screen.” CLAYTON DAVIS, AWARDSCIRCUIT.COM

For more on this extraordinary film, go to www.FocusGuilds2014.com

COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARDS NOMINEE EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD FILM - SAMMY SHELDON DIFFER

BAFTA AWARD NOMINATIONS IN CLUD ING

COSTUME DESIGN - SAMMY SHELDON DIFFER

DRESSING BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH FOR “THE IMITATION GAME,” THE BIOPIC ABOUT THE WORLD WAR II CODE-BREAKER ALAN TURING, INVOLVED A FAIR BIT OF ACTING EVEN BEFORE THE CLOTHES WERE CHOSEN. In the film, directed by Morten Tyldum, Turing is depicted as a mathematician with autismspectrum behaviors who was persecuted by the British authorities for being gay. To deconstruct this complex character through clothing, the costume designer Sammy Sheldon Differ recalled, Mr. Cumberbatch tried on a series of sweaters and suits, then acted out scenes at fittings in search of the right combination of disheveled order. “It was much more about creating a person than fitting him into something predesigned,” she said. “And it’s just so great to have someone act in your fitting; it was like he was my drawing.” Another challenge was designing something new and interesting for a time period that is already well-worn on-screen. So Ms. Sheldon Differ threw out old notions of what the period should look like. “One of the loves of my job is forgetting what my preconceived ideas are, reading the script and then actually researching honestly, without any outside influence, seeing if I can find the truth,” she said. “Later, I can widen that concept to include emotional responses to the script, elements dictated by the scene or what the actor or director feels.”

A sketch of the suit Benedict Cumberbatch wears when his character arrives at Bletchley Park. Credit Sammy Sheldon Differ

twcguilds .com

One of the looks for Keira Knightley’s character, the only female member of the code-breaking team in “The Imitation Game.” Credit Sammy Sheldon Differ

union label PRESIDENT’S LETTER It seems like I was just putting my tux away from last year’s CDG Awards, and yet here they are again. Our gala has become the Costume Designers’ social event of the year where we get to come together and celebrate the best and the brightest of the year. Costume Design is continuing to be a powerful force: we are the style makers that the fashion industry is following. Our work is regularly featured in magazines and on the red carpet, and the press knows us by name. Although it is not a contractual requirement that there is a Costume Designer on all projects, it is industry standard, as our work is essential to the look and feel of the characters on the screen. This year’s Career Achievement Award recipient is Aggie Guerard Rodgers. Celebrating a career that spans decades and includes some of the most iconic costumes on film, Aggie has helped many actors create their characters. From Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice, Whoopi Goldberg in The Color Purple, to Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer in The Witches of Eastwick, and most recently, Michael B. Jordan in Fruitvale Station. Edith Head, one of our founding members, was instrumental in bringing Costume Design into the spotlight. She was one of the first Costume Designers to be featured on television as a style expert. She wrote several books on style and gave us a voice in the public. In the spirit of Edith Head, we are inaugurating the Edith Head Award for the Advancement and Education of the Art of Costume Design. Our first recipient is Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis who has championed Costume Design and exhibited the same pioneering spirit as Edith Head. Her exhibit Hollywood Costume is the culmination of a lifetime of passionate advocacy for our field. The exhibit so brilliantly showcases the art and dedication we put into our work. As Costume Designers, we owe Deborah a huge debt of gratitude. She has put a spotlight on us and our work that will continue to shine for years to come. As Costume Designers, we need to stand up, be proud, and relish this spotlight, because our work has so much value. In the busy world we live in, we sometimes forget to pat ourselves on the back and say “Good job.” I want to thank Suzanne Huntington and her CDG Awards Committee for compiling the list of eligible projects. You would be surprised to know that only about 30% of the list is member submitted, the rest is done by the Awards Committee. I congratulate all nominees and look forward to another amazing gala on February 17, 2015. In solidarity, Salvador Perez sperez@cdgia.com

“

Costume Design is continuing to be a powerful force.

”

CALENDAR January 12

Executive Board Meeting

January 19

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 31

Day at the Races

February 2

Executive Board Meeting

February 16

Presidents’ Day holiday

February 17

CDG Awards

February 20 General Membership Meeting March 2

Executive Board Meeting

April 3

Good Friday holiday

April 6

Executive Board Meeting

Winter 2015 The Costume Designer

C O S T U M E

D E S I G N E R S

G U I L D

N O M I N E E

EXCELLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY FILM KARI PERKINS

W I N N E R

G O L D E N

G L O B E

A W A R D S

BEST MOTION PICTURE BEST DIRECTOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS RICHARD LINKLATER

PATRICIA ARQUETTE

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS ®

BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR

BEST DIRECTOR RICHARD LINKLATER

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - ETHAN HAWKE BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - PATRICIA ARQUETTE BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY - RICHARD LINKLATER BEST EDITING - SANDRA ADAIR

WINNER

BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR LONDON FILM CRITICS CIRCLE • LOS ANGELES FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION • NEW YORK FILM CRITICS CIRCLE

“A

LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENT AND EASILY THE YEAR’S MOST EMOTIONAL FILM,

CHANNELING REAL LIFE WITH SEAMLESS AUTHENTICITY IN A WAY THAT MOVIES RARELY DO. IT’S BOUND TO BE TALKED ABOUT FOR YEARS TO COME.” CLAUDIA PUIG,

“RICHARD

LINKLATER’S CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT. IT ISN’T JUST A MASTERPIECE. IT’S A MIRACLE.” ANN HORNADAY,

12 YEARS IN THE MAKING

Produced, Written and Directed by

Richard Linklater

For screening info, please visit

.com/awards

union label executive director It seems like just yesterday we were all celebrating the millennium. Now, 15 years later, we have seen a lot of changes in our world and our guild. We weathered the recession, the exodus of work from Los Angeles, and the influx of reality TVâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; all of which resulted in jobs lost. Now, in 2015, we have a strong hope for a better economy, a return of jobs to Los Angeles, and an uptake in designers for reality programming. Additionally, our membership has steadily increased over the years and reached 875 at yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s end in 2014. Our awards show continues to draw bigger and bigger audiences within the entertainment community, our footprint is ever increasing, and we have a big presence at Comic-Con yearly. 2014 also saw the groundbreaking exhibit Hollywood Costume, curated by Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis, come home to its namesake. I am anticipating many other positive changes in 2015. With the passage of California Assembly Bill 1839, jobs will be returning home to the epicenter of film production where the most skilled crews and infrastructure are already built in. We look forward to being able to go to work here in Hollywood, close to family and friends. Beginning January 5, we will have a new staff member in our office, when Cecilia Granados joins our team as the new administrative secretary/receptionist. Suzanne and I look forward to continuing to serve our membership, and we are here to help you in any way we can. I hope this year will bring joy and prosperity to all. In solidarity, Rachael Stanley rstanley@cdgia.com

Winter 2015 The Costume Designer

EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD FILM Nominee

RUTH E. CARTER

Costume Designers Guild

ONE MOVIE REMINDS US

THAT TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE HISTORY

PA R A M O U N T G U I L D S . C O M

union label LABOR REPORT Why is this woman smiling after sitting on a plastic chair eight hours a day for a week?

™

The Officer Institute class held last October was developed by the IATSE International to better prepare and strengthen the leadership skills of the elected officers. Local 80 in Burbank, CA hosted the event. Why me and why now? The Officer Institute class is an opportunity to meet with both the newly elected officers and longtime activists of our unions. Participants gathered from the District 2 states of Hawaii, Nevada, Arizona, and California. The common goal was to strengthen and grow the IATSE labor movement at a time when unions in other work sectors are shrinking. I strongly encourage all of my CDG sisters and brothers to participate in the Officers Institute training. Please check with the CDG office for dates. In solidarity, Betty P. Madden bmadden@cdgia.com

Betty Madden with IATSE President Matthew Loeb

Winter 2015 The Costume Designer

A DAY IN THE LIFE

CHRISTIAN CORDELLA

Sakis Lalas photographed Cordella at Istituto Cordella in Lecce, Italy.

llustrator Christian Cordella is the eighth generation of a family of Italian fashion designers. After completing his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera in Milan and graduating with highest honors for a diploma in Costume and Scenic Design, he earned a master’s degree at Kingston University in London. In 1995, Cordella was invited by Japan to represent Italy through his painting in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Hiroshima. Also, his portraits of saints were displayed in Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican in Rome. In 2006, he moved to Los Angeles and has been illustrating costume for film and television since. Recent films include Into the Woods for CD Colleen Atwood and Unbroken for CD Louise Frogley. We asked him about a typical day.

to 15 minutes of lunch, you can also interact with all the other departments—the dyers, cutter/fitters, costumers— and see what’s happening so you’re not just enclosed in your own world. After my second espresso, I return to work. The rest of the day is filled with illustrating the concepts that the designer and I have gone over together. After the work day is done, I head to the gym. That’s one of my highlights because I feel that mens sana in corpore sano, as the ancient Romans used to say,“a healthy soul in a healthy body.” Because our job is very static—you stay sitting for hours—I think that is very important that for one hour your body starts to function again. In my opinion, if you have time, it’s one of the most important gifts that you can give to yourself. Sometimes, I go salsa dancing as well. In general, in the evening, I go out with friends. Interaction and communicating with people is very important because it allows your mind to connect with your community. But, if there is a pending project, I can work through the night. Before bed, I always read. Books range from Paradise Lost by Milton, Umberto Eco, physics and history, and then, of course, if there is some free time—comic books. If I’m not working late, I finally get to sleep around midnight. www.christiancordella.com

I wake up and have a nice cup of espresso. That’s one of the things that I really enjoy in the morning. As I get ready for work, I listen to the news because I am interested in both the political and economic situation. Then, because I can work anywhere from a studio or a costume house, I drive to work. Occasionally, I accompany a designer on location. Next, I make sure that my computer is running smoothly and all my files are saving correctly. Since you want to have the least amount of stress possible when the work is actually happening, I have a bunch of hard drives ready. I feel one of the most important things in the success of every look in a movie is the sharing of information, thoughts, and ideas between the illustrator and the designer. I believe that communication is number one. We are there to create the work and the world the Costume Designer has envisioned. As a result, the main part of my day is talking with the designer, seeing what lies ahead of us on the project, and what’s the challenge of the day. After that, I try to work through all the different options and possibilities. Since illustrators work 10 hours minimum, it is important to have a moment away from the screen, and I always like to take a short break to get away from my desk. So it’s very nice that in 10 The Dragon Rider, an original illustration.

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

The Walt Disney Studios Thanks

The Costume Designers Guild And Congratulates Our Nominees For

Excellence In A Feature Film – Fantasy

Alexandra Byrne

Colleen Atwood

Anna B. Sheppard Jane Clive

THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT

Tailcoat to Tuxedo

hen considering the history of men’s formal wear on film, who can forget the supreme elegance of Fred Astaire in a tailcoat singing, “There’ll be smooth sailin’ ’cause I’m trimmin’ my sails in my top hat and my white tie and my tails,” or the gender-bending nonchalance of Marlene Dietrich in Morocco? But the moment a 19th-century tobacco magnate lopped off his tails in Tuxedo Park, New York, a potential fashion faux pas became a tradition. In this mode, one finds the insouciant sexiness of Daniel Craig in the casino as James Bond—with his martini shaken, not stirred—the whimsy of the delightful dancing penguins in Mary Poppins, and the telling cattiness of the Dowager Countess of Downton Abbey mistaking her son in a tux for a servant. In all of its variations, men’s formal attire is anything but black and white.

Illustration by Robin Richesson rrichesson@cdgia.com Text by Marcy Froehlich mfroehlich@cdgia.com

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

“GORGEOUS.” – LOU LUMENICK, NEW YORK POST

PAR AMOUNT PICTURES

CONGRATULATES MARY ZOPHRES

AND HER ENTIRE TEAM ON THEIR INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARDS

NOMINEE

EXCELLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY FILM

“THIS IS ONE OF

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FILMS I HAVE EVER SEEN.”

– RICHARD ROEPER, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

“BRILLIANT.” – A.O. SCOTT, NEW YORK TIMES

“ONE OF THE MOST

SUBLIME

MOVIES OF THE DECADE…

‘INTERSTELLAR’

IS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD.”

– JAKE COYLE, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Europe.

A Conversation with Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis Edith Head Award Winner

By Anna Wyckoff

Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis poses amidst her Hollywood Costume exhibition at the V&A Museum in London, England.

resident Emeritus of the CDG, Academy Award-nominated Costume Designer, and the founding director of the UCLA David C. Copley Center for the Study of Costume Design, Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis is the curator behind the blockbuster Victoria and Albert Museum exhibit Hollywood Costume, presently on display in Los Angeles. Landis is the recipient of the CDG’s 2015 inaugural Edith Head Award for the Advancement and Education of the Art of Costume Design. How did you become a Costume Designer?

I was born a Costume Designer: nothing really led me there. I’ve interviewed so many Costume Designers myself, and the wonderful thing is there isn’t one conventional way [into the field]. In my own case, I think it’s the only thing I could have done. I can’t think of another profession which would utilize all of my intellectual resources and my craftiness or artisanship. I’m both interested in

the conversation and the construction, so it was a perfect fit. My mother was a famous teacher and principal of a school for the deaf. In 1950, she founded the first camp for the deaf in upstate New York and I spent every summer of my childhood in camp. Each Tuesday night, one of her speech therapies was to put on a show, so I made costumes from a very early age. It really was no surprise that I started working in Shakespeare festivals as a teenager. I designed all my high school shows, went to college—was a history major in college, then changed to theater. In college, my theater teacher’s assistant was David Mamet. One day we were sitting in the cafeteria and I looked at him—I remember it very well—and I said, “Okay, okay. It’s Costume Design, right?” And he said, “Yeah, yeah. It’s Costume Design. It’s definitely Costume Design.” It’s the head and the hands, and it’s that unique combination that makes a Costume Designer. You can’t have just one. You have to have both.

Winter 2015 The Costume Designer

How did you make the transition from Costume Designer to Costume Advocate?

I come from a union family and that is key. When I met Tom Short [IATSE International President Emeritus], I told him that my grandparents met at a rally. My grandmother was a founding member of the ILGWU, Shirtmakers Union in New York, while my grandfather was a founding member of the Workmen’s Circle. So I come from good labor stock, and that’s something that you learn at home. Like many Costume Designers, I just worried about my own contract and my next job. I basically lived my life as an artist and never thought about it. It really didn’t start until I became president of the Costume Designers Guild in 2001—I was absolutely shocked by the contract. Once I understood the contract, I thought, “My colleagues have no idea what sad shape we are in.” In those days, you would never see another designer. You might run into someone at Western Costume or Brooks Van Horn in New York, but no one discussed their contract. It was culturally forbidden. I thought, “How do we begin to change the paradigm? How can we change what seems to be written in stone? What’s the short-term, middleterm, and long-term strategy to change this?” But it was the contract and becoming president, which was for me the awakening of my advocacy. When James Acheson warned you during the initial stages of Hollywood Costume, he said it could be “dead frocks on dummies.” How did you sustain yourself through uncharted waters?

Well, because I’m a Costume Designer. On the long list of attributes that a Costume Designer needs are resiliency and tenacity. If you’re well trained and are naturally resourceful, you don’t fall down at the first “no.” I did have a barrage of “no’s,” but we can’t exist in that environment. Costume Designers only exist in an environment of “yes.” Yes, I can do it. Yes, I can make it. Yes, I will surprise you. Yes, you wait; you’re going to see. It’s going to be better than anything you’ve ever seen in your life. We don’t give up easy. So I think that it was tough, and I was black and blue, but I got it done. Jim—he’s one of my maestros. He did the best thing because I just wanted to please him and make sure he felt well served. Also, I wanted my colleagues to feel well served. And I didn’t want the costumes—many of them are not beautiful, and some of them are not beautifully made, because that’s really not the point. I didn’t want my colleagues, dead and alive, or the clothes, beautiful and not beautiful, to have to bear the weight of the spectator’s gaze. I didn’t want anyone to be confused with this show and the Charles James show in New York. Charles James was a master cutter and a genius. That’s not what our job is. Yes, we have some wonderfully, fabulously made costumes, but that’s not the point. What I was trying to establish was a line drawn in the sand for Costume Design. This show is about the value of Costume Design, nothing but the value. It’s a starting point. It’s the A show. It’s the beginning. It’s the show from which other shows can start. On a personal level, I was inspired and impressed by curatorial decisions you made which were witty, clever, and educational. Please tell me about

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

your approach.

I tried to do a lot in this one show to reintroduce our field, or really introduce our field to the industry and the general public. So, in terms of curatorial, my interest was to educate and to entertain. I’ve designed many comedies and I know that it’s much better to amuse, to engage, to make something alive and accessible to everyone, and to use wit, intelligence, and charm. I tried to leverage, using every tool available to me, everything available to me personally, to make the conversation—to win. Because that show is either my opening or closing argument to the jury. All I want is for everyone to say not, “How marvelous. What a fabulous show,” but really, what should stay with someone visiting the show is, “Wow, Costume Design. I’m going to look for that credit, and that credit’s going to mean something to me.” So, to me, it’s always about value and the contract. I want equal pay with production design. That’s my goal. I don’t do this because it’s artistic. I do it because I feel that we’ve never been recognized appropriately. That’s the fire that’s burning inside me. I’m not a regular curator: I’m a practitioner, and so it’s always going to be about the value that we contribute. In my review, I described the panels which accompany the exhibit as “your host playing spirit guide.” How did you create the text?

For the Hollywood Costume show, I believe the text panels are as important as the exhibit displays. They represent my fundamental belief about Costume Design. I feel like it’s almost a declaration of independence. I said exactly from my heart what I believe: that movies are about people and that we contribute to the creation of people. In my classes I teach film directors and producers, and I’ve had young filmmakers say to me, “I don’t know anything about clothes. I don’t know how to sew. I shouldn’t be in your class.” I ask, “Have you written a screenplay?” “Yes,” they respond. And I offer, “Let’s bring the people in the screenplay to life together.” That’s our job. We’re life-givers. So to me, at this point, I’ve come so far in this—mostly it’s an intellectual journey thinking about our field, and my feeling is that the clothes are almost inconsequential because we’re so deeply involved with this creation of personality and the individual. The emphasis of our world needs to be on the conversation and not so much on the costume. I feel like I’m inspiring scholarship. There has been a quantifiable difference in the recognition of Costume Design. I’m not going to totally take personal credit for it, I’m part of an army, but I work damn hard to make that happen. I feel like it’s the fruit of my labor, and I’m very proud of my contribution. Is there anything that you feel that you would like to say to our members?

Yes. The more Costume Designers talk about the clothes, the more we diminish our contribution to the story. We have to keep dragging directors and producers back to story and back to the conversation to really establish Costume Design in the center of the frame. In the contract, we are not a mandatory hire, and that’s unbelievable. The actor is always going to be in the center of the frame. The costume is the center of the frame. That’s the value.

CONGRATULATIONS

Costume Designers Guild Awards Nominees

OUTSTANDING PERIOD/FANTASY TELEVISION SERIES

Janie Bryant

Tiffany White Stanton ®

Aggie Guerard Rodgers Career achievement Award Winner BY VALLI HERMAN

Photo: David Bournfriend

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

ggie Guerard Rodgers knows how to be in the moment, which may be the secret to her long and successful career as a Bay Area-based Costume Designer. She explains: “I went to see Gravity with my youngest son. I had to get up and go outside. I was so afraid. I went to see Interstellar, and I had to leave the theater because I was so afraid. I’m a total believer. The lights go out and I’m there.” [The fact] that Rodgers is able to be completely captivated by a film after working behind the scenes for 40 years is a testament to her commitment to the art of storytelling. Using well-developed powers of observation, strict management skills, and a getit-done attitude has helped earn the designer the 2015 Costume Designers Guild Career Achievement Award, which will be presented on February 17 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Rodgers has a master’s degree in Theatre Costume Design from California State University, Long Beach, and has been part of cinema history through some of its most potent years. At California State University, Fresno, she majored in theater, but as importantly, absorbed the local scene. She landed her first major film Costume Designer job thanks in part to her Fresno roots. Director George Lucas interviewed her for his era-defining film, American Graffiti, and discovered that he and Rodgers graduated high school in the same year from towns about 20 miles apart. “I got that job on Graffiti because I knew that period,” Rodgers explains, “and because I knew about Dragging on Main,” a practice of driving very slowly along a town’s main street to attract the opposite sex. She has since applied her skills to create a distinguished body of work which includes Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation in 1974, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension in 1984, and through 1988, a string of memorable movies such as Cocoon, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, The Witches of Eastwick, Fatal Beauty, Beetlejuice, and My Stepmother Is an Alien. She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design for 1985’s The Color Purple. Rodgers has worked with a constellation of stars and directors, including actors Jack Nicholson, Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, Harrison Ford, Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon, Cher, and directors Ron Howard, Tim Burton, Steven Spielberg, Norman Jewison, and Lawrence Kasdan. Lucas hired Rodgers again when he brought the production of Star Wars: Episode VI -- Return of the Jedi back to the Bay Area. He teamed her up with storyboard artist Nilo Rodis-Jamero, who continued the work of the original Star Wars Costume Designer, John Mollo. The story of her immersion into the world of Star Wars and her complex collaboration across departments and countries is retold in the new book Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy. Author Brandon Alinger met with Rodgers, who shared Costume Design credit with Rodis-Jamero, and came to understand how she became a valuable addition to film productions. Her Fresno experience with drag racers came in handy once again. According to Alinger, Rodgers was designing a costume for the Emperor’s Royal Guard and selected a very specific red for the helmet and robe. “It was a throwback to the bright red cars of the 1950s,” she said. “This is George Lucas, and I know he loves hot rods. This has to be candy apple red.” Not only did Alinger learn that Rodgers is an expert people watcher, but he also came to understand that she is a strong leader, one he described as “charming but forceful.” “She is also very good with people—and actors in particular. Shug Avery from That made her an ideal choice for Jedi because it was a lot to manThe Color Purple film. age. They were manufacturing costumes in the United States for Illustrator: Haleen Holt.

Winter 2015 The Costume Designer

Photos: The Witches of Eastwick, Warner Bros. Fruitvale Station, Ron Koeberer/The Weinstein Company. Above: Cher, Jack Nicholson, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer in The Witches of Eastwick. Below: From left, Michael James, Michael B. Jordan, Trestin George, Thomas Wright, Kevin Durand, and Alejandra Nolasco in Fruitvale Station.

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

shooting to begin in the UK and coordinating with a separate department in the UK that was making the outfits,” Alinger observed. Given that the look of the Star Wars world was already established and that the design of the fantasy film came largely from the art department, Rodgers was able to apply her vision nevertheless. “I am the Costume Designer on every show I’m on. Whether I’m going to Maxfield Bleu, or having it made in a shop, it’s still my design,” Rodgers asserts. “I feel very strongly that even if I shop the entire show, what I’m doing is using—let’s say 10 other designers’ work—I’m using their art for my art.” Even though she describes herself as bossy, Rodgers knows her place, on the set and off. Recalling her dealings with Lucas, she knew not to question his authority. “It was his movie. It was his money. Beyond that, I just shut up,” Rodgers said. “I want to make sure people are happy with the clothes.” Living in the Bay Area for her entire career has also helped Rodgers avoid typical Hollywood status anxiety and instead, embrace her candor and down-to-earth attitude. “I don’t have a retinue with me. I don’t use Costume Design assistants. I don’t work like a lot of people,” Rodgers said. Though she has worked with legendary directors, Rodgers also has been connecting with new talent, such as Noah Pritzker of Quitters and writer/director Ryan Coogler of Fruitvale Station.

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“I don’t mind doing films for first-time directors at all—I think it’s exciting. They have something to teach us, and we have something we can teach them,” she says. Rodger’s Bay Area connections brought Coogler to her. The 2013 film portrays the last day in the life of Oscar Grant III, a 22 year old who was fatally shot by a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer in 2009. Coogler was impressed. “She was spot-on, a great personality with a strong work ethic. She would look at pictures and just pick things up that my eye never would have seen. She could zero in on certain things that showed me she was an absolute, true artist.” As a young filmmaker, Coogler learned from the veteran. “She talked about how filmmaking has changed and how many different ways she’s seen it—and how there is no one way to do things. But she would always say, “Be sure you stay real throughout it.” Rodgers was generous with her wisdom and passionate about the film’s topic. True to her word, Rodgers says she’s a believer—in storytelling and in film—despite the hurdles she sees in today’s film industry. “I’m sorry for the young people who are starting out. They’ll never have the opportunities that I had,” she said. “I had so much fun. I really got to do my art.”

Winter 2015 The Costume Designer

TheCase for Contemporary

Costume Design

Photos: Universal Pictures

By Anna Wyckoff

t’s easy to be dazzled by glamour—after all, sequins are scintillating for a reason. The longing for beauty is hot wired into the human species. In Costume Design, that means swooning at every ruff, ruffle, and kimono. Look no further than the nominations during awards season to see that period and fantasy offerings are transparently favored. To counter this bias and the impossibility of judging between such vastly different genres, our own Costume Designers Guild Awards distinguishes between Period, Fantasy, and Contemporary film and television, as well as Commercials. When not among the cognoscenti, contemporary Costume Design is often overlooked. Is this because the vocabulary of the elements is familiar? Or because the costumes seem so effortless in their appropriateness for

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

the character, the audience assumes the garments are somehow readily available? Since recognition of Costume Design is at an all-time high, I would like to ask this audience, particularly the new aficionados, to look deeper and consider appreciation at the connoisseur level: contemporary Costume Design. Using a more subtle lexicon of clothing than its period and fantasy compatriots, modern design’s goal is the same: to build an immediately recognizable portrait of a character’s psychology at the moment the action of the scene occurs. We bring you three different vantage points on the process: CDs Mark Bridges and Renée Kalfus with the movies Fifty Shades of Grey and Annie respectively, and CD Rita McGhee with the new television series Empire.

Mark Bridges | Fifty Shades of Grey In what can be considered a major feat, Mark Bridges has dodged being pigeonholed and moves fluidly between modern and period films. He is the man who famously brought us a silent garbage bag for the Bradley Cooper character in Silver Linings Playbook, as well as the decadent deco costumes, resplendent even in black and white, for 2011’s CDG and Oscar-winning film, The Artist. In February, his highly-anticipated movie Fifty Shades of Grey will be released. Based on the erotic book with a fervent fan base, Bridge’s task was complex. In addition to telling the story of the characters, he had to fulfill the expectations of an opinionated and passionate audience. “We had to think of this phenomenal book that millions of people have read and picture the characters in their mind’s eye. It was a big responsibility to either be true, or to allow the costumes to be nonspecific enough that the audience finds them possible.” An email from the writer alerted Bridges to two costumes her readers would expect. “We had to show serious respect for the following that the book has. That’s a good thing because it gives another level to the challenge that makes it even more interesting to solve,” he asserts. With a contemporary piece, Bridges feels it comes down to the script, characters, research, putting your hands on the garments, and working with the actor. “The goals of modern costume are the same: character and storytelling are always at the forefront,” explains Bridges. “The way that I approached this film was to try to illustrate who the people are while trying to give it a timeless quality.” He avoids excessively fashionable items because he finds they date a film. Also, since movies have a long shelf life, a classic approach gives more longevity. Bridges finds it intriguing that in modern films he has the entire scope of fashion at his fingertips. In Fifty Shades of Grey, he transforms Anastasia Steele, or Ana, from a naïve college stu-

dent in a toggle coat into a woman before the audience’s eyes. “A lot of what I do is to make choices intuitively, then look to see how those choices resonate. For Ana, I show with different beats where the turning points are. If you put the first time we see her in the film against the last time we see her, I think we were successful.” He used a color taken from Christian Grey for Ana’s ending look to signify she has taken on something from him. Bridges sees Christian Grey’s garments as a physical manifestation of his self-protection. Grey has a different metamorphosis. Bridges demonstrates his softening to Ana in a shift away from stern suits. As Grey trades his formal wear for cashmere T-shirts and loses layers, the textures become softer and more sensuous. “I had a great deal of fun spending quite a bit of money building a billionaire’s wardrobe,” chuckles Bridges. “Christian Grey isn’t about to go shopping. He’s going to have the tailor come to him. There was such limited time, and we had Jamie Dornan only four weeks before shooting. But we made it anyway, and that was really enjoyable.” Bridges tries to communicate the psychic state of the character through colors, textures, or pieces. He hopes his choices are subtle, but will affect the audience’s perception of the action. “It’s important to be clever about it and not get caught,” he explains. “Maybe our colleagues will notice, but you don’t want the general viewer to be aware, as it will take them out of the story.” As the plot evolves, the two people make a visual impact on each other, taking on silhouettes and colors. “The relationships morph and change, and we tried to really subtly reflect that in the clothes by having them trade textures. It’s so interesting that an important part of what a Costume Designer does is think about these kinds of physiological impacts then try to demonstrate them. Most audiences don’t realize that this is part of a Costume Designer’s job. They just think the job is to put them in good-looking clothes.”

Winter 2015 The Costume Designer

A veteran of many diverse films in different time periods, Renée Kalfus’ oeuvre ranges from the CDG and BAFTA nominated Chocolat to The Cider House Rules. Kalfus brings her expertise and insights to the latest reinvention of the beloved musical Annie. Entrusted with reimaging a nostalgic classic, Kalfus straddled the difficulty of being respectful to the original, while still being fresh. In a historical piece, the Costume Designer knows how history will frame the story. Kalfus explains, “With period films I can look back on a segment of time from a distance. Choices can be made. And even though you’re creating characters, you’re looking back on the past as a whole.” She, like Bridges, finds in contemporary Costume Design the choices are almost limitless. The director, Will Gluck, fought to have the movie filmed in New York City and the location seeps into every aspect of the production. Kalfus found that not only did the characters interact with each other, but also the pace and energy of the city was a constant touchstone. “Everything was going to be a reaction to the city,” she says, “For example, the music starts with the sounds and click of a bus or a horn. So with my research, I took this as a cue and really just took it all in.” To create the look for Annie and the foster children, Kalfus relied on her costume shop. “Every single piece of clothing was built, overdyed, manipulated, torn, then re-sewn, patched, and embroidered to have the look of hand-me-downs. I worked the same way I would work on a period film.” Kalfus created a color which she gleefully calls “10 years of bad laundry” to give a unifying patina. She felt that with five girls living under one roof there would be a competitive tension to grab garments and personalize them. She feels that the handmade details are essential to give each girl a distinct personality and keep the musical “real.” “Annie might have been the character that took more hours in the fitting room than maybe any of my other leading ladies,”

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

Photo: Barry Wetcher/Columbia Pictures.

Renée Kalfus | Annie

remarks Kalfus, “In part because her role is so physical. She does cartwheels, is on a bike, in the subway, and hopping over turnstiles.” The movement and energy had to be taken into consideration, and the costumes, which have a one-off feel, in actuality necessitated many multiples. For Will Stacks, Kalfus chose quiet refinement to suggest the richest man in New York. She chose subtle tones and a Windsor knot to convey a sense of power. “There was nothing showy, just an extreme elegance and very expensive suits tailored to perfection,” she explains. In contrast, Hannigan’s look hinted at her failed musical aspirations, Kalfus notes. “My feeling is that she was still always sort of ready to be discovered, that she’s still going to become a star. I gave her these sexy, ex-rock-and-roll kind of derivative costumes and had a lot of fun.” She wanted Annie’s iconic red dress to serve as a thread to the original film. It was one of the first costumes. While she was inspired by vintage couture and movie gowns, Kalfus still wanted it to be completely age appropriate. “The big bow is exaggerated and the scallops make it perfect for a 10 year old. But it has a kind of, I think, handmade couture, movie-star quality to it. So it’s not a story point, necessarily, but certainly a costume highlight or a costume moment, let’s say.” The originality of the costumes had the retailer Target knocking. “We met very early on while I was in preproduction, and I showed them that I was creating very individualized, do-it-yourself items, which would appeal to different character-driven, individual, strong girls. They got very excited, and the collaboration started from there. It worked out really beautifully and very successfully, I hear. It’s kind of part of what we try to do in the movies. We try to heighten elements, even when they’re real, and create characters that everyone can aspire to.”

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Photo: Michael Lavine/Fox.

Rita McGhee| Empire With roots in the Independent Film Movement—her first job was working on Spike Lee’s Mo’ Better Blues under CD Ruth Carter—Rita McGhee has had a long career in film, television, and commercial Costume Design. In Empire, Fox’s new drama about a feuding family, McGhee creates costumes for hip-hop royalty, but she seeks to excite audiences with not only glamour, but authenticity. McGhee searches everywhere. She finds constant inspiration. She watches old movies, gangster movies, movies about empires, family dramas, and shows like Dallas and Dynasty. She looks at fashion magazines, videos, and most importantly, she listens to music. “Everything around me inspires me. Everything,” McGhee says. “Contemporary Costume Design is about making it work and having it be believable for the character. And with this show, I have to still keep it high fashion. Because Empire is set in the music industry, I researched the people as well as gangsters, crime bosses, their wives, and girlfriends. These characters are celebrities building empires in fashion, bottled water, liquor, and watches. People gravitate toward them because of that, because of the energy their music makes them feel.” McGhee also listens. She gets insight from her directors, executive producer Lee Daniels and co-executive producer Danny Strong. She talks to her actors. “I would say that when the actors

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

feel characters, that’s when I know that I have it. I take good notes so that when we have our fittings, we are always working toward the character.” Because her actors are actually performers, she finds their input an inspiration. In order to paint a portrait of this supersized celebrity life, familiar to audiences worldwide from the constant stream of press that stalks their every move, McGhee uses every resource available to her. She uses high-end garments, low-end garments, and everything in between. “If I only used expensive clothes, it would look like a fashion show. It wouldn’t look real, and it wouldn’t make sense,” she says. Cookie, played by Taraji P. Henson, is in the epicenter. To show her star quality, McGhee dresses her in a jungle of animal prints, bold colors, furs, and jewels. “Cookie is vibrant, loud, and bold. She’s a confident and sexy woman—she’s a boss. So her look is about how she wants to represent herself. She is a mother, so she is vulnerable, but she also went to prison for selling drugs. It was her way of surviving and getting to the next level. She brings a contrast and distraction. She is a force with her color palette and her prints.” Lucious, played by Terrence Howard, is Cookie’s ex-husband. They still have a love interest and a rivalry. McGhee uses strong colors with royal connotations—purple, golds, and greens—as well as ascots, pinstripes, and all manner of sartorial excess. She keeps the three rival sons distinct. Hakeem, the youngest, is a rapper and his style straddles Givenchy and G-Star. Jamal, the music producer, is less flashy and more laidback. Andre, the eldest, is always in suits. McGhee sees elements of the parents broken up in their offspring. She is challenged and delighted to bring this hyperbolic scene to life. But most important to McGhee is to infuse the world with a sense of reality, a believability which reverberates with the audience as much as the music does.

Movies have traded on glamour for almost a century and television for half the amount of time. Beauty is important, but it is merely one weapon in the arsenal of the Costume Designer. Contemporary Costume Design exudes effortlessness because it is knowing, deft, and precise. It uses the language of clothing that is still being made and evolving to describe people that are still living. Its vitality lays in its ability to appropriate our current symbols to give the audience an immediate link to the character. Anastasia Steele, Christian Grey, Annie, Will Stacks, Cookie, and Lucious may all be in different films or on different networks, but they all inhabit the same world, the world of present tense. Because of the Costume Designer, the audience does not question this—they believe.

he scene begins with Cyd Charisse entering a crowded ballroom from the back corner. She alone is in white. Everyone is still. The only movement is a streamer of chiffon fluttering off of her right shoulder. In an instant, the crowd melts away and we find her standing at the top of an abstract staircase. Her gown has become a short shift and the streamer a billowing sail. In the foreground, Gene Kelly, dressed in black, extends his arms slowly toward her as she descends. As they move, there are not two dancers, but three: Charisse, Kelly, and the white dress spooling and unspooling around them, flying up like a plume of smoke or a cloud. The film is Singinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the Rain and the moment is Hollywood history. Costume Designer Walter Plunkett took the risk to make this unlikely costume where the sleeve was the length of the soundstage. The result cap-

Risk is not a word one usually

associates with Costume Design.

tures a feeling of beauty so palpable and universal that it inspired our own Costume Designers Guild statuette designed by David Le Vey. Risk is not a word one usually associates with Costume Design. But costumes are not always described in a script and sometimes come only from the designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instinctive understanding of a character. All great design emanates from a creative impulse and willingness to act upon it. Very little can be achieved without a designer taking this leap of faith. It is only through risk that Costume Design can describe, in clothing, people as rich and varied as those who have populated our world and our imaginations since the beginning of time.

Our 2015 nominees tell us about the risks of Costume Design, and its rewards.

Summer 2014 The Costume Designer

Kurt and Bart The Hunger Games: Mockinjay Part 1

Sheppard

The evolution of any costume is never a straight line for us, and staying open to all that can happen inside that distance lets the design choices feel both considered and intuitive. As designers, we love risk because it brings with it opportunity. The costume that involved the most risk was the actual Mockingjay costume worn by Katniss. Coming on board a franchise with such an established look, there was a lot of expectation as to what this costume would be. Katniss is such a strong female character and with Jen [Jennifer Lawrence] as the actress, balancing badass and tempering bombshell, things can look hyper-feminized really fast. There is sometimes this notion in Hollywood that these strong fantasy women must be in something ultra body conscious. [Director] Francis Lawrence is an incredible collaborator, and we all agreed that we didn’t want a superhero in a catsuit. Our first approach, steeped in armour and Joan of Arc references, still felt a little fantastic. It wasn’t until we agreed that as fabulous a designer as Cinna [her stylist] was, he truly knew her destiny—one that would not only make her a symbol of the revolution, but also a soldier. To strip the costume down to its most essential function of protecting her in combat felt both gut right and risky. There can be temptation to emphasize or exaggerate, especially when you have such a beautiful actress, but embracing the “in the trenches functionality” really opened up the design for us. This gave us a realistic base that we were then able to shape and stylize, giving it the symbolic impact it needed.

I’m best known for Schindler’s List, The Pianist, Band of Brothers, and Inglourious Basterds. Hence everyone thinks I specialize in the Second World War, and once you get pigeonholed, it’s very difficult to break out. I took the chance with Maleficent to break the curse of being the forties specialist. Of course, it was risky because I hadn’t done a fantasy movie in long time, and it’s a very different approach. When I met with Angelina [Jolie] for the first time about eight weeks before filming, no one knew, including Disney, how Maleficent should look. Everyone had in mind the image from Sleeping Beauty, the black gown when she delivers the curse, and of course the horns. Every movie, big or small carries a risk for us.

Clive It was a bit of a tightrope walk to keep the character that people know, while finding a new twist. There had to be a contemporary feel, and of course, Angie [Angelina Jolie] wanted to take the risks to make that happen. So keeping the body covered through most of the film made the final reveal of her breaking out of her confines all the more powerful. Although there were many intricate details in the costumes and accessories, the most important challenge was to create a powerful silhouette, strong like the horns, but sinuous and sexy: a reflection of Maleficent herself. ACDs: Oliver Garcia, Vivienne Jones, Maja Meschede, John Norster ILLs: Warren Holder, Darrell Warner Oscar Nominated

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

Alexandra Byrne Guardians of the Galaxy The risk on Guardians of the Galaxy was colour. Whilst working on the project, I realised how instinctively I use colour, and that it is such a major piece of design equipment for me. Within the different galaxies, I was working with populations with pink, blue, and green skins, and telling a story originating from a comic book. It was a learning curve, initially taking tentative steps, and then taking big decisions like the yellow prison uniforms personalized with graffiti and emblems. ACDs: Alison Mitchell, Richard Sale, Laura Smith ILLs: Jack Dudman, Darrell Warner, Charlie Wenn

ACD: Lisa Tomczeszyn ILLs: Phillip Boutte, Constantine Sekeris

Maleficent, Walt Disney Pictures. Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, Lionsgate

Anna B. Sheppard Jane Clive Maleficent

The Hobbitt: The Battle of the Five Armies, Warner Bros. Pictures. Into the Woods, Walt Disney Pictures.

My own personal risky moment was with one of Galadriel’s costumes. The fabric, the last piece of an extremely expensive, unrepeatable piece of fabric from London, was a fragile lace enhanced with pieces of tiger’s eye and other stones that needed to be slashed, torn, and heavily worked into. I feared it could all go terribly wrong, and I would be left with a hideous, craft project failure. I was the one who attacked the garment with the scissors until I could feel satisfied it was going in the right direction.

Taylor We felt compelled to risk encumbering our beautiful culture of Elven warriors with a mantle of armour. The layered armour inherently added “unelven” bulk, and also the complication of going back to find a distinct solution, as no two armies of Elves could look the same. Through multiple prototypes we overcame this inherent risk and achieved a military fighting force of Elven soldiers that complemented the ideals of the race while delivering something new and special.

Colleen Atwood Into the Woods The Wolf costume was a challenge for me. It was needing to say “Wolf” without being an animal costume. We played around a bit with Johnny [Depp], and came around to a zoot suit embroidered with fur pattern, a thread “fur” tail, leather gloves with nails, and a fedora with ears.

Excellence in

Maskrey

Fantasy Film

Ann Maskrey Richard Taylor Bob Buck The Hobbitt: The Battle of the Five Armies

ACD: Lora E. Revitt ILLs: Christian Cordella, Warren Holder, Felipe Sanchez Oscar Nominated

Buck Much of the Costume Design was done through a concept art process, with the approved drawing being strictly adhered to. Risk, therefore, had to be controlled and put into the finer details. A prime example of this would be the leaf detail on the back of Thranduil’s armour. From a concept sketch, we had the graphics and textile department collaborate, experimenting with laser cutting leather and fabrics in layers. The risk here was how the process would work on a tight deadline, and the challenge bridging the gap between armour and fabric while evoking the great age and beauty of the elven king. It was a pinch of risk and a spoonful of planning!

Summer 2014 The Costume Designer

Sammy Sheldon Differ The Imitation Game Alan Turing’s Prince of Wales check shirt was a bit of a risk, combining it with the check tie and tweed jacket was a little jarring, but I had an original picture of Alan dressed that way from the early ’50s and felt it said so much about him that we had to use the reference. My research led me to believe Alan was not interested in being fashionable, the upmost thing in his mind was his work. He found it difficult to socialize and had an awkward introverted personality. This compounded the idea that his clothes could be slightly awkward and jarring in their textures and combinations. Also, I wanted to give a subtext of code and cyphers to the textures and patterns of the fabrics. The result produced checks, crossword frames, and stripes woven throughout all his costumes. Secondly, adding bright block colours to the palette was a little risky, the bold green stripes of Joan’s cardigan, blood and rosy reds, teal and powder blue splashes featured throughout. This idea came from period colour photographs I discovered. One in particular was of five children sitting on a wall, the colours of their knitwear were so vibrant. I felt particularly with the reds, this could be introduced as a reminder of the red wires and cogs of the machine (Bombe), resulting in flashes of red running through most scenes. The blue was used in a similar way at key moments such as when Joan visits Alan in the early ’50s. I dressed her in blue to stand away from the complication and mess of Alan’s environment, and to show her life had changed and taken her away from the situation she experienced during the war.

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

Milena Canonero The Grand Budapest Hotel Taking risks is a crucial part of any creative process. In Costume Design there are various important elements that make our work complex in a movie. First we have to interpret the director’s overall concept. And in a Wes Anderson’s movie this is paramount. You have to immerse yourself into his world. Unlike the production designer and the cinematographer, who deal primarily with the director, we not only must be in close communication with the three of them, but the main purpose of our work is in collaboration with the actors to enable them to incarnate and interpret their character in terms of their look from the top of their heads to the soles of their feet. Both on an artistic, but also on a practical level, this makes our input in the movie complex because one has to take risks to keep one’s own overall vision in focus and try to elevate it to a memorable cinematic dimension. Oscar Nominated

The overcoat was by far the single most significant piece of wardrobe in the film and an ever-present design risk in accurately re-creating the Selma Voting Rights March of 1965. Historically, marchers wore them like a coat of armor, placing their hands inside their pockets as a symbol of peaceful protest. Trained to expect violence and to withstand brutal blows, marchers would hide layers of padding underneath their coats to protect them in the ensuing battle. “Bloody Sunday,” the first of the three attempts in 1965, was a windy and cold day. In the actual footage of the march, you clearly see the coats in preparation for the 50-mile march to the state capital in Montgomery. The second “Turnaround Tuesday” march was not as cold, but it included the clergy and nuns in all black, as well as reporters from around the country in trench coats. We shot all three marches together, but during filming, the weather condition in Selma, Alabama, was over 100 degrees. Explaining the importance and significance to production, I insisted, especially for “Bloody Sunday,” that all 500 background closely match the real event and dress with an overcoat. I was on set each day with my team and racks, taking coats on and off, and handing out waters. It rained during the third and final Selma to Montgomery march in 1965. Luckily, it rained on one of our shooting days as well. The result is a visually accurate depiction of the 1965 struggle and march for the voting rights, despite the inaccurate 2014 heat. ACDs: Paul Simmons Jr. and Derica Cole Washington

The Imitation Game, The Weinstein Company. The Grand Budapest Hotel, Martin Scali/Fox Searchlight Pictures. Selma, Atsushi Nishijima/Paramount Pictures

Ruth E. Carter Selma

The Theory of Everything, Focus Features. Inherent Vice, Warner Bros. Entertainment

The Theory of Everything

Jane and Stephen Hawking are real people with photo references, so while it was important to stay true to them, their world, and the period, I didn’t want to copy exact outfits. Instead, I heighten their look to keep them fresh and pleasing to a modern audience. The biggest risk was the dance where we watch Stephen and Jane fall in love. It was obvious what Eddie would wear because, traditionally, men wear white tie and tails to the May Ball. I chose to not use a ’60s suit, but back dated it to a suit that, in my mind, was probably his grandfather’s, then handed down to his father, and finally worn by him … a little bit ill-fitting and crumpled. Jane’s dress was an original mid-’50s dress that had sleeves and a heavy full skirt. It was the first dress Felicity actually tried on, but after considering others that were more early ’60s, we came back to this one. I took it apart and recut it to make the shape and silhouette more in keeping with 1963. Collectively, all the creative departments agreed to make each decade an emotional timeline, rather than a period timeline, to achieve an effortless flow through the four decades of the film. For my part, I chose iconic costume pieces from each decade, then randomly surrounded them with other slightly different periods. Eddie and Felicity each had 80+ costume changes, but you don’t realize how much time you’ve traveled until the final montage scene, watching their lives journey backward through 40 years.

Mark Bridges Inherent Vice I think the biggest risk in designing the costumes for Inherent Vice was imagining and producing the characters that aren’t described in the book. Sometimes garments or colors were referred to by the author for some of the characters but not all. It became my job to fill in the blanks, to research the period, and choose a clothing language from that era that was appropriate to the character. Ideally, they would add to the story, were visually unlike any other character in the film, and would be interesting to watch. The clues were there, but it was often a leap of faith to make choices that served [Thomas] Pynchon’s story and fit into the puzzle of the film. Luckily, it was a period rich with choices and we used them all! There is always some element of “fingers crossed this works,” no matter how much planning goes into the costumes of a film.

Excellence in

Period Film

Steven Noble

ACD: Kristen Kopp Oscar Nominated

ACD: Bart Cariss

Summer 2014 The Costume Designer

Albert Wolsky Birdman The play that is being performed on stage in Birdman is based on a Raymond Carver short story written in the ’80s, but set in the ’70s. I felt all along that there needed to be more of a separation between what the actors wore to work and what they wear on stage. I suggested that we set the play in the fifties. Our director, Iñárritu agreed. The choice was made in conjunction with our wonderful production designer, Kevin Thompson, who then designed the kitchen location to also be set in the fifties. To be honest, I am not totally sure if that device truly worked since there is less of the play than I originally thought we would see, but it certainly didn’t hurt. Also, it gave me a chance to identify the actors more clearly. ACD: Sue Gandy

Trish Summerville Gone Girl Because Gone Girl is a contemporary film, one risk you face is everyone feels they know the period and what the actors should be wearing. Also, since the script is based on a book, you also run the risk of the readers’ expectations and how they imagined each character to look. With the Amy Dunne character, my focus was subtlety showing her chameleon-like ways to suit her needs: to attract and lure her subjects into her web. We used little clues or tone-setters that one wouldn’t notice right off the bat.

When I think of “risks” taken on this project, my biggest risk was saying yes. I had just finished Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and was newly pregnant when the script of Wild was sent to me. I was tired, had been away from home for almost a year, and morning sickness was just hitting, but Wild took my breath away. I cried, I laughed, and instantly said ”yes” to the interview. When I was told they wanted me, reality set in. The film was set in the early ’90s, and I had only four weeks to prep, not the usual eight. Limited money and crew didn’t help either. My challenge and risk was to achieve a look that satisfied not only my standards but also the fan base of the book and author Cheryl Strayed. It was important to me to match the photographs taken of Cheryl on the trail and to be authentic as possible. That meant making multiples of almost all of Reese’s trail clothes then ageing them for the specific places along the trail—pale dust for the Mojave and richer browns for Oregon. When we started shooting, only Cheryl/Reese’s “trail” clothes were finished and even those didn’t have full sets of multiples. Reese still had 20 flashback changes that we shopped and fit whenever she had a spare minute. Every day was a marathon of catching up. A parade of 50 day-players showed up for fittings in our remote locations. Many a morning everyone on the truck would be distressing the day’s clothes, finishing alterations, or fitting scores of background extras before the sun rose. I’m very proud of this film and of my amazing crew. It was a risk I’m glad I took. CD Dan Moore, Supervisor.

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

Birdman, Alison Rosa/Fox Searchlight Pictures. Gone Girl, Merrick Morton/20th Century Fox. Wild, Anne Marie Fox/Fox Searchlight Pictures

Melissa Bruning Wild

Boyhood, IFC Films. Interstellar, Melinda Sue Gordon/Paramount Pictures

Using style trends to help identify the eras was the biggest challenge with this film. Trying to predict what would go out of style and what would become a more classic look was probably the biggest risk that I took with this project. A lot happened in those 12 years fashionwise, and choosing what to feature was tricky. It became easier as the kids got older because they had definite ideas about what they wanted to wear, and of course, kids are very conscious about current styles. It was a little more difficult for the adult characters because their social mobility also impacted the choices. Ultimately, I think I was able to express the characters’ style for each year without it becoming too cliché.

Excellence in

Kari Perkins Boyhood

The goal was to design a spacesuit that was interesting while still feeling like it was grounded in reality—so that the audience could immediately accept it and be drawn further into the story. We had a relatively short prep, so each detail had to be developed quickly and thoroughly. We were constantly moving forward with design details without testing on camera. Combining fabrics, textures, creating a believable mass, designing the helmet without Matthew, Anne, or other cast was an instinctual process that was scary and really fun at the same time. I am really happy with the look of the film and more importantly for me, the director was happy with the results as well.

Contemporary Film

Mary Zophres Interstellar

Summer 2014 The Costume Designer

Christopher Lawrence Ray Donovan

ACDs: Anita Cabada and Michi Tomimatsu

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

Johanna Argan House of Cards There is a saying, without risk there is no reward. A show like House of Cards where the fashion is looked at so closely, sets the stakes high. I try to help the evolution of the characters with subtle changes and make statements with wardrobe where it’s necessary. The risk is trying new things which may be out of the characters and the viewers’ comfort zone. I would say a great example of that was a knit Giorgio Armani suit that Claire wore. The ensemble looked very much like armor because of the detail of the jacket. It was a slight and literal way to show her strength, which is one of the things most commented on about Claire Underwood’s character. I had several people respond positively to the suit when the show premiered. To me, that’s the reward in what I do.

True Detective felt like a risk from the beginning, trying to prep in such a short time for what was essentially an eighthour film. We had all eight scripts from the beginning, which felt like a blessing as well as extremely overwhelming. I understand now how fortunate I was, when compared to the last-minute scripts my amazing colleagues receive a few days prior to shooting a new episode. I began research by breaking down the script by year, all the different locations, and types of characters we covered. I felt unsure about dating the early episodes set in 1995 to mid-late ’80’s but I went back and dug through my personal photos. Being from Missouri, I understood how dated we were, just like the more rural parts Louisiana we portrayed, but I did not want to offend anyone. Throughout all the episodes, we wanted to make it feel poor and neglected; almost to the point these folks were looking to be rescued by anyone or anything. It was important to me to use lots of pattern mixing in the background characters, to give a feel of constant confusion and dizziness. While in the foreground, Martin Hart, played by Woody Harrelson, and Rustin Cohle, played by Matthew McConaughey, wore simple, nondescript sport coats and pants. I was worried at times with the boldness of Hart’s ties, but we wanted to make him a bit of a showman. With so much heavy dialogue, I wanted to keep the costumes subtle, without distractions for the audience.

Ray Donovan, Showtime Networks Inc. House of Cards, Netflix. True Detective, HBO

I feel the biggest risk one takes in television is subtlety. In the past I have been told, “TV is the small screen; use broad strokes; shoes don’t matter.” I never believed this to be true. Whether it’s the Donovan brothers, the hip-hop world of Marvin Gaye, Washington and Cookie Brown, skid row characters, South Boston, or the boxing club, I don’t think the audience should see every detail of our work. The fact that Jon Voight as Mickey Donovan wears his pants just a bit high or that his jackets are large in the shoulders makes the actor move and feel differently. Liev Schreiber as Ray Donovan wears extremely heavy shoes which make him walk with purpose. The audience doesn’t need to literally see this to feel it subconsciously. We also repeat costumes frequently, which I’ve been told by my crew is not usually done in television. As storytellers, we want our characters to be relatable and familiar. I have Abby Donovan and her daughter share a sweatshirt and the Donovan brothers wear the same pieces over and over. It imprints the audience with who these characters are to their core. Then when we need to show a change in attitude or emotional state, we can make more impact with more subtle strokes. When one of the Donovan brothers puts on a button front shirt, it has real purpose. Every Costume Designer is an artist and one of the best brushes we have is a great assistant. I am fortunate to have had both ACD Anita Cabada and CD Michi Tomimatsu work alongside me to help bring the nuances of Ray Donovan to life.

Jenny Eagan True Detective

Doing a live show each week by definition is a risk and a race against time. Each actor’s costumes must be designed to be able to be changed from head to toe (along with a change of wig and makeup) during the commercial. We never know what the running order of the show will be, so we must always be mindful how we design these costumes. The risk is to design just the right amount so the information of the character is conveyed to the audience, doesn’t detract from the comedy, and is able to accommodate the costume change in the 60-second time constraint.

Saturday Night Live, NBC. Scandal, ABC

Justian Designing for SNL by definition is taking a risk. The production schedule is at such a fast pace that most often our first choice is the costume that plays live on air. We are required to work completely by instinct. Of course, we still have costumes that change and evolve, but the collaboration process with our writers and actors is so short that we need to trust the crazy system of our show. Each week it feels as if we risk running out of time yet miraculously, with the creativity of our team of assistants, tailors and craftsmen, we always make it happen. SNL is always a risky, yet an exciting challenge.

This is such an interesting question. Any creative choice does involve some risk. Putting oneself out there and being willing to take chances is always challenging. However, I count myself to be very lucky to have the support of our cast, as well as Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers, all of whom are truly collaborative and open to new design choices. On Scandal, we use color, palette, and form as a storytelling device. The choice of a lighter palette was indeed a risky choice, but I believe it was a solid one. Our audience now relates to Olivia Pope and her “White Knight” look. The costumes of Scandal inspired clothing in collaboration with The Limited. This choice was another risk that we took this year. To be truly creative, to design, to inspire, and to reach for something new, one must involve some risk. I hope to take a few more risks this next year. ACD: Kristine N. Haag

Outstanding

Broeker

Lyn Paolo Scandal

Contemporary Television Series

Tom Broeker Eric Justian Saturday Night Live

Summer 2014 The Costume Designer

Janie Bryant Tiffany White Stanton Mad Men

John Dunn Boardwalk Empire

ACDs: Maria Zamansky, Joseph LaCorte, and James Hammer

Michele Clapton Game of Thrones One of my biggest risks for season four was to design the look for the Dornish. The concepts were required to be in place before Pedro [Pascal] or Indira [Varma] were actually cast, and we don’t actually go to Dorne until season five! So it was a big risk, but for the design balance of the show, we needed to set this look. We meet Oberyn and his paramour Ellaria when they come to King’s Landing for Joffrey’s wedding. I had such a vision as to how they should be, and in turn, this would foretell the look of Dorne, a carefree open society so different from King’s Landing. Oberyn’s style was actually quite feminine, so not many men could have pulled this off, and Ellaria was sexy and strong and a true siren. Fortunately for me, both of them stepped right into their character so perfectly, it was truly great casting. Also, they were both absolutely at one with their costumes, so much so that Pedro kept his boots on, with my blessing, to go home to help with his character development. ACDs: Nina Ayres and Alex Fordham

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

A big risk this past season was designing the commune where Roger’s daughter Margaret had gone. It was the first time the characters of Mad Men and the audience witnessed the lifestyle of hippies during the period of the late sixties. I wanted all the characters at the commune to be authentic and not cliché which is no small feat in and of itself, with the help of my entire team we accomplished the challenge.

Stanton A risky part of designing any period show is using costume pieces with historical cultural significance. They can be little trivia Easter eggs for the audience to discover, but they can also be misread as foreshadowing plot points. In the final episode, we built a USC OJ Simpson jersey for Sean, a 16-year-old boy visiting the Francis family. In 1969, OJ was a huge role model and teenage fans who wore his jersey had no indication of his future downfall. It is fun to see the time period through the eyes of the characters, but you have to weigh the risk of knowing what the audience already knows. ACD: Phoenix Mellow

Boardwalk Empire, HBO. Game of Thrones, HBO. Mad Men, AMC

For this fifth and final season of Boardwalk Empire, our executive producer/creator, Terry Winters, moved the series into not one, but three completely new time periods (1884, 1897, and 1931, respectively). This required my team to completely jettison large swaths of our principal clothing, background clothing stock, and our research, while simultaneously immersing ourselves in totally new silhouettes and sensibilities. But that turned out to be completely exhilarating: i.e., Nucky and Sally Wheet in 1931 Havana shot entirely in NYC! I loved the challenge of it all. But what I found most risky was the necessity to move several long-established characters backward and forward in time, often in the same episode. I had to reimagine all of their sartorial needs and hope the audience would embrace my through line for each character. Indeed, there were many sleepless nights over these choices, but that’s all part of the costume designer’s agony and ecstasy, right? “Kiss today goodbye and point me toward tomorrow ... ”

Bryant

The Knick, Cinemax. Masters of Sex, Showtime

We learned that sanitary conditions were not the priority for surgeons at the turn of the century; however, they did wear white smocks and white boots in surgical situations. The white boot became the building block for Clive Owen’s character, Dr. Thackery. His character is a cocaine addict, and changing shoes seemed frivolous when he needed to slip in and out of a boot to inject himself. I presented the idea to Clive, he put on the white boots, and his character was born! The risk of continually using the white boot seemed bold at the time to both [director] Steven Soderbergh and Clive Owen, but that risk paid off, because it became his signature. The upshot is that the white boot is now a sought-after fashion item by men and women. ACDs: John Glaser and Patrick Wiley

ACD: Amy Parris

Outstanding

Ellen Mirojnick The Knick

For Masters of Sex, there’s a focus and pinpointed attention to getting the details just right. We are re-creating the lives of two real pioneers in the fields of reproduction and sex studies, so I feel a tremendous responsibility in honoring their lives with their truth. For season two, I decided to up the ante and weave the design construct toward a combination of pure reality and an enhanced timeless classicism. It was very important to have the viewer relate so much to what they were experiencing, that it felt less like a period piece and more like something quite relevant to today. The result is a hushed, subtle poem to Masters and Johnson. My intention is that it creeps into the viewers’ consciousness, elevating not only the idea that societal issues haven’t changed since the ’50s and ’60s, but also, when the clothing mirrors that idea, it becomes a relatable mirror of people’s hearts.

Period/Fantasy Television Series

Ane Crabtree Masters of Sex

Summer 2014 The Costume Designer

Jenny Eagan Olive Kitteridge

The Normal Heart was a labor of love for everyone involved. All projects for me start with extensive research. While working with our actors and helping them to create their characters, the goal was to make everything feel organic and real. The film begins at Fire Island, 1980. The clothes are bright, sexy, and carefree. When the story gets back to the city, the clothing gets darker, stronger, and more serious, especially during the last half of the film. While giving each actor his individual style, we wanted the men to feel like warriors geared for battle. The risk was, while setting the time and place—early 1980s NYC, to never push it so far as to distract from Larry Kramer’s personal and powerful story. ACD: Maria Tortu

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

Birgit Hutter Houdini Considering the fact that the production worked on a very low budget, I felt an enormous challenge. The “risk” was to accept this precondition. I visited a large number of costume houses around the world searching for appropriate solutions. I managed to find quite a large number of torn costumes from old vaudeville and funfair shows. I then took these pieces apart and reassembled them into new forms. I feel most honoured that the guild has acknowledged my methods of creation and has realized that working against all odds can lead to amazing creative results.

The Normal Heart, HBO. Olive Kitteridge, HBO. Houdini, History

Daniel Orlandi The Normal Heart

Olive Kitteridge was a wonderful character to dress and Frances McDormand is a true professional and extraordinary person. Over the 25-year span of Olive Kitteridge, I wanted to keep her style similar. She follows no trends, but keeps it basic, all while loving her flowers and appreciating patterns. Keeping those patterns subtle and nonspecific was a risk, because I didn’t want to try to deliberately make her sweet or feel like I was pushing an audience to like her. As the years went by, she seemed to become more gritty with age, and her clothes progressed with her to more bold patterns and darker tones. We decided she was raised by a mother who thought wearing pants was too masculine, and Olive believed in tradition, so we kept her in skirts and dresses throughout. One would guess she was a strong woman that sort of “wore the pants in the family,” but I felt it was important to keep her femininity. In the book, Olive is written in a way which makes you believe she is much heavier than we portrayed her in our miniseries. We discussed what an audience might feel about not making her as large as what was written. We didn’t want to take that away, and truthfully, it all came down to what Frances thought the character should be. I trusted her decision and believed that the avid Olive reader would do the same. In the end, we made a 25-pound fat suit, built by the wonderful Mary Ellen Field at Hargate Costumes. The suit shifted her weight to places a woman of Olive’s age would carry it. Keeping her strong and sturdy, but realistic, Olive Kitteridge is a woman with a strong character and self.

Sherlock, Masterpiece on PBS_Robert Viglasky/Hartswood Films. American Horror Story: Freak Show, FX Networks

Lou Eyrich American Horror Story: Freak Show When we started prep on AHS: Freak Show, the tone was faded glamour and a washed out palette—the ending of an era and the dawn of television. But a few weeks in, we (Ryan Murphy, Mark Worthington, and I) decided to go bold. We chose rich tones, bright feathers, and fur—colors that popped against the decaying carnival era. We had already pulled racks of stock and started fittings, but we switched gears and started over. Once I started seeing the tents go up, the hell mouth in place, and the carnival compound atmosphere, I knew we had made the right choice. ACD: Ken van Duyne

Outstanding

“His Last Vow” (the final episode of Sherlock) covers the breadth of Sherlock’s complex life and character. Both in its physical reality and mental fantasy, the bold and brilliant characters interweave in time and space in the drive to beat the evil nemesis Magnussen. A forcefully imaginative choice of styles, fabrics, and colours underpin and re-enforce the chiaroscuro nature of Holmes and indeed of the drama itself. The costumes take Holmes through many different phases both in character and time. The use of colours suggest to the viewer the passing of seasons as well as the state of Sherlock’s mind. We see flashbacks to his childhood: Mary in her wedding dress, a deranged Moriarty in a straight jacket and the wholesome family Christmas expressed in seasonal colours and textures. The classic definition of Holmes and his deerstalker is redefined and modernized (which is always a risk), whereas we recognize Sherlock and his coat in silhouette billowing in the episodes’ climax. Watson’s change to a serious postmarriage personality is reflected in his more sober costumes. The duplicity of his wife is reflected in her costumes and that of Magnussen in his sharp tailored suiting and precise accessories. Design risks are an essential ingredient in making an interesting drama. I take many risks in contemporary designing. Colours, fabrics, styles are a choice I make to depict an artist’s character which is always a risk as it is my interpretation of the script. The results have been very positive. I have been inundated with Twitter and press requests in reference to the source of the majority of the costumes.

Made for Television Movie or Miniseries

Sarah Arthur Sherlock

Summer 2014 The Costume Designer

I really love working with the Russo brothers. They are always game to be visually creative to help tell a story. In the Smirnoff Campaign, we had upward of 60 distinct characters we dressed, though not all are featured prominently in this particular spot, they all help inhabit the space and bring an energy to the overall aesthetic. In order to get the agency and client excited about us taking their fun concepts and pushing the envelope with character, my team and I put together character mood boards for all the principals and featured background even before we began hunting for the right stuff by drawing from existing imagery and piecing together some fun elements. The spot seems to resonate with people because we were able to make some not obvious choices that support the characters. We shopped vintage and pulled lots of period costumes that we then mixed with contemporary pieces— like the mixologist’s tie and suspenders. We concentrated heavily on props like some Sally Jesse Raphael ladies’ glasses on the male DJ and lots of other quirky accessories scattered around to add some realism and fun. The desired effect was to have it be cinematic in tone by trying to capture the flair of distinct characters. ACD: Danielle Cohen

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

Christopher Lawrence Army ‘Defy Expectations, Villagers’ I feel the biggest risk in commercials is just saying yes! In today’s world of smaller budgets and less time than ever, you really have to know you can pull these jobs off with the boundaries that are set. For this commercial, we were asked to transform 165 Angelenos into inhabitants of a generic Middle Eastern village. We had two days to pull costumes and two hours to fit and age the background on the day of the shoot—that’s it. The only way to accomplish something like this is to know who the perfect person is to assist. For me that will always be a member of [Local] 892, which is an unconventional choice in commercials. CD Dan Lester worked with me on this job, and it would’ve been impossible to do without him. I had Dan and one costumer to pull off this feat. It was an incredibly challenging job, but the risk of saying yes was worth it. ACD: Dan Lester

Julie Vogel Dos Equis ‘Most Interesting Man in the World Walks on Fire’ My biggest challenge this year was finding the grass skirts worn in the firewalking vignette. The closest place I found was a tiny hula supply in Hawaii. Thinking ahead, my team and I discovered that most of the actors were double and triple Xs. All we could locate were women’s skirts. We decided to place an order for 42 skirts to sew together. Worried about “island time” we crossed our fingers, hoping that they would arrive. The two giant rolls arrived in days of the first shoot day, and we were able to make them work. Working on a time crunch and waiting for items to arrive from overseas is always a bit scary. Another risk I face each year is going back and forth between decades in a 60-second spot. I always try to keep my main actor, the MIM, Jonathan’s wardrobe cohesive and stylish. He has a closet, really a giant box, of past clothes that travel back to me each year. The worry about the condition of clothes and arrival of the box can be stressful. Luckily, the main bar jacket comes back each year, knock on wood it arrives again next year. The young MIM is also a risky challenge. He is a bit of an overzealous actor, so we always have to reinforce his costumes, including vintage garments, for fear that he might rip a piece on set. Our budget rarely (never) allows for an on-set seamstress/tailor. They generally have some crazy stock footage to match; this year it was a cycle glider leading a pack of geese back on course.

‘The Mixologist,’ courtesy of Smirnoff. ‘Defy Expectations, Villagers,’ courtesy of the United States Army. ‘Most Interesting Man in the World Walks on Fire,’ courtesy of Dos Equis.

Laura Jean Shannon Smirnoff ‘The Mixologist’

Kia Soul Hamster ‘Animals,’ courtesy of Kia. ‘Less Attractive,’ with Rob Lowe, courtesy of DirecTV

The beloved Kia Hamsters had gone through many changes from their inception. They went from being mostly digital to being real life costumed. The job was risky from the start. I had one day to swatch and design the costumes for the larger-than-life hamster bodies and five days to get them made. There was virtually no time for tests and changes. I relied on my past experience designing foam and fur creatures, choosing fabrics that could endure crazy dance moves and still fit within our concept of the hamsters being scientist/hipsters with a slimmer wardrobe silhouette. I didn’t want to use lycra or any other stretch fabrics because it wouldn’t give us the textural look at the end, so I double lined the wool trousers and oxford shirts to give us the stability they needed, while still giving a nicely draped feeling of well-made pants and shirts. These kinds of jobs don’t come around often! I love that after all these years in the business, we still get to learn and experiment with new materials and challenges. I could have not done it without my incredible team who was on board with this crazy and wonderful adventure.

Le Brock I don’t know if there was a lot of risk, per se, but making Rob Lowe look less attractive was certainly a special challenge. He’s been a sex symbol for decades, and there are endless possibilities as to what “less-attractive” could mean, so making his look effective and surprising to viewers was a real test.

Albertson In this campaign it was necessary to create a drastic juxtaposition between our hero character, in a heightened sense of celebrity, and his alter egos, so you felt the disconnect between their two worlds. Sometimes when dealing with an actor playing a version of himself, it is necessary to take the design to a place that borders on caricature and trust that he will be able to make it feel real. The task of maintaining a reality past the point of authenticity is always a risk; but if the audience believes it, you know the risk paid off. ACDs: Adrian Gilliland and Hunter Hamilton

Excellence

Anette Cseri Kia Soul Hamster Commercial Featuring ‘Animals’

Comercial Costume Design

Mindy Le Brock Jessica Alberton DirecTV ‘Less Attractive,’ with Rob Lowe

Summer 2014 The Costume Designer

FRANCE CANADA UNITED STATES The Costume Designers Guild Awards, given by Local 892, refuse to compare bustles to baseball caps and celebrates all the different facets of Costume Design in its seven categories.

When the Canadian Academy merged the Gemini and Genie Awards in 2013, the Canadian Screen Awards was born. Being so new, it has yet to land on a nickname, although the front-runner is currently the Candys, after beloved actor John Candy.

The French Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques pays tribute to the collective character of filmmaking with the César statue. Named after its sculptor César Baldaccini, it is a visual representation of the proverbial village required to make a film.

UNITED STATES Map: Christine Cover Ferro

Host Billy Crystal called The Oscars the “granddaddy of award shows.” Based in Hollywood, but recognized worldwide, the Oscars set the gold standard for glamour and subsequent salary bumps.

MEXICO The Mexican Academy of Cinematic Arts and Sciences awards the Ariel, a young silver man poised to take flight. The statue, named after José Enrique Rodó’s eponymous essay in which The Tempest’s sprite Ariel embodies Latin America’s free spirit, unity, and culture.

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

SPAIN The Spanish Academy of Cinematic Arts and Sciences began awarding the Goya in 1987. The solid bronze statue is named after romantic painter Francisco de Goya, whose dramatic style and compositions have more than a touch of the cinematic.

By Christine Cover Ferro and Anna Wyckoff

GREAT BRITTAIN The British Academy of Film and Television Arts founded the BAFTAs in 1947. Their status as an independent charity rather than a government-funded entity, does not prevent British Royalty’s long affiliation with the award. The bronze mask was actually designed by an American, Mitzi Cunliffe.

ITALY Based on the famed sculpture and established in 1955 following a landmark period in Italian film, the David di Donatello Awards celebrate cinematic excellence. A win might be the closest one gets to owning Renaissance art.

ITALY The Cinearti Award or “Chioma di Berenice” is given by the National Confederation of Craftmanship and Small and Medium Italian Enterprise. It is a tribute the artists on the other side of the camera.

AUSTRALIA When the Australian Film Institute Awards became the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, a new statue was unveiled. The Sydney Morning Herald described the Southern Cross in human form as “Oscar’s flamboyant brother waving ‘hi.’”

Summer 2014 The Costume Designer

Woven in England

ÂŠ 2014 Gladson Ltd., an HMS International Company

The Elemental Source for Fabrics

C h r i s M a n l e y 3 1 0 - 2 7 0 - 5 0 9 3 | 1 - 8 0 0 - 2 2 7 - 1 7 2 4 | s a l e s @ g l a d s o n l t d . c o m | w w w. g l a d s o n l t d . c o m

CDG After Hours The CDG holiday party sponsored by Western Costume Company was a success on many levels. Not only was the evening enjoyed by our members, but the Westside Food Bank was grateful for the guildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s generosity with food and toys. Thank you to all who participated.

Deborah Hopper, Julie Weiss, and Western Costume President Eddie Marks

Karyn Wagner and Jacqueline Saint Anne

Executive Director Rachael Stanley and Vice President Cate Adair

Erin Hirsh and guests

Mark Bridges and Mandi Line Luke Reichle and guest

Jennifer Soulages and husband, Phillip Lucas

Gala Autumn, President Salvador Perez, and Terry Gordon

Mikael Sharafyan and guest Don Hook, May Routh (left), Cate Adair and husband, David Landau (right) and guests.

Aasha Ramdeen and Jesse Weiner

Alonzo V. Wilson and guest

Winter 2015 The Costume Designer

Sneak Peek

Jupiter

Ascending Costume Designer:

Kym Barrett

Serena Fiumi and Stacy Caballero ILLs: Felipe Sanchez and Keith Christensen ACDs:

Illustration by Keith Christensen

In Theatres February 6, 2015 Warner Bros. Pictures

IN FOCUS BOLDFACE NAMES

BFN - Work CD Shay Cunliffe, with CD Valerie Laven-Cooper assisting, is thrilled to be working on LA project The Secret in Their Eyes. The thriller/love story is an American version of the award-winning Argentinian film of the same name and stars Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. It will be shot entirely in the Los Angeles area! Also in Los Angeles, CD Leslie Schilling is the Costume Designer on the new original series for Netflix Wet Hot American Summer, shooting in January and February. Based on the film of the same name, the project will see the original cast reprising their roles, including Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, Michael Showalter, and Christopher Meloni. CD Mary Walbridge is supervising and ACD Lily Unkhoff is a costumer. David Wain will direct. CD Trayce Gigi Field is set to start shooting The Spoils Before Dying in March, the IFC sequel to The Spoils of Babylon. She also designed a Super Bowl commercial for NASCAR, starring Parks and Recreation’s Nick Offerman, with ACD Bryan Kopp assisting. CD Rebecca Gregg, fresh off designing her most recent feature project from Haven Entertainment Hello, My Name Is Doris (Michael Showalter directing with Sally Field in the title role), is currently in Los Angeles working on the upcoming NBC comedy series Mr. Robinson. Cast includes Craig Robinson, Jean Smart, and Larenz Tate. Representing CDG at this year’s Sundance Film Festival are CD Rebecca Luke for the feature film Explosion and documentary What

Happened, Miss Simone? which is about the life of Nina Simone; and CD Lisa Tomczeszyn’s The Stanford Prison Experiment, based on Dr. Philip Zimbardo’s infamous social experiments in 1971 starring Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, Olivia Thirlby, and James Wolk. CD Abigail Murray is happy to be working with Paul Haggis again on the HBO miniseries Show Me a Hero in New York City. Written by David Simon, it stars Oscar Isaac as the young mayor, and is based on a true civil rights story set in the ugly political world of Yonkers in 1987. With more than 300 speaking parts, clothes have been gathered from east, west, and all points in between! CD Peggy Stamper’s next independent feature project The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving will shoot in Atlanta with producer/director Rob Burnett, and the cast includes Paul Rudd and Selena Gomez. CD Hope Hanafin and ACD Hannah Jacobs are off to Pittsburgh for Jessie Nelson’s feature film Let It Snow, with Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Olivia Wilde, Ed Helms, Amanda Seyfried, and June Squibb.They will be back for April Fools’ Day and a chance to thaw out. Winter 2015 The Costume Designer

IN FOCUS BOLDFACE NAMES Joining them in Pittsburgh are CD Dayna Pink and Stacy Caballero on the currently untitled Sony feature based on a true and relevant story about NFL and concussions that spans several decades of history. Will Smith and Alec Baldwin star. The project returns to Los Angeles in February to finish principal photography and wrap. They are enjoying the snow and shopping trips to New York, but missing the LA sunshine. CD Robert Blackman is in Auckland, New Zealand, working on the pilot Lumen, created and written by Chris Black and directed by Joe Johnston.The project is produced by Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks for TNT and started principal photography in January. CD Jori Woodman recently wrapped the new ABC series for ABC/Amblin Entertainment The Whispers. The story follows Lily Rabe, Barry Sloane, and Milo Ventimiglia as a group of Washington, D.C. parents desperately trying to uncover an unseen â&#x20AC;&#x153;forceâ&#x20AC;? that is manipulating their children into helping an alien enemy. The project was shot in Vancouver, BC. CD Chrisi Karvonides spent the last week of November as a guest lecturer at the Cordella Institute of Fashion Design in Lecce, Italy. She taught a workshop on Costume Design for television for 40 students, along with a lecture to 200 high school students at the Palazzo dei Celestini on pursuing a career in art, design, and visual communications.

CD Mary Vogt designed costumes for the Indian film I, opening in Asia in January. Specialty costumes were made by Quantum Effects, and the film was shot in Chennai, India. 56

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

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her many projects. Online magazine StyleBistro also covered her work on 2 Broke Girls, her experience dressing guest stars and Victoria’s Secret Angels, Lily Aldridge and Martha Hunt.

CD Tracey White completed the period feature White Water. Based on the book by the same name, the project is set in 1963 and shot on location in Opelika, AL, with Sharon Leal, Larenz Tate, and Lori Beth Sikes starring. It is scheduled for a limited theatrical release in February 2015. CD Sueko Oshimoto designed the national costumes for the Miss Japan contestants in both the 2014 Miss Universe and Miss World pageants.

BFN - Press Pieces from CD Diana Orr’s line, Capstone Couture, were featured in Avant Garde magazine’s November issue. The editorial featured her handmade couture gowns worn by the ladies of the Miss San Diego Pageant and Scholarship Association to bring attention to the HiCaliber Horse Rescue. A profile on CD Trayce Gigi Field in the December issue of Regard Magazine covered her path as a Costume Designer and

Congratulations Nominees and Honorees For the 17th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards

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Capstone Couture in Avant Garde magazine

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BFN - HONORS CD Arefeh Mansouri’s short film Dream was awarded two Awards of Merit from the Best Shorts Film Competition in the categories of Experimental and Women Filmmakers. CD Terry Ann Gordon has been newly elected to the Television Academy’s Board of Governors for Costume Design and Supervision.

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The CDG would like to extend a special thank you to Western Costume

for allowing us to use their facilities for our winter cover photo shoot. Western Costume Company 11041 Vanowen Street Los Angeles, CA 91605 (818) 760-0900

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

CD Janie Bryant is excited to have just launched her first design effort in shoes! Her capsule collection with the amazing Australian-based Shoes of Prey company is now available online and at selected Nordstrom shoe departments. The collection has been featured in major press including WWD/Footwear News, Instyle. com, and others. She also made an appearance on Seattle KING5 TV evening news to promote Shoes of Prey’s exciting new design-yourown-shoe concept and her capsule. Macy’s extended its invitation for the second year in a row to CD Johnetta Boone to be a panelist/spokesperson on fashion during the Soul Era. She will spend the month of February traveling the country for the events. LA members can catch her appearance at the Baldwin Hills Macy’s on February 26. CD Stephen M. Chudej is greatly expanding the stock available at his rental facility, San Marcos Costume Company in North Texas. He recently acquired the Cincinnati landmark, Rick’s Vintage Fashions, formerly headed by Ray Cantrell and George DiLorenzo, essentially doubling the collection of 1940s, ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s men’s and women’s styles available for rent. Having the capacity to ship from coast-to-coast at a moment’s notice, Chudej looks forward to serving the entire CDG community in the new year.

Photo: Gil Riego Photography

CD Meredith Markworth-Pollack has teamed up with bridal accessoriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; designer Amanda Judge to create the GILDED Collection, a capsule collection of headpieces inspired by her CW series Reign. The pieces are available for purchase online at Nordstrom as well as amandajudgeny.com. All pieces retail for under $100.

Moderator Dhani Mau, CDs Mandi Line, Soyon An, Jill Ohanesson and President Salvador Perez. CDs Mandi Line, Soyon An, Jill Ohanesson and President Salvador Perez were panelists at the Costume Designer Roundtable at the Fashionistaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s How to Make It in Fashion conference, held last November in Los Angeles.

Compiled and written by: Christine Cover Ferro christine.coverferro@gmail.com

Winter 2015 The Costume Designer

Indiana Jones. Photo: Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images.

SCRAPBOOK

hirty-five years ago, Deborah Nadoolman Landis created the costumes for the film Raiders of the Lost Ark. Her design for Indiana Jones was conceived with a nod to the adventure serials of the 1940s and the hero archetype established in films like China (1943) and Lost Treasure of the Incas (1954). While the Indiana Jones costume was deceptively simple, Landis hotwired the hero and helped Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg create an international icon that will forever outshine his predecessors. In the intervening years, the character of Indiana Jones has expanded beyond the original context of the film and has become ingrained in the popular culture. Landis has spent this next chapter of her life championing the centrality of Costume Design and she is deeply aware of this dynamic. She explains, “As a result of this intimate connection between the audience and the character, the costume designer disappears.

The Costume Designer Winter 2015

Sometimes, a character created by a successful film is so powerful, so influential, and so pervasive it becomes impossible for the moviegoing public to believe that a single person was responsible for designing it. The famous costume’s original purpose—character creation and film storytelling, is forgotten.” Indiana Jones is one of the most recognizable silhouettes in movie history. These garments are now so fixed in pop culture that anyone who wears a brown fedora, brown leather jacket, safari shirt, khakis, and work boots is instantly transformed into that amiable and sexy archaeologist, Indiana Jones. Indiana Jones and many other iconic costumes are displayed at Landis’ Hollywood Costume exhibit which is on view at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures through March 2, 2015. http://www.oscars.org/hollywoodcostume

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