vol. 10, issue 3
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FEATURES Transformation X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emmy Nominations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Costume Design & Commerce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gone With the Wind Exhibit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FIDM 2014. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Comic-Con . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13 16 20 24 26 29
DEPARTMENTS Editor’s Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Union Label. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 President’s Letter Executive Director Labor Report 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
The Costume Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 History of Dress
In Focus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Boldface Names
Scrapbook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
COVER Illustration by Aasha Ramdeen (TOC photo: Anna Wyckoff)
Summer 2014 The Costume Designer
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EDITOR’S NOTE First, I would like to send heartfelt congratulations to all of our Emmy nominees for the excellence in Costume Design that their work represents. As is our tradition, we dedicate our summer issue to featuring their accomplishments. On a personal level, I find hearing their thoughts compelling, as it brings another dimension to my understanding of their work. My pride extends beyond our nominees, to the consistently high caliber of work demonstrated by our entire Costume Design community. Your passion and attention to detail is not only what audiences fall in love with, it is what they have come to expect—and you bring—to every project. Transformation is the essence of our art. You cannot imagine my delight when I opened up CD Sophie de Rakoff’s email, and saw photographs from her upcoming exhibit and soon-to-be-published book, which demonstrate the incredible power of Costume Design. I am thrilled to share these images with you. In our feature we discuss the intersection between Costume Design and commerce. While this relationship has existed from the beginning of film and television, only recently have designers really begun to reap the financial rewards of their creativity and knowledge. But, dear readers, once a trail is blazed, a road follows, and that road leads Costume Design into a beautiful future.
costumedesignersguild.com EDITOR-AT-LARGE
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
Anna Wyckoff awyckoff@cdgia.com
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 RECEPTIONIST/SECRETARY
Cheryl Marshall
cmarshall@cdgia.com PUBLISHER
IngleDodd Media ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Dan Dodd 310.207.4410 x236
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The Costume Designer Summer 2014
cdg@IngleDodd.com
Woven in England
Š 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
CONTRIBUTORS
What is your … Favorite Vacation? Clothes Inspiration? Accompanying Libation?
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Robin Richesson
Bonnie Nipar
Suzanne Huntington
(Associate Editor)
(Co-contributor to Boldface Names)
(History of Dress, Illustrator)
Words don’t adequately describe the emotional impact of my recent vacation to the magical city of Venice, Italy … I believe you must “see” it with your heart. It’s hard to roam the labyrinth of streets in Venice and not picture yourself dressed like Veronica Franco in Dangerous Beauty. An overabundance of good red wine!
Whitefish, Montana: Fuels my love of the outdoors. Bali, Indonesia: Reverent, lush, and the massages, oh my! Pinterest! Streets of Paris... Margarita Fraiche. Good tequila, two limes, Perrier, and a splash of agave. Delicious!
Mexico Neptune’s Daughter with a touch of Marimekko Margarita, rocks, salt, or Don Julio tequila to sip
The Costume Designer Summer 2014
Lost Time Capsule 22,000 pieces of Men’s & Women’s clothing for Sale MUST BE SOLD BY September 30, 2014 Christine Cover Ferro (Associate Editor, Comic-Con) Pretty much anywhere in the Caribbean Dr. No Old Fashioned
Lost Time Capsule of over 22,000 pieces Real men’s & women’s vintage clothing from 1930s to 1980s unearthed in Midwest. A closed unknown source for many well-known film/television projects got their inventory from this secret Midwest Entertainment Industry used wardrobe warehouse. The best part is this inventory is available for sale in its entirety or per piece. We have set up a website to provide you a sampling of clothing available.
Marcy Froehlich (History of Dress, Text) Scotland Brigadoon Hot tea (Hey, it’s COLD in Scotland in the summer!)
Stacy Ellen Rich (Co-contributor to Boldface Names) Bordeaux Les Demoiselles de Rochefort Negroni cocktail
Our story: This incredible Midwest wardrobe collection of vintage clothing runs the gamut of 20th-century clothing from major lead pieces to deep background spanning from high society to refugee clothes. It is an extensive inventory of period clothing consisting of over 22,000 pieces for men, women and children bringing together inventory over 32 years in the making and Hollywood wardrobe supplier for many known films. The head wardrobe curator spent his lifetime acquiring clothing and accessories that were collected with an eye for strong period representation with style, character, color, and setting. All clothing are real period pieces, these are not knock-offs or newly manufactured. Clothing that did not strongly suggest these criteria were not added to the inventory bringing together an inventory far beyond most movie studio costume department inventories. The search for this clothing was conducted over some 32 years of aggressive searching and represents a huge investment of money and time within this inventory. This collection of 1930s to 1980s vintage clothing has been used for major motion pictures naming a few such as: Casino, Ali, Truman, Pleasantville, The Shawshank Redemption, The Game of Their Lives, Milk Money, Kansas City, Road to Perdition, Big Fish, Little Man Tate, Sweet and Lowdown, and Seabiscuit along with many theater and commercial productions. The list of clothing consists of men’s suits, jackets, pants, coats, ties, shirts, shoes, uniforms (military and worker) and hats. For women the clothing includes 2,000 suits, jackets, dresses, coats, hats, skirts, blouses, shoes, gloves, and more. We also collected patterns, fabric and other items that would be used in costuming.
All inquiries, please contact me directly
Agent Michael Angelo Testa (513) 310-5118 or (727) 600-3489 for additional information. Accepting Sealed Bids for entire inventory Loading/Shipping Service available – Airport Shuttle Service Incredible opportunity for building a new wardrobe or build up an existing inventory, Tax Deductible Donation to Film School or Industry Organization Wardrobe Gift Please share this page with industry friends and have them mention you referred them and if they purchase inventory, you earn $ 2,500 referral bonus for you.
Aasha Ramdeen (Cover Illustration)
www.vintageclothingsource.com
Visiting Trinidad Sex and the City (Carrie Bradshaw) Amaretto Sour Summer 2014 The Costume Designer
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union label PRESIDENT’S LETTER As we celebrate the Emmy® nominations, we are excited to see our colleagues honored for their design work and dismayed that again, no contemporary Costume Design has been recognized. As we strive to receive acknowledgment for contemporary work, and wonder why it is not nominated, we need to remember that it is the Costume Designers and supervisors of the Television Academy who are doing the nominating and voting. We as Costume Designers know that as much work goes into contemporary design as a period or fantasy project, since our job is to dress the actor for the script. A character’s costume could be as basic as a T-shirt and jeans or as elaborate as a spacesuit—Costume Design is about creating and dressing the character. The Television Academy has separated the art direction categories into Contemporary/ Fantasy and Period. It also does not compare comedic acting to dramatic acting. How do you compare contemporary Costume Design with period or fantasy Costume Design? Unfortunately, we suffer the same fate with the Film Academy. When was the last time a contemporary film was awarded a best Costume Design Oscar®? Our very own Costume Designers Guild Awards separates the categories because we know that the elements of design are so different, yet each is worthy of honor. Hopefully, the Television Academy and the Film Academy will acknowledge the difference and create separate categories. If Costume Designers don’t acknowledge contemporary work as outstanding and worthy of awards, the public certainly does. Contemporary Costume Design is being valued by the fashion industry and there are more Costume Designers designing for the retail market than ever before. The creativity and talent of our members are being appreciated more than ever, as seen in the article on “Costume Design & Commerce”—a whole new world is opening. Costume Design is being celebrated in other ways, from the Gone With the Wind exhibit at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas in Austin, to Sophie de Rakoff’s exhibition Transformation X in conjunction with the Los Angeles Film Festival, to Dr. Deborah Landis’ blockbuster exhibit Hollywood Costume for the V&A being brought to Los Angeles to the Academy Museum. As Costume Designers are gearing up for the television season, I look forward to seeing all the outstanding Costume Design work done by our members and wish luck to all the Emmy nominees, your work inspires us all. In solidarity, Salvador Perez sperez@cdgia.com
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union label executive director Dear Members, This September will mark my 10-year anniversary working for the members of this Guild. As I look back, so much has changed. I have had the privilege to serve under three different Presidents and six different Executive Boards, one addition to the office staff, and a move to a new office location, just to name a few of the changes. All of these changes have brought significant improvement to the Guild but our biggest change has been our increased membership. When I started in 2004, we had 602 members and today we have 852; a growth of almost 30%. We now have members living across the US and in the UK, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Canada, and France. Our reach has truly become global. That growth has brought new challenges and each President has set out new programs to help members adjust to our changing industry. We in the CDG office have also committed ourselves to more effectively serving our members. We communicate weekly with our membership through our GEMS (General Email Messages) each Friday where members can check in for all important news. We have emails on all but three of our 852 members and are able to communicate with speed to their concerns and questions. We have not outgrown the old methods of communication such as letter or phone calls, but most of our members seem to prefer to correspond through email. Some of the programs that have been instituted during the last 10 years include this publication, The Costume Designer, Comic-Con, our annual holiday party, our Annual Artisan Bazaar, extended education classes during the week and on weekends, a vast array of specialty seminars, an expansion and development of a new website, the development of a retiree program and our annual retiree luncheon, an annual mixer with our sister Local 705, online elections and awards voting, the establishment of a PAC, and we are now in the process of creating a new-and-improved database system to better serve our members. Change by nature never ceases and we look forward to the challenges and opportunities the next 10 years will bring. In solidarity, Rachael Stanley rstanley@cdgia.com
We appreciate the ongoing support of our corporate sponsors Diamond Level
Correction: ACD Brigitta Romanov is a member of Local 892, and not a member of Local 705 as previously stated in the spring issue.
CALENDAR
EMERALd Level
September 1 CDG office closed for Labor Day September 8 Executive Board Meeting Sapphire Level
ruby level
October 6
Executive Board Meeting
October 11
General Membership Meeting
November 3
Executive Board Meeting
November 23 Artisan Bazaar
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The Costume Designer Summer 2014
union label LABOR REPORT Congratulations to all Emmy costume nominees. The body of work is impressive and worthy. The Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (ACA) is under attack by the courts. This points us evermore in the direction of a single payer, cradle to grave, healthcare for all, Medicare system. The CDG and nearly 40 other California organizations continue to support Labor United for Single Payer Healthcare. The IATSE International and our own District 2 have passed resolutions supporting this effort. Let’s take healthcare off the bargaining table so we can fight for improved wage and safety benefits. Organizing Non-Union Productions around Los Angeles. Our CDG members are some of the activists on the front lines organizing—you are a most valued asset, you are the best of us. November, Election 2014. While you enjoy the remaining summer days with your family and friends, don’t forget it is time to step up and elect representatives who will work for working families in California. The COPE candidates were endorsed this month at the County Federation of Labor meeting. Please make time to volunteer in the phone bank and walk with us to get the word out on the candidates. We will keep you informed of events going forward. The California Film & Television Job Retention & Promotion Act (AB 1839). To date, only 50% of the letters addressing this bill have been mailed back by our membership. It is vital that everyone participates. Additionally, call your representatives and continue to respond as legislation moves forward. Please take action to retain our jobs and your future employment. It is up to each of us to do our part to bring productions back to California. Thank you. In solidarity, Betty P. Madden bmadden@cdgia.com
™
COSTUME DEPARTMENT
It’s all in the details! www.wbcostumedept.com ©2014 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Summer 2014 The Costume Designer
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THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT
History Of Dress
S
Parasol
ummon your visions of summers past. Do you see light frocks and net gloves holding a parasol toward the sun? Ruffles and lace? Â Can you travel even further back in your mind to ancient China and Egypt, and conjure up parasols of leaves, feathers, or leather with geometric shapes and painted scenes? Â Whatever the century, keep the sun at bay and your complexion lovely.
Illustration by Robin Richesson rrichesson@cdgia.com Text by Marcy Froehlich mfroehlich@cdgia.com
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The Knick CD Ellen Mirojnick
Transformation X
By Anna Wyckoff
Winter 2014 The Costume Designer
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Casa Valentina CD Rita Ryack
A
Costume Designer attempts to capture a character at a specific moment during a story through their clothing. Silhouette, fabric, and accessories are but a few of the elements which are used to portray both their physical and psychological state. Costume can establish a place, time period, social class, age, and even a mood. In the abbreviated timeframe of film and television, this visual shorthand is a necessity to quickly propel the narrative forward, but it is often difficult to capture its power and scope in words. Sometimes photography can contain Costume Design where words fall short.
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Inherent Vice CD Mark Bridges
Jersey Boys CD Deborah Hopper
“I’m obsessed with photography and always have been. It’s a huge part of my creative process initially,” says CD Sophie de Rakoff. A longtime fan of photographer Mark Laita’s images, she asked him to be her conspirator. De Rakoff had a deceptively simple idea. “I wanted to create portraits of background actors before and after being dressed. Rather than showing the process of Costume Design, I wanted to demonstrate its effects and its impact—the transformation.” A veteran designer, de Rakoff is also the curator for the Los Angeles Film Festival’s costume program, which aims to celebrate the art and contribution Costume Designers bring to film and television. Laita has published several photography books and has exhibited his work internationally. His anthropological eye marries the observation of August Sander with the immediacy of Avedon. In Transformation X he turns this aesthetic to Costume Design. Touring the country, the duo has completed a handful of shoots and captured hundreds of images, arriving early on set to take their shots and disappearing before the filming starts. Documenting the unfamiliar faces of background characters sharpens the focus on the metamorphosis, without the distraction of celebrity. The culmination of their efforts will be exhibited during the 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival in collaboration with the Fahey/Klein Gallery. A book will follow. If you would like to suggest a project for Transformation X, please email info@oneprivatelibrary.com
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EMMY AWARDS NOMINEES
Once Upon a Time CD Eduardo Castro ACDs Angela Bright and Monique McRae
The wonderful world of Costume Design allows one to venture into history, politics, art, and fashion. We get to create, re-create, and invent, and venture into a variety or worlds, whether real, fantastical, futuristic, or historical. I’m lucky to do all of this on my current project of Once Upon a Time!
Downton Abbey CD Caroline McCall ACD Poli Kyriacou
Although Downton Abbey is termed a costume drama, my aim is to produce a wardrobe of clothes for each character. The actors shouldn’t feel they are wearing ‘costumes’ once they are in character. They are simply wearing their characters’ clothes.
Game of Thrones
CD Michelle Clapton ACDs Alex Fordham and Nina Ayres I think costumes’ ‘clothes’ should help define the characters and form part of the storytelling process. With GOT being so vast, I also use them in the broader sense through materials, colour, and cut as a visual shorthand to place us in the varied locations we find ourselves in each episode.
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Boardwalk Empire CD John Dunn CD Lisa Padovani ACD Maria Zamansky
Dunn: My overriding priority is always to tell the story through the clothing, but equal weight must be given to the actors’ needs. Am I giving them the confidence and the tools to communicate in a meaningful way? Padovani: Each and every day player and background actor was costumed with the same amount of detail and authenticity as the principals. You will never hear me say “they’ll never see it.”
Photo: Macall B. Polay for Boardwalk/HBO
Mad Men
Photo: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC
CD Janie Bryant Co-CD Tiffany White
Photo: Macall B. Polay for HBO
Photo: Nick Briggs/Carnival Film & Television Limited 2013 for Masterpiece
Photo: Jack Rowand/ABC
Outstanding Costumes for a Series
I have always felt that costumes are one of the stars of the show. The silent star but visually delightful, giving clues to the actor and audience without saying a word and yet speaking volumes about the story.
Summer 2014 The Costume Designer
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EMMY AWARDS NOMINEES
The Normal Heart CD Daniel Orlandi ACD Maria Tortu
My goal in designing the characters for The Normal Heart, while carefully re-creating 1980s New York, and helping the actors define their character, was to never let the costumes distract from the powerful story.
AHS: Coven
CD Lou Eyrich ACD Ken van Duyne ILL Liuba Randolph American Horror Story is the most challenging show I’ve done. Exhausting on a daily basis. So my daily mantra comes from a Maya Angelou quote: “The question is not how to survive, but how to thrive with passion, compassion, humor, and style.”
House of Versace CD Claire Nadon ACDs Josée Boisvert and Nicole Magny
Rebuilding the fashion show dresses was like studying from the great sculpture masters. It is so rare in our business that the film is about the clothing!
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The Costume Designer Summer 2014
Photo: FX Networks
Photo: Robert Viglasky/Hartswood Films for Masterpiece
Photo: Jojo Whilden/ HBO
Outstanding Costumes for a Mini-Series, Movie or Special
Sherlock: His Last Vow CD Sarah Arthur
Sherlock’s signature look was able to reflect the seasons in His Last Vow through the colour and variety in his shirts/suits. The coat was used to great effect with all the action scenes. I endeavour to reflect character development/personality through costumes. A precisely costumed ensemble cast helps tell the audience who they are.
The White Queen CD Nic Ede ACD Raissa Hans
Photo: Starz
Photo: Lifetime
I represented the late-15th-century look through silhouette, colour, and texture making uncomplicated everyday clothing with key pieces representing the detailed magnificence of the reality.
Summer 2014 The Costume Designer
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ostume Design Co F m m e r c e By Anna Wyckoff
Janie Bryant Leg Couture
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The Costume Designer Summer 2014
The Revolutionary Janie Bryant
Photo: Bonnie Tsang
ilm and television Costume Designers have an unquestionable sway on the public. A brief tour of costume history underscores the fact that fashion designers often cash in by disseminating looks originated by Costume Designers. From Adrian’s Letty Lynton dress for Joan Crawford, which launched a thousand shoulder pads, to Theadora Van Runkle’s designs for Bonnie and Clyde and Bullitt, to the singular vision of Patricia Field in Sex in the City which more recently, educated a generation of women on how to dress, and made rarified brands like Manolo Blahnik a household name. While there have been a few successful forays into the commercial world, Nolan Miller was able to translate the impact of his Dynasty costumes into a popular suit line licensed under Leslie Fay. The ever-innovative Arianne Phillips also designed a limited edition collection for Levi’s in conjunction with The Mod Squad film in the late nineties. However, the ability of a Costume Designer to monetize the success of fashion or merchandise to which their design is a crucial component has been elusive. Making their name and their brand recognizable to audiences has also proven challenging. Until now.
If Deadwood put CD Janie Bryant on the map and an Emmy on her shelf, then Mad Men shot her into the stratosphere. Following the trail blazed by Patricia Field, Bryant made a critical leap, translating the television adulation for her costumes into commercial success. With charisma that matched her courage, Bryant became well known as a fashion maven, a title she embraced. “Before I got into the film business, I was in the fashion industry, so it has always been a part of me, my career, my job, and my process,” she explains. Bryant’s desire to enter the commercial market sparked during her tenure at Deadwood, when she noticed fashion designers were emulating her designs. “I think because my roots began in fashion design, it sparked the feeling that I would like to have my own collection. I’ve been a part of both worlds for a long time … but I feel like Mad Men opened the door by starting a direct dialogue with the consumer.” Bryant has taken this conversation public by creating three Mad Men inspired collections to date for the retailer Banana Republic, as well as a Mad Men Limited edition suit for Brooks Brothers. Bryant feels that television is a unique platform because the audience becomes increasingly invested in characters over time. She also advocates that Costume Design is one of the stars of the show. “The audience usually identifies with a specific character
Banana Republic Mad Men Collection
and wants to emulate them,” she says. But Bryant has always been patently aware that since Costume Design must ultimately serve the story, it could not express the full scope of her vision. Thus, she decided she wanted to explore the possibilities of creating her own brand. To this end, Bryant has showcased her talents across many platforms, from a capsule collection for Maidenform and an upcoming legwear line, to a book entitled The Fashion File and numerous endorsement deals. A television show about Costume Design is in the works, she is slated for a TED talk, and she has a host of ideas looming on the horizon. By taking a holistic approach, Bryant has become the poster child of what modern Costume Design can become.
Huw Daniel notes, “Through her years of design and most recently, through her work on Scandal, a show that influences the purchases of thousands of millennial consumers, Ms. Paolo has been a defining figure in fashion.”
The Idealist Lyn Paolo After designing a stream of successful television shows including Shameless, Homefront, ER, and The West Wing, Emmy-winning CD Lyn Paolo crafted a look which has electrified the audience of ABC’s Scandal. “It is always wonderful to have your work well received, and I am thrilled that our gladiators enjoy the costumes on the show,” says Paolo. She says that collaboration is a key component to the show’s success. “I feel that the show resonates with people, they enjoy the spectacle, and part of that spectacle is the fashion.” It was important to both actress Kerry Washington and Paolo to find a partner for the Scandal line who understood the show, and was willing to ensure the designs would be manufactured with both quality and cost-effectiveness. Paolo is grateful for the backing of the series creator, Shonda Rhimes, executive producer Betsy Beers, and ABC. “Without their support, this venture would have been insurmountable. I cannot say enough about how well the whole group worked together, and how seamless and enjoyable the whole experience has been.” The Scandal collection for The Limited arrives in stores and online in late September. In an intriguing twist, the collaboration will be worn by cast members on the show during the upcoming season. “I have been so very fortunate that everything came together to make this project happen, and am excited to bring the amazing Costume Design of Scandal and the style of Olivia Pope to the fans at accessible prices with a great retail partner. But also, every Costume Designer is more than their work on one show, and I have other passions and design ideas that I would love to work on in the future.” Paolo has also partnered with Platinum Guild International (PGI) USA as a brand ambassador to increase their visibility across all media platforms. PGI USA President
Summer 2014 The Costume Designer
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The Rebel with a Cause Mandi Line “When Janie’s Mad Men line came out,” explains CD Mandi Line, “one of the first things I thought was, it would be awesome to get a show that influences fashion so much that a retailer is willing to support that vision.” Like Bryant, Line’s Costume Design career was preceded by work in the fashion industry. She refined her craft in music videos before her breakthrough on ABC’s Geeks, and chuckles when recounting that her previous manager said it would take her five years to get a clothing line and 500,000 Twitter followers. “Not with me,” replied Line. “The biggest steppingstone anyone could have ever dreamed of was getting Pretty Little Liars. Its creator, Marlene King, always described it as ‘lightning in a bottle.’” To Line, that motto translates into utilizing every avenue—from red carpet appearances to hosting post-show discussions on how television style influences real-world street style. She also cultivates a direct dialogue with fans through Instagram and Twitter. Line’s ongoing Pretty Little
Aéropostale Pretty Little Liars Collection
Liars fashion collaboration with apparel company Aéropostale was a natural evolution. Line says it’s a thrill to transpose the personalities of her four lead characters into real clothes. In the future, Line would love to do another project that marries her innovative style with her interest in health and fitness, because she feels women actually wear gym clothing all day, and not just to the gym. “I interact with a lot of kids on Instagram and Twitter, and many say, ‘Your post about working out, your post about being a vegetarian, all these things inspired me, and I’ve lost 25 pounds.’ So, I believe it’s the next step for me to fulfill something I’ve always wanted to create.” In addition to Pretty Little Liars, Line also designed Faking It for MTV, and is presently working on Shameless for Showtime. Line can envision her unique look translated into many different mediums, and continues to tour the country signing autographs and giving fashion advice. “I want to keep up the exposure, but I want to do something really good with it—with my edge.”
The Advocates The keystone connecting these Costume Designers is Linda Kearn and Kristi McCormick of Matchbook, a New York–based branding and licensing company. When McCormick booked Janie Bryant at a speaking event for Nordstrom, she happened to ask who was representing her. Janie said, “What? I’m a Costume Designer!” But McCormick had the foresight to tell her, “You’re so much more, you have such great expertise, presence, and knowledge, with many exciting stories to tell.” It was, as they say, the beginning of a beautiful friendship. “Janie is definitely the groundbreaker. We did it at the right time, the right moment,” adds Kearn. She believes that the public is hungry for experts, and Costume Designers are an authentic authority. “They are fashion influencers, artists, and trendsetters. To boot, they know fit and fabric, textile innovation, and fashion history. So they are true experts, and can provide an authentic point of view on dressing real people while telling stories through the clothing. I believe in their potential as a profession and as individuals.”
The Tools If companies like Matchbook are a conduit, then social media is the most direct vehicle. Costume Designers have always had a voice with the public through clothing, but the Web makes that discussion immediate and powerful. By creating characters and clothing fans fall in love with, a whole new generation of Costume Designers are using social platforms and enjoying the direct dialogue with their fans. It is this ability to influence the bottom line, what many consider to be marketing gold, that corporations find appealing. From Trish Summmerville’s previous collections for Net-aPorter and H&M, to President Salvador Perez’s brand ambassadorship for Casio, to Colleen Atwood’s exquisite handbag line for Citizens of Humanity, success breeds success. As more Costume Designers follow suit, this movement will only continue to gain momentum. Since their vision is larger than any one project, by redefining the paradigm of their art, Costume Designers have opened a door that can never be closed.
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11149 Vanowen St., No. Hollywood, CA 91605 Contact: Linda Allegro, Jamie Allegro Tel (818)753-3700 Fax (818)753-3737
Summer 2014 The Costume Designer
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Gone but Not Forgotten
By Anna Wyckoff
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The Costume Designer Summer 2014
Photos courtesy of the Harry Ransom Center
F
rom the frothy confection of Scarlett’s organza “barbecue dress” to the infamous green velvet gown fashioned from her mother’s drapes, even when considered alone, the garments from Gone With the Wind tell a tale of tenacity and innocence lost. Reeling in the wake of the Great Depression, the film and its costumes electrified American viewers who identified with its spirit. The garments, particularly the “curtain dress,” became emblematic of the audiences’ own will to survive. Seventy-five years after its opening, the enthusiasm surrounding Gone With the Wind has not abated. A new exhibit exploring the history and legacy of the film opens at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin, and features three original costumes famously designed by Walter Plunkett, one of the founding members of the Costume Designers Guild. In a testament to the
enduring mystique of the designs, the Ransom Center collected more than $30,000 in international donations toward their restoration. Before the images reverberated across the globe and the costumes became beloved, Plunkett was a Costume Designer like any other, hired to construct a historical time and animate its characters using only cloth and silhouette. His task was as epic as the scope of the film—building more than 200 changes for principle women and 85 for principle men, as well as literally armies of extras. Many of the main costumes began as a watercolor sketch. Plunkett describes his experience: “I don’t think it was my best work or even the biggest thing I ever did … but that picture, of course, will go on forever, and that green dress, because it makes a story point, is probably the most famous costume in the history of motion pictures. So I am very glad I did it.” The Making of Gone With the Wind, a fully illustrated catalogue written by curator Steve Wilson, accompanies the exhibit. The exhibit runs September 9, 2014, through January 4, 2015. Visit www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/web/gone withthewind for more information.
Summer 2014 The Costume Designer
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Salem
Downton Abbey
The 8th Annual Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibit Bonnie & Clyde
FIDM 2014 Sleepy Hollow
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The Costume Designer Summer 2014
Masters of Sex
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The Annual
Artisan Bazaar to benefit the
MPTF will be held on Sunday November 23rd For information on booth sales, please contact Rachael Stanley at rstanley@cdgia.com
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The Costume Designer Summer 2014
Comic-Con 2014 By Christine Cover Ferro
Quest, among others served as living mannequins. The costumes were provided by ABC and Western. At Saturday’s Costume Design panel, Burke and Phillips returned. CDs Ann Foley, Mary Vogt, and Michael Wilkinson joined them and actor J. August Richards moderated. Later that evening, the committee, along with panelists and volunteers, joined the throngs for the Annual Masquerade Ball, with Vogt, Cordella, and ACD Christine Cover Ferro representing CDG as judges. Also judging was CD Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis, on behalf of the David C. Copley Center for Costume Design at UCLA.
Thank you to the Committee: Chair CD Marianne Parker, CDs Suzanne Chambliss, Jennifer Garnet-Filo, Ivy Thaide, Michi Tomimatsu, and ACDs Christine Cover Ferro and Bob Morgan; Ills Phillip Boutté Jr. and Gina DeDomenico Flanagan; and Local 705’s Steve Ferry. We also appreciate our generous sponsors: IT&LY Hair Fashion, ABC Studios Costume Department, Western Costume Company, Warner Bros. VIP Studio Tour, FIDM TV Costume Design Department, La Cienega Cleaners, Event Apparel, Anto Beverly Hills, WACOM, and KIND Healthy Snacks.
Photo: Eliaz Meraz
The Comic-Con committee headed back to San Diego July 24–27 for the ninth year representing the CDG. In addition to the always-popular Costume Design and Illustration panels, a third panel discussing Costume Design as a Career was added this year. It featured CDs Cate Adair and Kristin Burke, ACD Brigitta Romanov, Ill Gina DeDomenico Flanagan, as well as CD Eddie Marks representing Western Costume Company, Celia Sedwick Rogus, the Creative Director of FIDM Film & TV Costume Design Advanced Study Program, and Shane Mahan, the co-founder of Legacy Effects. The panel was moderated by CD Chrisi Karvonides and touched on the small village required to costume a project. With nearly 300 people present, it was our best-attended event to date and sparked a lively Q&A that spilled into an autograph session. Friday’s Costume Illustration panel included CD Arianne Phillips, Ills Phillip Boutté Jr., Christian Cordella, Constantine Sekeris, and Alan Villanueva, and was moderated by actor Camden Toy. The focus of the conversation was the collaborative process, touching on the designer/illustrator relationship, and the communication between the illustrators. During Friday night’s annual mixer, Local 892 and Local 705 members caught up and compared notes on panels. Volunteers decked out in costumes from Desperate Housewives and Galaxy
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IN FOCUS BOLDFACE NAMES
BFN - Work ILL Liuba Randolph sketched for CD Jennifer Eve’s ABC pilot Red Band Society, centered on a group of teenagers living with drama and levity within the confines of a children’s hospital. The cast features Octavia Spencer and Dave Annable. CD Kresta Lins is assisting with fingers crossed for a pickup on the new CW Jane the Virgin with CD Rachel Sage Kunin designing from Manhattan Beach Studios until Thanksgiving. Fresh to Local 892 and off to a quick start is CD Beth Hoppe, now designing the second season of Faking It for MTV, shooting now through October. Here in LA, CD Kathleen Detoro wraps the tv pilot Cocked for Amazon this month, starring Jason Lee and Brian Dennehy, along with Sam Trammel as a Washington D.C. consultant estranged from his family, yet pulled back in over the family gun business. CD Cara Giannini wrapped season four of CBS’ The Talk outfitting the likes of Julie Chen, Aisha Tyler, Sharon Osbourne, Sara Gilbert, and Sheryl Underwood, with season five premiering September 8. CD Mimi Melgaard is thrilled over her longevity on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, with 10 seasons for Shonda Rhimes’ long- running drama series.
One Big Happy cast – CD Trayce Field NBC’s new series, One Big Happy, has CD Trayce Field echoing the same sentiment of her cast and crew, and a sentiment we all relish and hope for! CD Amy Stofsky is at the wheel of the NBC 13-episode Aquarius with CD Erica Phillips assisting and CD Sara Jane Slotnick as costumer, in the story of an LAPD sergeant (David Duchovny) on the path of a small-time criminal and aspiring cult leader Charles Manson, prior to the Tate-LaBianca murders. CD Mandi Line has taken on a new project designing the next season of Showtime’s Shameless and CD Diane Crooke is happy back at Parenthood, yet sad to see the show in its final season. CD Christopher Peterson is soon to prep in LA and NY for Magic Mike XXL, the sequel to Magic Mike, directed by Gregory Jacobs with Steven Soderbergh as DP and editor. Filming set for mid-September in Georgia.
Manhattan cast – CD Alonzo V. Wilson CD Alonzo V. Wilson delved back to the 1940s on his recently wrapped new series Manhattan for WGN America, set and filmed in New Mexico in a fictionalized but fact-based account of the wartime race to create an atomic bomb. CD Ruth Carter just wrapped things up in Atlanta on Selma, her latest feature, an Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt–produced film based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery March for voting rights. 30
The Costume Designer Summer 2014
CD Stacy Ellen Rich recently wrapped the feature Devil’s Candy on location in Austin,TX. Rich created original garment artwork for the film that was such a hit, the producers requested she design the crew gifts of custom totes and T-shirts. CD Mayes Rubeo just finished the epic feature Warcraft, shot in Vancouver for Legendary Pictures, and just started another epic, The Great Wall, for the same production company which is set to keep Rubeo busy for awhile. CD Judith Gellman is designing the new NBC series Bad Judge, produced by and starring Will Ferrell, Anne Heche, and Kate Walsh in a balancing act on the edge of hard living while exacting the law within the criminal court system.
CD Liz Bass heads up a trio designing Nickelodeon’s latest series, Bella and the Bulldogs, with CD Terry Gordon supervising and ACD Molly Mitchell assisting. CD Jenni Gullett is in Vancouver until November on the 10-episode A&E miniseries Un-Real, a dramatic yet comedic look at the chaos and manipulation surrounding the production of a competition-dating reality series and the devious lengths taken to capture what “reality” television is known for. CD Jerry Jaeger wrapped one of two design projects with actor Adam Devine—Adam Devine’s House Party 2, a sketch comedy narrative shot in New Orleans, and then it’s back with Devine on Workaholics this September. CD Nancea Ceo is currently designing in the realm of the supernatural for the second season of The Originals for Warner Bros. CW Network. CD Wendy Greiner frames her designs within the world of superheroes for the PlayStation Network series Powers, and brings onboard an 892 crew of CD Christine Jordan, ILL Oksana Nedavniaya, with additional sketches by ACD Phoenix Mellow. CD Luis Sequeira is designing FX’s new series The Strain, based on the bestselling book of the same name, and directed by Guillermo Del Toro, in which a whole new direction is taken on the subject of vampires, now created by a mysterious viral outbreak transmitted in a way you wouldn’t expect.Think creepy.
Wanda Sykes at A Tribute to Jane Fonda. Photo courtesy of AFI How could working with Wanda Sykes be anything but fun? CD Sybil Mosely got to experience it firsthand designing presenter Sykes and her intergalactic friend for the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award: A Tribute to Jane Fonda.
CD Tricia Gray, Lance Henriksen (left) & Malcolm McDowell Shahs of Sunset. Photos courtesy of instagram.com/asasoltan ACD Diana Orr’s couture-sequined gown set off with a steelboned corset created for Asa Soltan Rahmati of Bravo’s Shahs of Sunset, was unveiled during Soltan’s stage performance with Andy Madadian at the Dolby Theater. CD Courtney Hoffman is in Washington designing Captain Fantastic, starring Viggo Mortensen as the father of six living off the grid in the forest who are forced to assimilate back into society after a family tragedy.
Like Mosley, CD Tricia Gray had a ball with Malcolm McDowell and Lance Henriksen on her feature, Kids vs Monsters, shot in downtown LA. CD Ariyela Wald-Cohain is into the third Insidious installment for Focus Features here in Los Angeles for director Leigh Whannell, who penned all three films. CD Olivia Miles is designing Ride Along 2, starring Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Ken Jeong, and Olivia Munn, shooting now in Miami and Atlanta, and getting no relief from the heat. Summer 2014 The Costume Designer
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IN FOCUS BOLDFACE NAMES Brand-new member CD Mikael Sharafyan is in the preliminary stages of designing Men of Granite, starring Shirley MacLaine and William Hurt, set and shot in Granite City, IL, depicting the true story of a group of poor immigrant high school boys, who defy all odds by winning the 1940 state basketball championship. CD Danny Glicker is spending his summer teamed up again with Gus Van Sant for his feature, Sea of Trees, starring Matthew McConaughey, Ken Watanabe, and Naomi Watts, about an American traveling to Japan’s “Suicide Forest.” Men of Granite
CD Susan Lyall is halfway through The Nest, a feature comedy with Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Dianne Wiest shooting on Long Island, NY, and trying to pretend it’s Orlando, FL! CD Beth Pasternak just wrapped The Greens Are Gone, a feature directed by Peer Pederson on location in Dedham, MA, starring Anton Yelchin, Catherine Keener, Maya Rudolph, and Molly Shannon, with CD Aimee McCue supervising.
CD Mary Claire Hannan is in Wilmington, NC, designing the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ The Longest Ride, with CD Carrie Grace assisting and with CD Susan Nininger serving as background costume ‘wrangler’ for the period scenes. Hannan and Grace then head to Jacksonville, FL, and other locations for Scott Eastwood’s bull-riding scenes. Lolita Davidovich, Alan Alda, and Jack Huston round out the cast. CD Allison Leach just wrapped Dolphin Films and Mattel’s live-action superhero feature Max Steel, in Wilmington, NC, with ACD Berfin Ataman and a wonderful local crew.The supersuit designs were a collaboration between Leach, the production designer, and many talented illustrators, including ILL Constantine Sekeris with manufacturing by Legacy FX, seen on display at this year’s Comic–Con. CD Karen L. Young thoroughly enjoyed the creative challenges and collaboration with fashion designer Robyn Brown of Magnolia Pearl on Whoopi Goldberg’s producing and starring pet Max Steel project, The Christmas Pearl, a low-budget feature shot in South Orange, NJ, adaptated from the book by Dorthea Benton Frank.
BFN - Entrepreneurs
CD Tish Monaghan had a good time designing the Paramount feature Monster Trucks, starring Jane Levy, Rob Lowe, and Danny Glover in British Columbia, with lots of visual effects. ILL Aasha Ramdeen was approached by Creative Director at Image Conscious in San Francisco—a publisher and distributor of fine art posters. Within a month, Ramdeen had created six new pieces which will be available online in August.
Monster Trucks
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ILL Aasha Ramdeen’s poster
BFN - Press
BFN - Awards CD Ron Leamon is a recipient of the Seattle Office of Film and Television Mayors Award for Achievement in Film. Leamon has designed for films, television, and commercial productions for over 30 years. As a fierce advocate of the Northwest film industry, he organized the firstever film lobbying event and is currently the President and Chair of the political action committee, Washington FilmPAC. Leamon is an active member of both IA 488 and the Costume Designers Guild 892. He serves on the board of the University of Washington School of Drama.
CD Christopher Lawrence is featured in two exposés for his show Ray Donovan: Designing Ray on YouTube and a style piece for The Hollywood Reporter Pret-a-Reporter—This Is Why Ray Donovan’s Liev Schreiber Looks Good in a Suit. CD Elizabeth Meredith penned an article for Giuliana Rancic’s website, Fabfitfun .com on bra-sizing tips.
CD Elizabeth Meredith bra-sizing tips
BFN - ExhibitionS
Each year, New York’s best female costume, hair, and makeup designers are honored by New York Women in Film and Television at their annual Designing Women event. This year, CD Renée Ehrlich Kalfus was honored and presented the Award by actress Rose Byrne.
The Academy brings the V&A’s blockbuster show Hollywood Costume to the iconic Wilshire May Company Building. With more than 30 additional costumes, CD Dr. Deborah
Nadoolman CD Arefeh Mansouri was awarded the Bronze Award for AvantG a r d e CD Renée Ehrlich Kalfus and Rose Byrne design at the International Design Awards (IDA), the design sibling of the Annual Lucie Awards for Photography. IDA honorary juries examined over 1,000 entries submitted by architects and designers of interiors, fashion, products, and graphics from 52 countries throughout the world.
Landis’
landmark exhibit will be on view from October 2, 2014, to March 2, 2015.
Compiled and written by: Suzanne Huntington, shuntington@cdgia.com Stacy Ellen Rich, lastace@mac.com
Django Unchained, Hollywood Costume Exhibit
CD Arefeh Mansouri
Mary Iannelli, CD for The Young and the Restless on CBS, and Glenda Maddox, CD for The Bold and the Beautiful on CBS, tied for the daytime Emmy for best costumes in a drama series.
CD Mary Iannelli (left) and CD Glenda Maddox
Frida, Hollywood Costume Exhibit
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Look. Now, look more closely. Behind every film or television image so well known it could be called ubiquitous is a Costume Designer. CD Moss Mabry culled this look for James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause as an answer to director Nicholas Ray’s desire for a typical teenage look. Mabry’s interpretation redefined fashion forever, and established an iconography for the American teenager which has sustained a lasting worldwide impact. The seeming ease of contemporary costume belies the detail of the design. For example, the jeans were overdyed a vivid shade of blue to achieve maximum impact on Technicolor film. Mabry notes, “Even though the jacket looked simple, it wasn’t. The pockets were in just the right place; the collar was just the right size.” One might say it was just a T-shirt and jeans, but in the hands of a Costume Designer it was a revolution.
Photo: John Kobal Foundation/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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