vol. 6, issue 1
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FEATURES CDG Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Award Nominees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Q&A with this year’s nominees
Collaborations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Rob Marshall and Colleen Atwood
Swarovski Shines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Swarovski plays a vital role
DEPARTMENTS Editor’s Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Union Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 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 Costume designs and illustrations by SANDY POWELL 2010 Career Achievement Honoree To view more of Ms. Powell’s illustrations go to costumedesignersguild.com Spotlight on: Sandy Powell
President’s Letter Executive Director Assistant Executive Director Labor Report
The Costume Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Meet the Assistants History of Dress My Favorite Things
In Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Boldface Names
Scrapbook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Winter 2010 The Costume Designer
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EDITOR’S NOTE
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OLLABORATION. Isn’t that what this business all boils down to? There isn’t a motion picture captured on the screen, large or small, that could exist without it. It’s why I look forward to this issue. We not only showcase our Costume Designers Guild Award nominees and honorees but also our Distinguished Collaborator and our Award Partner, Swarovski, without whom our award celebration would not be possible. Director Rob Marshall knows collaboration. Born of the theater, he not only appreciates completely interactive involvement from all of his department heads, he lives for it. Our Career Achievement in Film honoree, Sandy Powell, has designed four films for Martin Scorsese, with two more in the works. Together, they’ve covered almost 150 screen years on film from Gangs of New York to The Departed. Michael Travis, Career Achievement in Television honoree, is known for his tremendous contribution to variety television. His design relationships with producer George Schlatter and Liberace provided him with extraordinary challenges and great satisfaction. It seems that with all of these examples, where successful collaboration goes, loyalty and long-term partnership follows. As for collaborating on this magazine… I have to acknowledge one newly committed partner in crime, CD Bonnie Nipar. Bonnie stepped in a few issues back, rolled up her sleeves and jumped into the deep end with me. She has taken on several of the more tedious and time-consuming projects (What’s On/What’s In, Locations, Nominee Q&As), compiling, editing, fact-checking and all the while being extremely organized, terribly thorough and genuinely happy to be involved. Thank you, Bonnie. I can no longer do it without you. Lastly, as with every issue, I have no idea what the cover could possibly be until at least the eleventh hour. It always comes by divine intervention. This issue was no exception. While starting to gather material for our Awards Tribute Book, I received an abundance of sketches from Sandy Powell that amazed me for two reasons. Her sketches are so lovely, whimsical, beautifully drawn and colored. I could immediately picture a lineup of her characters as if they were on a studio back lot. But the other reason I was so impressed, was that Sandy keeps a complete set of her sketches and film stills, all organized and in digital form. As I put my “Creative Rights” hat on, I would suggest that this should be a reminder to take responsibility to archive your own work. It’s almost impossible to go back and collect your work from the network and/or studios after the fact. Take the time as you near the end of each job, to ask the publicity department for digital images of your work—if you don’t have your original sketches, be sure you have quality high-resolution scans and/or color copies and be sure to get a DVD copy of every project written into your contract. The digital age is moving fast and more and more filmmakers are expecting us to have websites—this is the material you’ll need to be successful in the coming years.
EDITOR/PHOTO EDITOR
Deena Appel ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Audrey Fisher MANAGING EDITOR
Cheryl Downey PRESIDENT
Mary Rose mrose@costumedesignersguild.com VICE PRESIDENT
Hope Hanafin hhanafin@costumedesignersguild.com SECRETARY
Ann Somers Major asomersmajor@costumedesignersguild.com TREASURER
Marilyn Matthews mmatthews@costumedesignersguild.com EXECUTIVE BOARD
Sharon Day sday@costumedesignersguild.com
Salvador Perez sperez@costumedesignersguild.com
Deena Appel dappel@costumedesignersguild.com
April Ferry aferry@costumedesignersguild.com
Lois DeArmond (Asst. Costume Designers) ldearmond@costumedesignersguild.com
Felipe Sanchez (Illustrators) fsanchez@costumedesignersguild.com BOARD ALTERNATES
Valerie Laven-Cooper vlavencooper@costumedesignersguild.com
Susan Nininger snininger@costumedesignersguild.com
Robert Blackman rblackman@costumedesignersguild.com
Julie Weiss jweiss@costumedesignersguild.com BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Jacqueline Saint Anne, Chair jsaintanne@costumedesignersguild.com
Peter Flaherty pflaherty@costumedesignersguild.com
Marcy Froehlich mfroehlich@costumedesignersguild.com
Congratulations to The Costume Designer’s very own Associate Editor/Costume Designer Audrey Fisher and contributor/ACD JR Hawbaker on their CDG nomination for True Blood!
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Cheryl Downey cdowney@costumedesignersguild.com ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Rachael M. Stanley
Deena Appel dappel@costumedesignersguild.com
rstanley@costumedesignersguild.com ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Suzanne Huntington shuntington@costumedesignersguild.com RECEPTIONIST/SECRETARY
Cheryl Marshall cmarshall@costumedesignersguild.com
PUBLISHER
IngleDodd Publishing ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Dan Dodd 310.207.4410 x236
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The Costume Designer Winter 2010
Advertising@IngleDodd.com
Contributors
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AUDREY FISHER
JR HAWBAKER
SUZANNE HUNTINGTON
(Associate Editor, Boldface, Nominee Q&A) is the CDG nominated Costume Designer for the HBO vampire series True Blood and she is grateful to design a show with so much creative freedom, flashbacks and fantasy. The Costume Designer gives Audrey the opportunity to hone her editing skills, write about what she loves, and learn about her colleagues’ latest adventures. Audrey encourages other CDG members to volunteer for the magazine!
(Meet the Assistants, Nominee Q&A) joined the Guild in 2006 and currently works as an Assistant Costume Designer for film and television. Originally from Chicago and the Goodman School of Drama, she calls Los Angeles and the CDG home now. Excited to be writing again, Hawbaker is thrilled to contribute to the magazine. “Our Guild members are all storytellers, on screen and on the page, and I am only to happy to contribute to a magazine that narrates their stories.”
(Boldface Names) came to the Guild in 2005 as the administrative assistant after two years with the Editors Guild as their project event coordinator. Educated and working in the fine arts and entertainment world keeps Huntington in a creative environment. Huntington stays busy with member inquiries, managing special projects, shepherding awards season info and serving as administrator of the CDG website, among other duties. “It’s a pleasure to stay in touch with the members and make a contribution to The Costume Designer.”
BONNIE NIPAR
ROBIN RICHESSON
KARYN WAGNER
(Nominee Q&A) joined the Guild in 1997 and works as a Designer for TV. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, she was an art student at Carnegie Mellon before moving to Los Angeles and entering the industry. A huge fan of the CDG magazine, Bonnie happily took over two recurring columns. She adores the process of gathering new sources, thus writing Locations is a great fit. And for the What’s On/What’s In, “It’s a treat to research the latest accomplishments of our peers.”
(History of Dress, Illustrator) joined the Guild in 1992 and works currently as a costume illustrator, a storyboard artist, and an educator. “I trained to work as an illustrator for print (publishing) so when the CDG began the magazine, I was pleased to be asked to illustrate for it. I love working in film, but I have to admit, I missed seeing my work in print! The History of Dress column is a great way for me to learn more about clothing and participate in this publication.”
(History of Dress, Copy) is a Costume Designer for film and television, who ran for the CDG Board four years ago. “I wanted to give back a little of what the Guild has given me. I have found the experience to be rewarding and inspiring. I trained as a historian, and I love to watch the evolution of culture and clothing, so I volunteered to write the History of Dress column. I always learn something new and have so much fun writing it.”
The Costume Designer Winter 2010
UNION LABEL PRESIDENT’S LETTER Dear Members, I imagine we all hoped that January 1 would be the start of a better year than the one that came before it? Well, I’d like to share a small ray of light that did come through for me. The talking heads’ current topic: The Jay Leno Show. Some of you might know that I became somewhat obsessed with the JL (Jay Leno) issue—not to be confused with our own dear JL (JL Pomeroy), producer of the CDG Awards. I’m talking about comedian Jay Leno, NBC’s temporary prime-time guy. I even received a few calls from members (who read my last newsletter column) congratulating me on Leno and NBC’s prime-time demise. Have I gone too far? At least now I can stop talking about it and leave it to The New York Times’ Maureen Dowd, who possesses an eloquently sharper tongue than I, to finish the job. In case you’re interested… http://www .nytimes.com/2010/01/13/opinion/13dowd.html Back to the other JL and the CDG Awards… For our new members who are unfamiliar with the event and our voting process, the inaugural CDG Awards, born in 1999, was started by a handful of longtime members. A volunteer committee was completely responsible for selling advertising and seats to pay for the evening in the Crystal Ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Five of our most iconic designers, Travis Banton, Edith Head, Dorothy Jeakins, Irene Sharaff and Adrian, were posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame. The first Honorees for Achievement in Costume Design were Bob Mackie (Television) and Albert Wolsky (Film) with the Distinguished Director Award going to Paul Mazursky. For a number of years, there were only two competitive categories with five nominees each for film and television with the stipulation that only CDG members could be nominated. Along the way to 2010, many things have changed, most importantly, due to our partnership with JLine Group in 2004. When JL Pomeroy came into the picture, she relieved us of all fiscal responsibility for the event. To this day, she takes the vast majority of the risk, and we enjoy a fabulous annual celebration. With Swarovski as our Presenting Sponsor for the fifth year in a row, it means that we no longer have to spend the membership’s money to cover the entire awards gala. We understood that in order to be taken seriously in the industry we had to honor the best of the year, regardless of membership, just like the Academy Awards and the Emmys. There should be no barrier to excellence in art! We can also be proud that we’re the only awards show in Hollywood, or anywhere else for that matter, to separate the categories to equally acknowledge Contemporary as well as Period and Fantasy costumes in Film and in Television. The idea was brought fourth by EBoard member Deena Appel to honor all the work that we do, as opposed to just the traditionally nominated historical period dramas. That brings our previous two winners out of 10 nominees to seven winners from as many as 35 nominees in any given year. Nomination submission is the most important part of the process that members do not seem to understand. Let me impress upon all of you how important it is to submit your own work—especially for TV designers. There is no way to create a complete list without your submissions. Do not wait for your fellow designers to submit your work. Do it for yourself. Take charge of your own work and be counted. It’s my dream that one year all the submissions will be made by the Costume Designer themselves… Or would that fall into the fantasy category? A happier and improved new year to you all! In Solidarity, Mary Rose mrose@costumedesignersguild.com
2010 CALENDAR
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February
March
15 18 25 27
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CDG Offices closed for Presidents’ Day Final CDG Awards Ballots due 12th Annual CDG Awards Master’s Mentoring Panel & Swarovski Workshop
The Costume Designer Winter 2010
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Executive Board Meeting, 7 PM, CDG Offices 82nd Annual Academy Awards General Membership Meeting, 7 PM, CDG Offices
New ad to come
UNION LABEL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Into the Next Decade The CDG has launched several new initiatives designed for growth in the coming years:
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• CDG Website Have you checked out our new look? Thank you to CD Salvador Perez for all his hard work. ACD Anna Wyckoff will continue to populate our site with fresh images of our members and vendors and add new articles regularly. • Besides using our website to report availability, you may now report your latest job as well. Reporting your work is your responsibility as a member. Now you can do it in minutes, 24/7. • Joint Seminars With the Art Directors Guild New opportunities to learn alongside our peer designers (like the Wacom Tablet seminar) are welcome. We look forward to more mutually beneficial classes in cutting-edge technology to make your job easier. • CSATTF Computer Classes Each year, the number and variety of classes available to our members (at reduced fees) grows. As declining prep time and late casting exponentially complicate designers’ jobs, it is essential to utilize computer programs, new tools and the Web to save time, enhance creativity and increase communication with other departments. Resolve to sign up now! GEMS “General Email Messages” is a compilation of pertinent news for members sent once a week to cut down on your Guild emails. Key information about awards balloting, Boldface News for The Costume Designer, educational opportunities, and labor/political calls to action are just a sampling of the vital communications you’ll find in GEMS’ handy table of contents. Be sure to open your GEMS email each Friday, or you are certain to miss some important smart talk! Meet the Nominees Mentoring Brunch The second annual member brunch and panel discussion with our CDG Award nominees will be held on Saturday, February 27. It gives members an opportunity to learn from their nominated peers in an elegant setting. This year, the entire day will be hosted by our esteemed Presenting Sponsor, Swarovski, in conjunction with their fantastically informative seminar. Political Action Committee The CDG Eboard and membership unanimously endorsed creation of a PAC to make our prolabor political voices heard. It is essential that we individually and as a professional labor organization make sure lawmakers know we hold them accountable. We inform you when legislation is pending on such serious concerns as universal healthcare and labor’s right to organize. It’s up to you to call, email and write—repeatedly!
You now have marvelous opportunities for education, communication, political activism and social networking through our Guild of 740 amazingly talented Designers and Illustrators. What are you waiting for? Take advantage and may 2010 be very good to you. In Solidarity, Cheryl cdowney@costumedesignersguild.com
CORRECTIONS CD Mayes C. Rubeo was inadvertently omitted from the Boldface entry as the co-designer of Avatar. Jeannie Ione Flynn worked as Rubeo’s ACD. The highly acclaimed live-action movie with a new generation of special effects conceived and directed by James Cameron has already received several awards as well as nine Academy Award nominations. Karen Patch was the Costume Designer for the pilot episode of Community—as well as for the cast photo published in the fall issue of What’s On/What’s In.
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The Costume Designer Winter 2010
Community
UNION LABEL ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Looking Forward
CostumeRentals offers year-round access to the Guthrie and The Children’s Theatre Company’s combined inventory of extraordinary costume pieces.
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PHOTO CREDITS (L TO R): JENNIFER BLAGEN (MICHAL DANIEL), ROBERT CUCCIOLI (T CHARLES ERICKSON), CHRISTINA BALDWIN (MICHAL DANIEL)
Ov er 30,000 costumes Designs by leading theatrical designers Storybook and fa ntasy characters
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The last two years have been challenging for many members both creatively and financially. With the new year now in full swing, we are all hoping that the economy will continue to improve and work will begin to pick up. In the meantime, there are many things you can do to improve your chances of landing that next job. When was the last time you updated your resume, portfolio, reel, or book? Take another look. The Guild offers many opportunities for members to improve their computer skills. We are affiliated with Studio Arts and Valley College, where members can learn anything from basic computer skills to industryrelated programs such as costume Plot Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, and many more. Be sure to check the weekly email GEMS for the most current class info. Each Tuesday at the Guild office, there is an informal group called Tuesday Tea and Technology, where members share computer knowledge and help each other learn new computer skills. The West Coast IATSE office has a new monthly program with classes to help members hone the many skills required in this industry. For a list of those classes, you can contact me by email at the address below. Networking is always an important aspect of our work search. Take time to connect with friends and co-workers during these downtimes. Not only are you helping yourself professionally but you are also benefiting from the camaraderie of creative people. Call a crew member or fellow collaborator from a past project and reconnect with them. You never know where that next job will come from. Come in to the Guild and check out our library. Familiarize yourself with our wonderful periodical collection that goes back to the late 1800s as well as our other resources. This will give you an edge and save time on the next project.
These ideas will help make you more competitive on your next job and keep the creative juices flowing during a downtime. I hope you have a great 2010! In Solidarity, Rachael Stanley rstanley@costumedesignersguild.com
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The Costume Designer Winter 2010
UNION LABEL LABOR REPORT Organizing Is So Important I’ve been designing Spike TV’s The Deadliest Warrior, a non-union, low-budget, one-hour TV series since the pilot. This November, during the second season, the IATSE with representatives of each of the Hollywood Locals, came to the set to organize the show. I felt hopeful but nervous at lunch as I came off the private property where we were shooting to talk with CDG Executive Director Cheryl Downey. I didn’t know if negotiations with the company would succeed since Spike TV had never produced a union show and I knew the money had been very tight from the beginning. I was made aware that there was a possibility I would lose my job if talks failed and the show hired a non-union designer to replace me. Though the crew voted not to return to work after lunch, no negotiating progress seemed to be made during the rest of that day (November 18, 2009). Cheryl and I spoke over the weekend, but the crew officially heard nothing throughout that next Thanksgiving week except that negotiations were ongoing. The IA remained very positive, but the concerned crew didn’t know whether to pack up our equipment and search for other work or to hang in and keep believing. Finally, the next Monday (Nov. 23), we got the call to come back to work—on a union basis! What at first seemed like a scary situation, turned out to be such a blessing. The producers and IATSE were able to come to an agreement, and I am now able to design the series with all the benefits of a union show. I was even given a raise, as well as retroactive pension and health benefits! The IA contract enables me to pay my team union rates, and I am now able to hire union costumers for any additional staffing requirements. Having designed mostly union shows, it is so nice to now be able to run this one at the high professional level I’m used to. Organizing is so important! Amanda Riley amandalynnriley@gmail.com
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The Costume Designer Winter 2010
cdg career achievement in television
CDG
MichaelTravis
AWAR DS 2010
Jane Lynch Mistress of Ceremonies
Emily Blunt Swarovski Award
Rob Marshall Distinguished Collaborator Award
RobertTurturice CDG President Emeritus Robert Turturice (March 15, 1949–December 15, 2009)
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The Costume Designer Winter 2010
Travis landed the opportunity to design the costumes for the Academy Awards where he first met producer George Schlatter, who hired him to design The Steve Lawrence Show. The successful relationship with Schlatter led to his six-year collaboration on Laugh-In where he created up to 400 costumes per week. Other variety show credits include The Tony Orlando Show, Ernie Ford specials, Lily Tomlin specials and Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Michael’s 15-year collaboration with Liberace was his most gratifying by far. What started as a possible one-time design job turned into designing Liberace’s entire wardrobe. Michael was given carte blanche to fantasize along with Liberace, experimenting with exotic designs, unusual materials, color and embroideries. Michael Travis has emerged as one of the most gifted and talented costume designers in American Theater, television and film.
cdg lacoste career achievement in film
cdg hall of fame award
At age 60, Robert Turturice leaves behind a limitless body of work spanning more than four decades. Everything in this prolific life reflected his passion for design, art and theater. Immediately upon graduation from high school at 17, Robert left Berkeley for Los Angeles, where he pursued his studies at the Pasadena Playhouse. In 1968, Robert met then NBC Costume Department Head Ret Turner and began his illustrious career as a dresser and later, an assistant to some of the most established Costume Designers of the day. His many talents led him through a career designing varied feature films including Batman and Robin, The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, Big Top Pee Wee, Clean and Sober, Say Anything and Beaches. It was his work on
Michael Travis, the son of Greek immigrants, was born in Detroit as Lycourgos Torakis. After finishing his army duties in 1949, Michael attended L’Ecole Des Beaux Artsa, Le Sorbonne and later, L’Ecole Guerre Lavigne in Paris studying couture fashion. He moved to New York and worked at the famous Eaves Costume Company as assistant to the owner, Andrew Geoly. Michael then began his Broadway career assisting Raoul Pene duBois, Miles White and Irene Sharaff, whom he greatly admired for her attention to detail. Michael got his first big break designing classical Greek costumes for Rape of the Belt followed by Rhinoceros. He then designed The Play of the Week for two years including The Cherry Orchard with Helen Hayes; Thieves, Carnival, Medea and Tiger at the Gates with a star-studded cast. He was concurrently designing the television series The Voice of Firestone and The Bell Telephone Hour featuring stars of the opera.
Beaches that spawned a collaborative relationship with Bette Midler, who called him “A Saint!” Robert’s extensive TV credits (31 made-for-TV movies, 19 series, 27 pilots and countless specials) include the series Moonlighting, Cybil, Partners in Crime, Sisters, Bette, Arli$$, Pee Wee’s Playhouse, JAG, Bosom Buddies and HBO’s Gia starring Angelina Jolie. He was honored with 10 Emmy nominations and the Emmy win for Moonlighting in 1987. As President of the CDG for two terms (1992–1996), he headed an educational program which sponsored and produced an extensive series of instructional seminars which were recorded as training tapes for the members. Robert believed in offering as many apprenticeship tools as he could to his fellow Costume Designers Guild Members.
SandyPowell Academy Award® winning Costume Designer Sandy Powell was honored with her second Oscar® for Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator in 2004. In 1999, she not only took home the Oscar for Shakespeare in Love, but was also nominated for her work on Velvet Goldmine that same year. Her most recent credits include Scorsese’s Shutter Island and the critically acclaimed The Young Victoria for which she just received her eighth Oscar nomination. Powell previously created the costumes for Mr. Scorsese’s The Departed and Gangs of New York, for which she also garnered an Oscar nomination. Additional Oscar-nominated credits include Mrs. Henderson Presents, Wings of the Dove and Orlando. She has also been nominated for a total of nine BAFTA Awards to date having won for Velvet Goldmine. Among Powell’s other credits are Edward II, The Crying
Game, Wittgenstein, Being Human, Interview With the Vampire, Rob Roy, Michael Collins, Butcher Boy, Hilary and Jackie, Felicia’s Journey, The End of the Affair, Miss Julie, Far From Heaven, Sylvia and The Other Boleyn Girl. Ms. Powell’s early screen credits include Caravaggio, Depuis Le Jour—Aria and The Last of England, Stormy Monday, For Queen and Country, Venus Peter, Killing Dad, The Miracle and The Pope Must Die. Ms. Powell’s theater designs include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Nijinsky and Cruel Garden for London Festival Ballet as well as Edward II at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Atom Egoyan’s Dr. Ox’s Experiment, Verdi’s Rigoletto and most of the Choolmondeleys and Featherstonehoughs shows with director/choreographer Lea Anderson.
Winter 2010 The Costume Designer
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Excellence in Contemporary Film (500) DAYS OF SUMMER Costume Designer: HOPE HANAFIN What was your key inspiration? The script. I believed from the moment I read it that it would be a classic. While it is set in contemporary L.A., we were committed to making it seem timeless. Favorite costume? The vintage dress Zooey wears to the wedding. Seen through aspiring architect Tom’s eyes, I wanted it to be romantic, but not frilly or flowy. It is very feminine, but the color is reserved and the lines pure geometry. Best advice? Keep your eyes open, inspiration is everywhere. For balance, find something that you’re passionate about.
BRÜNO Costume Designer: JASON ALPER Assistant Designer: JENNIFER STARZYK Key inspiration? I wanted Bruno to ‘pop,’ so I concentrated on fabrics that were textured, shiny, and reflective. Most challenging costume? The velcro suit was a favorite. After several prototypes it gave me a lot of pleasure to execute the costume for such an ambitious scene. What keeps you focused? Tons of preparation, an amazing ACD, and as long as you’re prepared to change everything at a minute’s notice, what could go wrong? Comments? Brüno was an exhilarating experience. It felt like I was about to do a bank job!
CRAZY HEART Costume Designer: DOUG HALL Assistant Designer: NANCY CEO Key inspiration on the project? Working with world-class musicians. To make beautiful music is a gift. Favorite costume? I love making western shirts because once you have a pattern, there are limitless options to make each one unique. Finding the material was the hard part since I wanted the drape of 1970’s fabrics. Best advice? Diversify, make friends with the still photographer, visit the sets/locations early on and gel the fluorescent lights on the trailer. What keeps you calm on the busiest of days? Stepping away, turning up the music.
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE Costume Designer: MARINA DRAGHICI Assistant Designers: TRAYCE FIELD AND ANNE KENNEY Your key inspiration? Sapphire’s book Push, the ultimate cathartic reading experience, mentally recording people’s clothing choices on the subway, 1980’s films and documentaries, and stacks of photography books. Best advice? There is no formula. Find out what works for your uniqueness. What keeps you calm and focused? Yoga and acupuncture. Comments? Everyone involved, especially director Lee Daniels, did this movie because the story touched a deep cord in our hearts. Nobody on our crew ever, expected the kind of recognition and success of Precious.
UP IN THE AIR Costume Designer: DANNY GLICKER Assistant Designer: MICHELE K. SHORT Illustrator: LOIS DEARMOND Inspiration? I researched the clothing, the habits, the world of actual business travelers, and then filtered that down through Ryan’s perception. Biggest challenge? Creating, then editing down the clothing of an existentialist traveler. Every item of Ryan’s clothing had to be multifunctional, essential, and fit in his carry-on. Equally challenging was to create the counterpoint to his minimal existence with a highly cluttered and detailed world of more than 3,000 costumed background in five cities and four international airports! What keeps you focused? Reminding myself how fortunate I actors am to be doing what I love.
Excellence in Period Film COCO BEFORE CHANEL Costume Designer: CATHERINE LETERRIER Assistant Designers: KAREN SERREAU, CAMILLE JANBON Inspiration? Gabrielle Chanel liberated women’s bodies and invented a new way of being feminine, which in turn became fashionable. Most challenging? For a costume designer, creating costumes for Coco Chanel was as challenging and exciting as playing Shakespeare would be for an actor. Detailing the early life of Chanel, I wanted to show her elegance while being terribly poor. The black jersey dress shows her modern elegance (jersey was only used for underwear then). Advice? Apart from my enthusiasm and curiosity, I have no secret. Keeps you calm? My concentration keeps me calm.
JULIE & JULIA Costume Designer: ANN ROTH Assistant Designer: MICHELLE MATLAND Inspiration? Pictures and home movies of Julia Child growing up in Pasadena and later at prep school in San Francisco. Favorite costume? Julia and her visiting sister looking in the mirror wearing similar but different dresses, showing how alike they were. Biggest challenge? Making Meryl at 5’6” look like Julia’s 6’2” without the clothes overshadowing the scene. Advice? Work, work, work as much as you can and in all genres, including off-Broadway plays and classic repertory theater. Thoughts? Sadly, today’s productions seem to focus on budget as opposed to art and vision.
NINE Costume Designer: COLLEEN ATWOOD Assistant Designer: COLLEEN KELSALL Biggest challenge? There were so many costumes to make on Nine, the main challenge was how to keep the dance costumes and principal costumes moving forward as we were shooting. Best advice? Be organized. I see prep schedules getting shorter and shorter … superheroes excepted! What keeps you focused? I tend to do instead of talking about it a lot, and that keeps me focused on what I have to accomplish every day. Other thoughts? My crew was incredible, without a great team, it would not have been possible.
SHERLOCK HOLMES Costume Designer: JENNY BEAVAN Assistant Designer: CHARLOTTE LAW Illustrator: LAURA REVITT Inspiration? Gustave Dore’s ‘London, a Pilgrimage’ and early photographs of late 19th-century London. Favorite costume? Those I made for Robert Downey Jr. when we found our own ‘Sherlock.’ Advice? Learn every aspect of the business, including diplomacy and people skills! What keeps you calm? Age and experience, a complete lack of fear, a good cup of coffee, and a fabulous crew! Comments? This job gets harder and harder; lack of time and money, with huge expectations. Sherlock was the happiest cast & crews in ages and Guy Richie is a great team leader!
THE YOUNG VICTORIA Costume Designer: SANDY POWELL Assistant Designer: DEBBIE SCOTT Key inspiration? Victoria herself and the portraiture of the period. Favorite costume? The simplicity of the cornflower blue dress Victoria wears with matching flowers in her headdress during the recital scene and then later when she’s having a fight with Albert. Best advice? Keep enjoying the work and the process. The minute you get bored, you cannot do good work. Keep your eyes open and you can find inspiration in anything. What keeps you calm? Remembering it’s only a film. We’re part of a collaborative effort, we’re not all alone.
Excellence in Fantasy Film AVATAR Costume Designers: MAYES C. RUBEO & DEBORAH L. SCOTT Assistant Designer for Rubeo: JEANNIE FLYNN Key inspiration? MR: Jim Cameron’s storyline, and the clan (tribes) of Africa, Mexico and New Zealand, to name a few. Most challenging? MR: Balancing the right amount of ornaments for Netiri, the symbol of the Na’Vi. DS: I think it was Tsu’tey, and the white leafy ceremonial robe of Moat. Best advice? MR: Research, Research, Research! DS: Be flexible! And never stop learning. Other thoughts? MR: Avatar teaches us how to find Eywa, the guiding force and deity of the Na’vi, in this world, here and now. DS: The craft of animation is a new territory that we designers deserve a piece of.
THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS Costume Designer: MONIQUE PRUDHOMME Assistant Designers: MICHAEL MOONEY/London, LISE HACHE/Vancouver Key inspiration? The immortal Doctor Parnassus; images from antiquity to modern times, spanning east to west; 16th- & 17th-century European theatrical costumes; and Commedia dell’arte. Favorite costume? The stage costumes: “Beauty,” “Wisdom,” “Mercury” and the “Demon.” Best advice? Be very curious, experience as much as possible, and fill your imagination to the brink. What keeps you calm? A very organized ACD with a good ear and a great memory. Comments? This film was the most interesting and challenging rollercoaster in a long while. Terry Gilliam is a master.
STAR TREK Costume Designer: MICHAEL KAPLAN Assistant Designer: STACY CABALLERO Illustrators: BRIAN VALENZUELA AND PHILLIP BOUTTE JR. Key inspiration? Different sections had different influences. The film’s flavor was inspired by the 60’s TV series. The flashback scenes with Kirk’s father were inspired by 1950’s futuristic films. Favorite costume? The hooded snowsuit, in which, Spock Prime (Leonard Nimoy) is revealed to the audience. It answered many needs in a way I’ve never seen. Advice? Never take the easy way out. Every detail matters because you never know what will be seen, and remember that unlike theater, filmwork is indelible. What keeps you calm? The good support of my crew.
Outstanding Period/Fantasy TV Series MAD MEN Costume Designer: JANIE BRYANT Assistant Designer: ALLISON RENEE LEACH Your key inspiration on this project? The script. Favorite costume? Designing costumes for Christina Hendricks who plays “Joan,” one of my favorites. She has an amazing hourglass figure and looks gorgeous in clothes. Your best advice to the next generation of designers? Enjoy the creative process and have fun! What keeps you focused and calm during the busiest of days? A positive and supportive team!
TRUE BLOOD Costume Designer: AUDREY FISHER Assistant Designer: JR HAWBAKER Illustrator: PHILLIP BOUTTE Your key inspiration? Sassy sexy, scary characters that jump off the page into my fitting room every day, courtesy of Alan Ball and our amazing writers. Most challenging? Season two’s Maenad wedding finale! The scene was suddenly moved up, so we set up a bridal factory overnight. In three days, we built six of Maryann’s 1940’s gown, plus multiple dresses for maid of honor Sookie and four bridesmaids. Bridezilla whirlwind! Best advice? Listen carefully, learn voraciously, and trust your creative instincts. What keeps you calm? My wonderfully talented, dedicated and resourceful team.
THE TUDORS Costume Designer: JOAN BERGIN Assistant Costume Designer: GABRIEL O’BRIEN What makes this season different? The Tudors is 90% based on historical fact. The third season covers The Reformation when Henry accrued astonishing wealth by sacking Catholic monasteries. I help him spend it on clothes! Favorite costume? Anne of Cleeves. Henry and his Court thought her clothes strange. Written research and Crannoch’s paintings show them to wear the ‘extreme Paris Couture’ of their time. Comments? I feared the danger with a long historical series was that we would all get bored. Instead, the danger proved the exact opposite.
Outstanding Contemporary TV Series BIG LOVE Costume Designer: CHRISI KARVONIDES-DUSHENKO What made this season different? The raid on the Texas polygamist compound was totally new. We needed to merge that style into our characters who were established in calico prairie styles from years back. Most challenging? Dressing my cast of fashionistas as your average middle-class polygamists and creating Mormon attire for their most sacred ceremonies, because it can’t be seen by anyone outside Mormon sanctums. Rewarding when we got it right! Comments? Just goes to show that strong costume design is all about visual storytelling … not about making a fashion statement.
DANCING WITH THE STARS Costume Designer: RANDALL CHRISTENSEN Assistant Designers: STEVEN LEE AND DANIELA GSCHWENDTNER What made this season different? The cast! We went from 10-12 couples competing to a whopping 16 couples! And we whipped up a slew of last-minute costumes for our Michael Jackson Tribute. Most challenging? Joanna and Derek’s “Futuristic Paso Doble” lighted costumes. Designed, built, and wired in four days! We were on pins and needles hoping they’d stay lit and not short circuit during the strenuous and athletic performance! Comments? I just hope everyone realizes that NONE of these costumes are prepared ahead of time and my ACDs make this insanity happen.
GLEE Costume Designer: LOU EYRICH Assistant Designer: JENNIFER EVE Your key inspiration? The characters themselves. The music. Ryan Murphy (creator, writer, director). Most challenging? The most challenging costumes continue to be the dance numbers in each episode with individual looks for the 14 principals. Your best advice to the next generation of designers? Your strongest asset is your crew. What keeps you focused? My crew. They are amazing. Comments? I’m so grateful for the opportunity to design a show where we get to explore so many varied characters and new creative challenges in every episode.
NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY
Outstanding TV MOW or Miniseries GEORGIA O’KEEFFE Costume Designer: MICHAEL DENNISON Assistant Designer: MICHAEL CROW Inspiration? Alfred Stieglitz photography, colors and patterns from O’Keeffe’s paintings, and the palette of the Southwest. Most challenging costume? All were fun and challenging but the most rewarding characters were Georgia and Mabel Dodge Luhan. Advice to the next generation of designers? Perseverance and dedication should be your guideposts while kindness, trust, respect and honesty should be your catalysts. What keeps you calm? Visualizing the entire scene and focusing on the outcome. I trust the talent of my crew, and before you know it … it’s on film!
GREY GARDENS Costume Designers: CATHERINE MARIE THOMAS Assistant Designer: MICKEY CARLETON Key inspiration? The story of these two remarkable women. I envisioned their progression through the decades as a decoupage. Collecting pieces of clothing and incorporating them as they aged through the years. Interesting to me was Little Edie’s unique aesthetic. Favorite costume? The silk-hooded gown Little Edie wears to the bohemian party in the 1930s. We wanted to reference the onset of her alopecia and her progressive clothing choices even at such a young age. Advice? It’s good to be afraid of a challenge. It means you are learning.
LITTLE DORRIT Costume Designer: BARBARA KIDD Assistant Designers: CAROLINE MCCALL AND LUAN PLACKS Inspiration? The original drawings by Dickens’ illustrator Phiz and imagining these two men discussing the characters in Little Dorrit. Most challenging costume? I applaud ‘Sparkler’ and ‘Tip,’ who both bravely corsetted without complaint making their fashionable outfits work; their stance and ‘manliness’ enhanced. Advice to the next generation of designers? Be ingenious in your research. You are there to bring fresh ideas. And make friends with the alterations workroom! What keeps you calm? Focusing on the importance of making each costume perform at its best.
Outstanding Commercial Costume Design Winner
Costume Designer: JO KATSARAS Your key inspiration? The essence of Africa, the script and all its characters, and naturally, the late Anthony Minghella. Your favorite costume? My favorite character is Mma Makutsi. I just love her quirkiness, I have so much fun with her costumes. Best advice? Always trust your instinct and smile whilst working. It’s the best job in the world. What keep you calm? Early-morning meditation and my sense of humor, mostly.
UGLY BETTY Costume Designer: PATRICIA FIELD Associate Designer: MOLLY ROGERS Assistant Designers: JACKIE OKANIAN AND PAOLO Unavailable at press time
MILK, “MILKQUARIOUS” Costume Designer: CASEY STORM Assistant Designer: KAMMY LENNOX Illustrator: MEI-LING HUBBARD Key inspiration? Our vision was rock opera references like David Bowie and Kiss and weird futuristic films of the ’70s. Most challenging? The heroine’s outfit because of the politics of advertising. The costume had to be sexy but not too sexy. We made the costume as a two-piece but had to reconceived it as a corset and make it overnight. Advice? Do everything you can to link up with a designer to really learn the business. Keeps you focused? The shear amount of work. Every moment is focused on trying to make it better.
I spoke with Rob Marshall from his suite at Shutters on the Beach the morning of the Golden Globe Awards. He could not have been more enthusiastic about his upcoming CDG Distinguished Collaborator Award saying, “I was so surprised and thrilled to learn of this award because I don’t think people ever recognize the importance of collaboration. I was so moved by it.” From Colleen Atwood’s point of view, “Rob is not only a collaborator with costumes, he inspires the feeling of total collaboration; camera, production design, acting and dance. As a result, a true atmosphere of creativity and closeness is born.” Marshall’s respect and appreciation for his constant collaborator, Colleen Atwood, is the foundation this award is built on. WHERE DID YOUR COLLABORATION BEGIN AND WHAT MAKES IT WORK? RM Colleen and I share something so special. It started with Chicago. I’ll never forget meeting her at the Four Seasons Hotel. I’d chosen [to meet] just a handful of designers whose work I admired. When she came in, she had her books with her, which she didn’t need because I knew her work so well—I think she was genuinely excited about the possibility of doing a musical—which she’d never done.
Collaborations
Rob Marshall
DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, CHOREOGRAPHER
Colleen Atwood
CA When I met Rob, I really liked his energy and clarity of vision. I would have been happy to work with him on anything. The fact that it was a musical was a gift! RM What I loved about Colleen immediately is that she’s a true artist and she talks my language. We talked about character and story and the world we were trying to create. And I offered her the job on the spot.
HOW DOES YOUR PROCESS TOGETHER EVOLVE WHILE MAKING A FILM? RM I usually have a few key images that I’ve gathered but Colleen puts together an imagery book and they’re often not even clothes. Photography from the era, images that set a mood, show the light. For Geisha, she even showed me pictures of flowers. It begins with a general feeling and it becomes costumes. We’ve created these very different worlds together. Chicago in the late ’20s had a showbiz sensibility, Geisha was a hidden world inside Japan, mysterious and seductive, and for Nine, the research was mostly black-and-white photos from 1960’s Italy. CA For Chicago, I put together news photos of the grittier side of Chicago (’20s and early ’30s), mixed with Brassai and Man Ray photos that inspired me. For Geisha, I used Japanese art and photo research of the period, mixed with fashion research from both Japan and the world from that time, as there was considerable Western influence in the clothing of people on the street, both pre- and post-war. For Nine, I used lots of paparazzi images of Rome in the era, mixed with real family photos of the ’60s and Avedon and fashion photography as well.
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RM Something I do, that may be unique, is that if I’m sitting in a costume meeting, John Myre (production designer), Dion Bebe (director of photography) and John DeLuca (artistic partner) are all there talking about the clothes too. I invite the collaboration. Maybe because I come from theatre, but it’s important to me for everyone to hear what we’re doing so we’re all on the same page. The best idea in the room doesn’t necessarily come from myself or Colleen. You have to check your ego at the door. Colleen has sat in production design meetings with me and come up with wonderful ideas for production design or light.
THE MUSICAL NUMBERS MUST BE THE MOST COLLABORATIVE—HOW DOES THAT WORK? RM Colleen will do a show-and-tell and sometimes I’m looking at 50 different costumes at once. We also do a “dress tech,” usually the day before [we shoot]. On Nine, I had two female associate choreographers, Tara Nicole Hughes and Denise Faye [with choreographer, Joey Pizzi]. Tara & Denise would wear the clothes early on so Colleen could make adjustments. She would use them as guinea pigs since they could tell you what’s working and what isn’t from the inside out. We have such respect for Colleen that we always try to make it work, but she never wants the costumes to compromise the choreography in any way. LET’S TALK ABOUT ARTISTRY OVER AUTHENTICITY. RM We’re not just documentarians. It has to be seen through our eyes today. For me, we’re not trying to replicate that time but instead, the time as seen through our eyes. Especially in the Geisha’s world; there are such rules in their culture that didn’t serve our image of what a glamorous woman would be. The look of a Geisha was meant to be the most seductive, the most beautiful and the most alluring; but we knew we needed to find a way into it that modern eyes could accept. To me, that’s the fun of it. 26
The Costume Designer Winter 2010
It’s the artistic impression of the world instead of just the world itself. It follows for me in hair and makeup, production design and lighting as well.
HOW HAVE COLLEEN’S DESIGNS SURPRISED YOU? RM She always betters what I imagine it will be. There is a costume Rene wears in Chicago and Colleen said it’s just going to be diamonds. We had talked about a black-and-white number—sort of a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers palette. When she said it was going to be diamonds, I didn’t know exactly what she meant but I knew it was going to be spectacular. There were 13 or 14 musical numbers in Chicago and they all needed to look different. It was better than I ever imagined it would be because she knew what I was looking for. WHAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT WORKING WITH ROB? CA It was the first time I had worked with a director/choreographer and it was amazing to see how visual the choreography is on its own, and how it inspires both color and design. It was also just amazing to watch Rob, John and the dancers build a show. Then see it on the day and think “Wow!” HOW DOES COSTUME DESIGN CONTRIBUTE TO THE STORY, CHARACTER AND THE ACTOR’S PERFORMANCE? RM Thinking back to Roxy’s torn stockings in Chicago … it was important to me that you knew Roxy was poor but still proud, and it was important to Rene that she feel that; so Colleen finds a way to bring that feeling to the costume, which in turn advances the story. Were the torn stockings Colleen’s idea? I think in the best of collaborations it doesn’t matter whose idea it was … it belongs to everyone. Deena Appel dappel@costumedesignersguild.com
CDGwith shines
the
SWAROVSKI
“Swarovski was our hero,”
said Rob Marshall, director of the sparkling musical Nine. “We could not have done the ‘Cinema Italiano’ or the ‘Folies Bergere’ numbers without them.” Our Distinguished Collaborator, Marshall, and his constant design partner, Colleen Atwood, are certainly not strangers to the impact Swarovski has on film. After her Oscar-winning costume designs for Chicago, Atwood knew that Swarovski was always willing to take on a new challenge. For Nine, she had an idea for graduated crystal beads for the exceptional showgirl headdresses, so Swarovski made them in additional colors per her design. Colleen also used the smallest crystals on all the black costumes. While unnoticeable to the eye, they beautifully captured the dancers’ movement in low light. Career Achievement honoree Sandy Powell has used Swarovski on various costumes in Interview With the Vampire, Shakespeare in Love, Mrs. Henderson Presents, and The
Aviator. The Young Victoria, however, was her first experience commissioning specific pieces. Powell uses the tiniest crystals, like sequins, to add glimmer to a costume, enhance a color or accentuate a piece of embroidery which would not necessarily be obvious. In The Young Victoria, the yellow dress Victoria wears to the King’s birthday was resplendent in crystal. As for the jewelry, Powell says, “It’s all about the stones. It was very satisfying to be able to commission the production of exact replicas of certain pieces, including the famous tiara and all the royal regalia that were made to perfection.” Assistant costume designer Lois DeArmond has been working with designers Michael Bush and Dennis Tompkins illustrating the costumes for Michael Jackson’s tours for the past 18 years, and This Is It was no exception. The Billie Jean costume illustration almost leaps off the page in a familiar pose; but for the stage it was built with seven pounds of Swarovski Jet and Black Diamond Hot Fix crystals. The costume was also set to make a comeback complete with a new sparkling glove, this time with a crystal crown on the back of the hand. The tour wardrobe, designed by a team of designers, was set to shine with over 4 million Swarovski crystals before Michael Jackson’s untimely passing. Swarovski is the Presenting Sponsor of the Costume Designers Guild Awards for the fifth consecutive year. They are our partner in so many ways: from extravagant showpieces to the most subtle of enhancements, Swarovski continues to play a vital role in realizing the designers’ vision. Deena Appel dappel@costumedesignersguild.com
Winter 2010 The Costume Designer
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THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT
Her masterful illustrations are revered among her colleagues and as an Assistant, Lois DeArmond knows that the ACD is “the designer’s right hand, creative support and guardian of the designer’s vision at all times.” She studied fashion illustration at CalArts/Chouinard but knew that “costumes was then and is now my true love.” Today, she uses illustration as just one of many skills working toward the designer’s vision. “A great part of my job is also working with the workrooms and vendors. Since I have often done the illustrations, I am in a perfect position to interpret them should the need arise.” When asked what makes her laugh out loud, DeArmond whimsically muses: “Some of the stuff I hear from production. No really, I love a good laugh. The more we laugh, the more likely we are to survive what we hear from production!” She has cultivated a knowledge of cutting/ draping and construction, period costumes and has a passion for fabric. DeArmond adds: “A fast car and sharp pair of scissors for swatching aren’t bad either!”
lade_armond@netzero.net
can’t live without singing, especially early music and British Isles traditional songs
SICA SCHMITZ
LOIS DEARMOND
LIUBA RANDOLPH
MEET THE ASSISTANTS
Liuba Randolph has dabbled in every medium but is currently in love with the schedules and hyperfocus of commercials and music videos. “I feel that commercials are quite challenging. You have to establish a character and personality and tell a story all within 30 seconds.” While on the job, Randolph’s proficiency as an illustrator and skilled seamstress are put to excellent use communicating by using detailed sketches to help express the final vision to the workroom. “Being a good people person with a great disposition is key in this industry,” says Randolph and comes in handy when working with vendors. “My favorite is taking care of product placement! I am great at cold calling companies and PR reps.” Also, with a 21-month-old daughter to chase after, it’s no wonder that she also knows the value of that all-important ACD mantra: time management! Randolph has worked with CDs Cendra Martel and Karyn Wagner and looks forward to working on another project with cast and crew who know how to laugh together during that 14-hour haul!
“I believe you can still get the job done with a nice manner,” says this former Seattle fashion designer turned Los Angeles ACD. Sound advice from an ACD who also lists patience, a sense of humor, communication, and a love for what you do as key to accomplishing the job. Sica has earned her stripes in the worlds of fashion, art and design. In addition to graduating from the Parsons New School for Design in fashion, she also holds a degree in art and art history from Oregon’s Willamette University and can render illustrations both traditionally and on Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. “Since arriving in L.A., Ann Major, Marlene Stewart, and Audrey Fisher have been wonderful inspirations,” says Schmitz and explains that, “the industry is so much more fun and so much harder than I ever imagined!” Before Hollywood, she cut her chops working and interning “in a little bit of everything” from editorial (0: The Oprah Magazine) to fashion PR (People’s Revolution in NY) to fashion show production (Mercedes Benz Fashion Week) to design and styling for clothing, theater, film, commercials, and television.
liubarandolph@hotmail.com
sicaschmitz@gmail.com
can’t live without her daughter and teaching others about natural birth
can’t live without traveling every chance I get, experimenting in the kitchen, yoga JR Hawbaker jhawbaker@costumedesignersguild.com
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The Costume Designer Winter 2010
THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT
HISTORY OF DRESS A-Z
S
ACQUE: Loose-bodied garment popular in the end
SNOOD: Originally a fillet
of the 17th and early 18th centuries. It was made popular by the painter Watteau and is often referred to as a Watteau gown.
worn around head by young women in Scotland and considered an emblem of chastity. Later, the snood came to be adapted to a small mesh beret or section attached to back of hat to conceal or completely confine the hair.
SANS-CULOTTES:
While the direct translation from the French means “without breeches,” during the French Revolution this term came to refer to poorly dressed workingclass French patriots, who wore full-length trousers instead of the more fashionable knee-length breeches.
SOCCAE: Light shoe worn in the house by the Romans and worn with soleae: Roman house slippers.
SOUP AND FISH: Slang for men’s formal dress, especially, SARPE: Ornamental girdle of metal.
SCHENTI:
Egyptian loin cloth, wrapped around hips and held in place by a tied belt or girdle.
S H A L W A R K A M E E Z , SALWAR KAMEEZ, SHALWAR QAMEEZ: A pair of gathered pajama-type bottoms with a narrow opening at the bottom, the shalwar, and a long collarless tunic, the kameez. The traditional kameez usually has long sleeves and a coordinating scarf called the dupatta.
SKILTS: Short full trousers, half a yard wide at the bottom. Reaching just below the knee, they were worn by country people during the American Revolution.
but not specifically referring to a tuxedo. According to the OED, the term refers to clothing worn to a formal dinner of many courses, the first two of which will be … you guessed it, soup and fish.
SPONGEBAG TROUSERS: Are trousers made of sponge cloth, which was cotton fabric of coarse yarn woven in honeycomb weave to produce open-spongy effect. Used for summer dresses, sports garments, etc. Spongebag trousers were particularly popular in Regency England.
SPORRAN: Large pouch bag used as a purse and made of leather with some fur or long hair which is often decorated. It hangs center front of the men’s kilts as part of the Scottish national dress.
STAY: That part of a garment or shoe which contains the eyelets for lacing. STAYS: Refers to corsets or the stiffened inserts that make them more rigid. Illustrations by Robin Richesson rrichesson@costumedesignersguild.com Text by Karyn Wagner kwagner@costumedesignersguild.com
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THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT
A FEW OF MY
FAVORITE THINGS MICHAEL WILKINSON
Google image library— instant research Carrot and ginger juice— instant energy An atmosphere of calmness— instant focus
The perfect crew with whom I have established a vocabulary Books, libraries, museums—the Internet is unbelievable, but there is nothing like paper for inspiration
My iPhone—instant communication Fabulous textiles from around the world—instant inspiration
RITA RYACK
Marlene Stewart Most of the “things” I need are people but…
My essential art supplies including Pink Pearl erasers. Once, my crew gave me a pinata filled with erasers for my birthday! eBay. I am an addict. Studio services
Korean baths ... aka Japanese baths. Always a cure for the craziest day Mini-trapoline so I can get some exercise anywhere, anytime Meditation tapes so I can be “forced” to meditate when I am not capable ... which of course, is an oxymoron
Fine men’s and women’s fabrics for stage and screen from Ermenegildo Zegna
West Coast Scott Anderson 323-650-8875 East Coast 201-708-1600 Toll Free 800-227-1724 sales@gladsonltd.com
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The Costume Designer Winter 2010
IN FOCUS
BOLDFACE NAMES BOLDFACE AT WORK CD Denise Wingate launched 2010 with the Farrelly brothers’ comedy Hall Pass, starring Owen Wilson as a man given a ‘free pass’ to have an affair. Wingate prepped in Los Angeles and then headed to Atlanta through May. Any tips or local sources, Wingate is all ears! CD and Eboard member Salvador Perez is currently designing the action feature Faster with good friend and director, George Tillman. The film stars Dwayne Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton. Fellow CD Dalhia Schuette has teamed up with Perez as Key Costumer for the local shoot. CD Michael Kaplan is in town with ACD Stacy Caballero designing the Screen Gems/Sony musical Burlesque, starring Cher, Christina Aguilera and Alan Cummings. The film is about an alcoholic writer who gets involved with two eccentric exotic dancers, who promise to make all his dark dreams come true. CD Debra McGuire finished the year wrapping two feature films and a commercial: The Big Bang, starring Antonio Banderas; Life As We Know It, starring Katherine Heigl; and a spot for 1-800-Flowers which will air around Valentine’s Day. McGuire is now prepping the comedy Bad Teacher with Cameron Diaz here in Los Angeles. Also in Los Angeles, CD Ellen Lutter is in the middle of an Adam Sandler double feature. She’s wrapped Grown Ups, about a holiday weekend with old friends, 30 years after their high school graduation and is currently prepping Pretend Wife, which stars Jennifer Aniston. Illustrator Felipe Sanchez is working alongside Lutter on the romantic comedy. CD Susan Lyall is shooting in both Toronto and New Orleans for Summit Entertainment’s Red. Susan is joined by ACDs Amy Ritchings in New York and Cori Burchell in Toronto. CD Shoshana Rubin is designing Steven Soderbergh’s spy thriller Knockout. The film, starring mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano and Ewan McGregor, has Rubin globetrotting to Dublin, Barcelona, and Santa Fe. From the Michigan desk: CD Hope Hanafin just wrapped Cedar Rapids, about a naive insurance salesman who travels to a big-city convention in an effort to save the jobs of his co-workers. ACD Valerie LavenCooper worked with Hope from Los Angeles. Meanwhile, in Traverse City, MI, Susanna Puisto has finished up the drama A Year in Mooring, starring Josh Lucas and James Cromwell. Avatar Co-Costume Designer Mayes C. Rubeo is very happily tackling the epic John Carter of Mars. Rubeo and ACD Colleen Kelsall are in London at the magnificent Surrey Longcross Studios, designing another unknown world— this time… Mars! CD Colleen Atwood is on location in Italy with ACD Christine Cantella for The Tourist led by awardwinning director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (The 36
The Costume Designer Winter 2010
Lives of Others). The dramatic thriller stars Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. Jolie plays an American tourist used by an Interpol agent in an attempt to flush out a criminal with whom she once had an affair. CD Allison Leach, along with freshly minted CDGer, ACD Tiffany White, recently designed the costumes for the LEGION of Extraordinary Dancers’ special appearance on So You Think You Can Dance. She also designed LXD’s original online series. The narrative dance show chronicles “the most elite dance crew ever created!” Check out www. thelxd.com. The same Leach/White duo also did the costumes for a MSN/Warner Bros. interactive mystery game as part of the online promotion for the new Sherlock Holmes film. http://unlockyoursherlock.msn.com/. CD Mary Kate Killilea is winding up the first season of Make It Or Break It for ABC Family, with a second season starting up this April. CD Nancy Steiner, along with ACD Jennifer Starzyk, is designing HBO’s pilot Enlightened, shooting in Los Angeles and Hawaii. The comedy features Laura Dern as a woman who embarks on living an enlightened life after a meltdown and consequent spiritual epiphany. Diane Ladd (Dern’s reallife mom) and Owen Wilson will play her mother and former husband. CD Stephen M. Chudej is designing Fox television’s new police series Code 58. The dramedy, starring Colin Hanks and Bradley Whitford, will be shot in Dallas, with actor Tim Matheson directing. CD Kathryn Morrison designed the pilot and subsequent series for Shawn Ryan’s Terriers—an FX comedy/crime drama series shooting in San Diego. Morrison previously teamed up with Ryan for The Shield and expects to be busy with the new series through spring 2010. CD Laura Goldsmith is busy designing the new NBC ensemble dramady Parenthood after they recast and reshot the pilot now starring Lauren Graham, Peter Krause, Monica Potter, Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia. Goldsmith has also re-teamed with director/creator JJ Abrams on his latest NBC pilot, Undercovers, about a married couple that gets reactivated as CIA agents after years of retirement. CD Ariyela Wald-Cohain is currently designing the third season of Web Therapy. Lisa Kudrow portrays Dr. Fiona Wallice, a therapist who decides that three minutes via webcam is better than 50 minutes of face-to-face therapy. Lisa won a “Webbi” for her performance in season one, and WaldCohain has happily been on board since then. CD Dana Woods designed Fences by August Wilson at South Coast Repertory Theater in Costa Mesa. The play stars acclaimed Wilson regulars Charlie Robinson and Juanita Jennings, and opened in January. Winter 2010 The Costume Designer
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IN FOCUS
BOLDFACE NAMES
TO ALL MY NEW AND OLD FRIENDS
BOLDFACE PRESS
WHO WERE USED TO FINDING ME ON MELROSE, WE ARE PLEASED TO WELCOME YOU TO OUR NEW LOCATION.
818 S. Broadway Suite 801 Los Angeles, CA 90014 323-653-9155 *WE HAVE PLENTY OF VALIDATED PARKING.
CELEBRATING THE ART OF COSTUME DESIGN THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010 THE BEVERLY HILTON INTERNATIONAL HOTEL BALLROOM
TICKETS BLUE ROOM EVENTS 310.491.1401
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The Costume Designer Winter 2010
CD Alexandra Welker sat down with fellow CD Kristin Burke for an interview for Burke’s blog, www.frocktalk.com. Welker spoke about the interesting process of designing for not only actors, but also animated chipmunks for Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. CD Audrey Fisher, ACD JR Hawbaker and the costume department of True Blood will be included in a behind-the-scenes feature about popular TV shows in the upcoming issue of Emmy magazine. On January 29, CD Chrisi Karvonides-Dushenko’s costumes for the drama The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond were on display during a champagne reception hosted by reVamp Vintage Clothing in their downtown L.A. studio. The film, based on a recently rediscovered screenplay by Tennessee Williams, is set in the “Roaring Twenties” and stars Bryce Dallas Howard. Chrisi spoke about her designs, and both her sketches and stills from the movie were also on view. This January, RTP International, an online Portuguese TV station with a viewership of 60 million people worldwide, aired a detailed profile on CD Deborah Ferguson highlighting her fim and print career. Check out http://www.rtp.pt/. CD Kresta Lins and her “Let Them R e c y c l e ” TM costume that graced the cover of The Costume D e s i g n e r ’s Spring ’09 issue has created a buzz around town! After a recent display in fashionable boutique Code C’s window on the Sunset Strip, articles about Kresta’s costume project, enKresta Lins’ “Let Them Recycle”™ titled “The Sustainable Sirens,” have appeared in LA 411, EcoStilleto.com, Mother Nature Network, Racked LA, Green LA Girl, Ethical Style,
CD Mirojnick goes back to Wall Street
Vanity Fair visits Wall Street
EcoDivasTV and Your Daily Thread. Kresta was also interviewed for articles in both Designed by Hollywood and IATSE’s Bulletin magazine, and “Let Them Recycle” will also be featured in the new issue of The Creative Handbook. Kresta is currently finishing the second costume in the series, which will address the topic of e-waste. Stay tuned at www. TheSustainableSirens.com.
Check out VF.com for a behind-the-scenes preview of Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, featuring CD Ellen Mirojnick’s costumes shot by Annie Leibovitz. Ellen and longtime collaborator Michael Douglas are sure to set trends once again 23 years after the original Wall Street premiered. http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood /features/2010/02/wall-street-spotlight-201002#video.
Winter 2010 The Costume Designer
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BOLDFACE NAMES BOLDFACE PRESS
CD Leach styles Hendricks’ wedding party
CD Allison Leach is happy to announce her website will launch in February: www.al lisonleachdesign.com. while the winter issue of In Style Weddings pictures Leach’s styling talents for Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks. Leach styled The dapper groom the wedding party, and designed the groom’s three-piece ensemble. If you missed it, be sure to read Los Angeles Times’ fashion writer Booth Moore’s excellent year-end article highlighting the stunning style of this season’s holiday hits designed by the illustrious CDs Jenny Beaven, Sherlock Holmes; Arianne Phillips, A Single Man; Sandy Powell, The Young Victoria; Colleen Atwood, Nine; and Danny Glicker, Up in the Air. Find it at http://www.latimes.com/features/image/
CD Arianne Phillips designed A Single Man 40
The Costume Designer Winter 2010
BOLDFACE NAMES BOLDFACE PRESS la-ig-film6-2009dec06,0,1325629.story. And finally, in The New York Times’ online T Magazine’s December 29 article “Naughtie Behavior: The Decade in Film Style,” blogger Adam Kepler named the top 10 movies of the decade that made a lasting fashion statement, but unfortunately, he neglected to mention all of the films’ esteemed Costume Designers. Since eight out of 10 are CDG members, we thought we’d name them right here: Theresa Squire, High Fidelity; Nancy Steiner, Lost in Translation; Mary Zophres, Catch Me if You Can; Karyn Wagner, The Notebook; Marit Allen, Brokeback Mountain; Pat Field, The Devil Wears Prada; Suttirat Larlarb, Slumdog Millionaire; and Hope Hanafin, 500 Days of Summer. Read the article: http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/29/naughtie behavior-the-decade-in-film-style/?emc=eta1.
COSTUME DESIGN CENTER
Congratulates the nominees & honorees of the 12th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards
BOLDFACE ENTREPRENEURS CD Francine Lecoultre has relocated her atelier, Lecoultre Studio: Fabrics & Painting, to the Brewery Art Colony in East L.A. For directions: http://www.thebrewery.net. CD Deborah Ferguson has started a fashion and design blog which features the latest fashion trends and street looks. Deborah takes all her own photos and hopes to inspire fellow costume designers in both their shopping and designing in New York City, Los Angeles, London and any other cities she finds herself in: www.contentmode.com.
BOLDFACE FESTIVALS & EVENTS
High School by CD Marie France
CDGers at Sundance 2010: CD Marie-France Drouin designed the costumes for High School, and CD Ane Crabtree designed the costumes for Please Give, and both films will be at the festival this year. For the fifth 42
The Costume Designer Winter 2010
Rain and Shine! Custom Manufacturing • Costume Rentals • Prep Spaces 818.954.1297 • www.wbsf.com DQG :DUQHU %URV (QWHUWDLQPHQW ,QF $OO ULJKWV UHVHUYHG
Winter 2010 The Costume Designer
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BOLDFACE FESTIVALS & EVENTS year, CD Francine Lecoultre has the pleasure of supporting her talented FIDM Costume Design Program students as they prepare for the annual fashion show at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. The students are all busy designing, constructing and embellishing for the show in early March, and she is very proud. CD Colleen Atwood’s designs, as illustrated by Felipe Sanchez, are on display as part of an extraordinary exhibit of Tim Burton’s work at MOMA in New York through April 26. (follow the link to Exhibition Check List page 88). http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2009/timburton/.
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The Costume Designer Winter 2010
Cuadpro® Marketing 09-23
Atwood & Sanchez in Burton Exhibit Compiled by: Suzanne Huntington shuntington @costumedesignersguild.com Audrey Fisher afisher@costumedesignersguild.com
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SCRAPBOOK
Designer Michael Travis and Joan Sutherland, Bell Telephone Hour: Ernani by Verdi, 1961 46
The Costume Designer Winter 2010