The Official Magazine of the Costume Designers Guild
Costume Designers Guild Local 892窶的.A.T.S.E. 11969 Ventura Blvd., First Floor Studio City, CA 91604 costumedesignersguild.com
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Santa Ana, CA Permit No. 450
vol. 7, issue 1
Thanks the Costume Designers Guild and Proudly Congratulates Our Nominees
Colleen Atwood
16
30
24
EXCELLENCE IN FANTASY FILM
FEATURES Costume Designers Guild Awards 2011 . . . . 16 Honorees and Nominees
Distinguished Collaborator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Joel Schumacher: Director, Writer, Producer, Costume Designer
Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Sandy Powell
The Art of Julie Weiss
EXCELLENCE IN FANTASY FILM
DEPARTMENTS Editor’s Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Union Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 President’s Letter Executive Director Labor Report
The Costume Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Michael Wilkinson and Christine Bieselin Clark EXCELLENCE IN FANTASY FILM
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 Illustration by Julie Weiss Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Meet the Assistants History of Dress My Favorite Things
In Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Boldface Names
Scrapbook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
We Also Proudly Congratulate All of This Year’s Nominees and Honorees Winter 2011 The Costume Designer
3
EDITOR’S NOTE
T
he Awards issue. What a scramble. The Costume Designers Guild Award nominations for Excellence in Film & Television are announced just one week before we go to press on this very magazine. The ballots are due, the office and volunteers are counting madly, and we wait … sometimes not so patiently for, THE LIST. This year, there are 26 nominees in categories that include film, television and commercials—work that is both contemporary, period and fantastical and Designers who live all over the globe. We have the only Awards program that includes and values ALL forms of design and for this, we should be particularly proud. Nevertheless, we have to track down members and non-members here and abroad in the hopes that the insights they share on these pages will inspire you in your careers. Thank you to Bonnie Nipar for heading up the Q&A team again this year and to Audrey Fisher for her insightful bio of Julie Weiss and Jacqueline Saint Anne for all her research on Michael Dennison. Julie Weiss is more passionate than any Designer in recent memory. About her art, her craft, and her quest for the truth in all things—not the least of which is the truth of a costume. Julie is being honored this year with perhaps, our first-ever combined Career Achievement in Film & Television Award. Not only is she completely deserving, with a long list of honors already under her belt (read her bio in the Awards section), but she is also incredibly grateful and joyous and overwhelmed with the recognition and attention. There is also nothing conventional about Julie Weiss, which is why it’s no surprise that her sketches are like no other’s. She is currently teaching a class at UCLA and tells her students, “Sketches don’t have to be on a piece of paper!” Julie’s ideas are too big and too deep to fit on a traditional piece of paper. Her costume designs can’t be contained on the page—at least on the front. On the back are more specific notes about how any given costume should be built, every seam, every pleat. Don’t kid yourself, Julie is completely on top of every detail. Her illustrations did not fit into the parameters of our “Sketch to Screen” column so thanks to Julie, we’re launching “Gallery,” a place to showcase costume design as art. If the cover sketch has peaked your interest, you’re in for a treat on page 30. Director Joel Schumacher was a Costume Designer. He may be the only one to move from Costume Designer to Writer to Director. It was an unusual path, but one that has served him well. Designers all over town are shopping for their black tie duds to join us in celebrating Joel Schumacher as our Distinguished Collaborator. Designers love to work with Schumacher because he is a storyteller (on the page and on the set) and “A visualist, who gives you the room to be better,” says CD Susie Becker. When I asked him what advice he would give to freshman directors about costumes, he replied, “In most of your favorite movies and most of the legendary movies, costumes are part of the experience of that film.” Schumacher is profiled on page 24. Sadly, we bid farewell to the beloved “History of Dress.” We have traveled around the globe and come to the end of the alphabet. Thank you to Karyn Wagner for defining the costume terms on this journey from A to Z, and to Robin Richesson for your beautiful and whimsical illustrations. Stay tuned for what comes next!
costumedesignersguild.com EDITOR/PHOTO EDITOR
Deena Appel ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Bonnie Nipar PRESIDENT
Mary Rose mrose@costumedesignersguild.com VICE PRESIDENT
Van Broughton Ramsey vramsey@costumedesignersguild.com SECRETARY
Ann Somers Major asomersmajor@costumedesignersguild.com TREASURER
Marilyn Matthews mmatthews@costumedesignersguild.com EXECUTIVE BOARD
Deena Appel dappel@costumedesignersguild.com
April Ferry aferry@costumedesignersguild.com
Salvador Perez sperez@costumedesignersguild.com
Cliff Chally cchally@costumedesignersguild.com
Felipe Sanchez (Illustrators) fsanchez@costumedesignersguild.com BOARD ALTERNATES
Robert Blackman rblackman@costumedesignersguild.com
Julie Weiss jweiss@costumedesignersguild.com
Mark Bridges mbridges@costumedesignersguild.com
Sharon Day sday@costumedesignersguild.com BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Peter Flaherty pflaherty@costumedesignersguild.com
Jacqueline Saint Anne jsaintanne@costumedesignersguild.com
Karyn Wagner kwagner@costumedesignersguild.com
Wendy Chuck (alternate) wchuck@costumedesignersguild.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Rachael M. Stanley rstanley@costumedesignersguild.com ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Suzanne Huntington shuntington@costumedesignersguild.com RECEPTIONIST/SECRETARY
Cheryl Marshall cmarshall@costumedesignersguild.com PUBLISHER
Deena Appel dappel@costumedesignersguild.com
IngleDodd Publishing ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Dan Dodd 310.207.4410 x236 Advertising@IngleDodd.com
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The Costume Designer Winter 2011
Contributors
COURTNEY HOFFMAN
ALONZO WILSON
(Meet the Assistants) This Los Angeles native and CDG newbie is thrilled to join the writing staff of The Costume Designer. A graduate of New York University, she is happy to be back in Los Angeles working alongside her Costume Designer heroes. She currently works as an Assistant Costume Designer for film and TV. “I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to know my fellow ACDs and share their stories. I enjoyed the magazine long before I was a member and being able to contribute is a dream come true.”
(Boldface Names) Joined the CDG last fall after 25 years of working with costumes, mostly on the East Coast. Known for the WB series Dawson’s Creek and HBO’s acclaimed series, The Wire. Alonzo spends most of the year on location in New Orleans, designing the series Treme for HBO but wanted to participate as a member of the CDG. Tackling the bear known as Boldface Names from his computer seemed like the perfect fit.
AINTRIUMPH THE LONG
A BEAUTIFUL AND
‘‘
‘‘
SOUL - SATISFYING
OLD-FASHIONED
CLAUDIA PUIG
LIST OF COEN
SUCCESSES.”
ADVENTURE STORY.” ANN HORNADAY
“THE COENS’MASTERY
OF EVERY CINEMATIC
ELEMENT IS
ROGER EBERT
“THE COEN BROTHERS’ BONNIE NIPAR
ROBIN RICHESSON
(What’s On/What’s In & Locations) 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. She adores the process of gathering new sources, thus writing Locations is a great fit. And for the What’s On/In, “It’s a treat to research the latest accomplishments of our peers.” Bonnie has been so involved that she recently took on the role of associate editor.
(History of Dress, Illustrator) Joined the Guild in 1992, and currently works as a costume illustrator, a storyboard artist, and an educator. “I trained 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.”
CRAFTSMANSHIP IS
A WONDER.
IT REMINDS US OF
THE GLORY THAT WAS, AND CAN STILL BE, THE WESTERN.”
KARYN WAGNER (History of Dress,Text) SUZANNE HUNTINGTON (Boldface Names) PARAMOUNTGUILDS.COM
6
The Costume Designer Winter 2011
WELL-ESTABLISHED,
FROM WRITING
“A STAR IS
EDITING AND
“
AND CASTING TO CINEMATOGRAPHY,
SOUND DESIGN.”
PETER TRAVERS
BORN IN
HAILEE STEINFELD..” MARY POLS
JEFF BRIDGES IS SUBLIME.”
UNION LABEL PRESIDENT’S LETTER Dear Members, It doesn’t seem right that we Southlanders are enjoying spring-like beautiful days and nights, when everyone else in the United State is having terrible weather. I’m not feeling terribly guilty about it since the Los Angeles Times Business section reported that we Southlanders spent at a record rate during Christmas 2010. The Times also reported that many shows are returning to Los Angeles, and more shows and commercials are being shot locally. I’m very happy to hear that some filming has returned to the city of Los Angeles, especially in the “Valley,” where the CDG office is located. Finally, after many years of waiting, the California tax incentive is boosting filming back to our city. The Social Network, The Green Hornet, and many TV shows favor our Valley locations. The excellent new show, Men of a Certain Age, and half dozen popular sitcoms are also shooting in town. When you compare it to how many shows were shooting here a decade ago, it may not look like much, but the industry is coming back. When I hear our Designers complaining about a shortage of Costume Supervisors, something tells me that things are getting much better. Let’s hope that it’s true. The year 2010 certainly was very busy for those of us on the Executive Board. There were many important decisions made, and important changes implemented. We feel that they were forward-thinking changes for this Guild and its members. We have started to restructure a new direction to the way the office functions, and so far, everything is working quite smoothly. We have begun the process of defining who would be the right person, with the skill and enthusiasm, to fit into the new office scheme. Putting more money into our website was also part of our restructuring goal. We will continue to build on our budgeting plans so that we can allocate more funds into expanding our website. You may have already seen some small changes taking shape. Another of our responsibilities that we take seriously is to reevaluate how and where we put our money to benefit the members the most. The Awards Season is upon us, and the CDG Awards Balloting Committee was very busy. I am glad to say that we had more submissions for the nominations than in years past. I want to personally thank all those great volunteers who were counting nomination ballots until our eyes became blurry (listed below). Salvador Perez, editor of the CDG Directory of Members 2011, has completed his work, and the Directory is off to be printed and should be in your hands soon. With his great energy, Salvador is now ready to attack our website by creating the long-awaited bulletin board that members have had such a thirst for. This was also part of the restructuring plan, and we thank Sal for his diligence and gusto. May 2011 be a wonderful year for you all! In Solidarity, Mary Rose mrose@costumedesignersguild.com
WE APPRECIATE THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS
DIAMOND LEVEL Western Costume
VOLUNTEERS Balloting Co-Chairs: Mary Rose Suzanne Huntington
Balloting Volunteers: Imogene Chayes Sharon Day Louise de Teliga Harding Barbara Inglehart Kristin Ingram 8
Q&A Volunteers: Zachary Bilemdjian Christine Jordan Zelda Lambrecht Bonnie Nipar Christopher Lawrence Beth Pasternak Van Ramsey Andrea Weaver
The Costume Designer Winter 2011
SAPPHIRE LEVEL Warner Bros. Studio Services
RUBY LEVEL International Silks & Woolens
International Silks &Woolens
UNION LABEL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Members and Friends, It is a great honor to serve you as your Executive Director as of January 2011. Many of us make our New Year’s resolutions at this time of year, and we at the CDG office have a few of our own. Serving our members has always been our number-one priority and now we are more equipped than ever to fulfill your needs. This Guild is no longer moving at glacial speed as in years past but is now speeding along with the use of technology and a vision far beyond anything we have known in the past. I am pleased to be a part of this forward movement. Suzanne Huntington, now the Member Services Administrator, will continue to be a source of valuable information for our members and help with any questions if I am not available. Our receptionist, Cheryl Marshall, will still be the first face you see when you enter our office and is always ready to help and direct you to who can best serve your needs. We invite you to come in and take advantage of our library and our new conference room. There is lots of space to spread out and work; and of course, you have access to our copiers, telephones, and computers. We look forward to increasing our accessibility to the members through an expanded website with exciting articles that will be informative to even the most seasoned Designers as well as being our face to the public. We are happy to introduce an online bulletin board in our “Members Only” section where you can post items of interest to other members such as resources, classes, subletting while you are on location, or an exchange of creative ideas, just to name a few uses. The Directory is back again this year with new information and great Illustrations as always and we thank Salvador Perez for all his work on both the website and Directory. Sharon Day is heading up our new Retirees Committee and bringing her passion and commitment to keeping our current and past members connected and our legacy fluid. Keep your eyes open for the classes and services from this committee. The Awards Season is upon us and we are excited to see our members honored and recognized for their exceptional work. This publication features just some of the creative talent of our members during what I consider to be a banner year in Costume Design for both television and film. I congratulate all of you whether your work is recognized with an award or not. To those nominated for CDG Awards, Oscars and Emmys over the course of this year, I wish you all the best of luck. You all make us proud. Best Wishes, Rachael Stanley rstanley@costumedesignersguild.com
INTERNATIONAL SILKS AND WOOLENS
Wishes to
CONGRATULATE ALL THE CDG NOMINEES AND HONOREES 8347 BEVERLY BLVD., LOS ANGELES, CA 90048 (4 BLKS EAST OF LA CIENEGA)
TEL: 323-653-6453 • FAX: 323-653-9276 VISIT OUR WEB AT WWW.ISWFABRICS.COM • EMAIL ADDRESS INTLSILK@AOL.COM
OPEN DAILY 9 AM-6 PM SUN 11 AM-5 PM 10
The Costume Designer Winter 2011
UNION LABEL LABOR REPORT Happy New Year to all. The L.A. County Federation of Labor Representatives gathered for the yearly Martin Luther King Breakfast held Jan. 14, 2011, at IBEW Local 11. In attendance were Sharon Day and myself, along with many other IATSE Local Delegates. Remembering King was Rev. James Lawson and two sanitation workers, Alvin Turner and Baxter Leach, who marched in the sanitation strike. Their retelling of the story of the workers’ struggle in Memphis and the Martin Luther King assassination reminds us of how far we have come and how much further we need to go to achieve social justice to provide freedom, opportunity and security for all Americans. In your best interest. The California Film Tax Incentive extension will likely be the focus of the IA Delegates attending the Legislative Lobby Day in Sacramento this March. Please take a minute and contact your District Assemblyman and California State Senator to say thank you and ask that they extend the Film California Tax Incentive that brought 30 additional film productions to our community and provided hundreds of jobs locally. To find your Representatives, search CA Gov/Representatives and type in your ZIP code. Labor United for Universal Healthcare. Is healthcare a privilege afforded to those with jobs or is healthcare a right for everyone? Who pays and who doesn’t pay for healthcare? We all pay when people fall ill or are injured unexpectedly without healthcare coverage. We pay through higher insurance rates, and we pay through higher taxes for emergency healthcare. To learn more, go to www.laborforhealthcare.org or join us on Facebook: “Labor United for Universal Healthcare.” Mark your calendar for March 25, 2011, and join the 100 Year Commemoration of the Triangle Fire, where 146 garment workers lost their lives on March 25, 1911. More than 100,000 people took to the streets in the New York garment district to demand an end to sweatshops. Today, we continue to close sweatshops around the world. Watch for information about the Triangle Fire Commemoration in Los Angeles in the CDG Weekly Gems. In Solidarity, Betty Madden bmadden@costumedesignersguild.com 12
The Costume Designer Winter 2011
UNION LABEL
2011 UCLA SCHOOL OF THEATER, FILM AND TELEVISION DEPARTMENT OF THEATER – COSTUME DESIGN
Announces a tenure-track or tenured position in Costume Design. We seek a designer of superior creative accomplishment and an excellent teacher to participate in the undergraduate theater major and the MFA program. In addition, we seek a designer prepared for interdisciplinary collaboration with the various areas of the Department of Theater; the Department of Film, Television and Digital Media; and across the College and professional schools. Appropriate academic credentials, an MFA, or equivalent professional experience required. Appointment at Assistant Professor or Associate Professor Level.
February 14 CDG Awards final ballots due 21 Presidents’ Day holiday: CDG office closed 22 CDG Awards Gala 23 Lacoste & CDG Panel Symposium with nominated Costume Designers March 7 Executive Board Meeting 14 General Membership Meeting April 4 Executive Board Meeting 22 Good Friday: CDG office closed
Deadline: March 15, 2011 Send cover letter and CV to Professor Rich Rose, Chair of the Search Committee at ehouzell@tft.ucla.edu
COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARDS 2011
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The Costume Designer Winter 2011
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COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARDS 2011 CDG HALL OF FAME AWARD
MICHAEL DENNISON March 21, 1952–September 2, 2010
Michael Dennison was just unfolding his wings as a Costume Designer but he had already soared to great heights when his spirit flew. Michael was designing One for the Money in Pittsburgh at the time of his passing. His first prime-time Emmy nomination and CDG nomination for Georgia O’Keeffe came that same year. Michael was born and raised in New Orleans, LA, and graduated from the University of Houston. When he moved to New York and began working at Eaves-Brooks Costume Co., the Yankees were smitten and his southern accent garnered him the nickname “Dixie.” Dixie began working as a costumer with the most creative and prolific Costume Designers of our time. He assisted Robert De Mora, Ann Roth, Gary Jones, Albert Wolsky, April Ferry, Julie Weiss and collaborated extensively with Ellen Mirojnick. Dennison took a hiatus from filmmaking in the United States when he became the head of manufacturing at Angel’s in London, and later in Paris. He traveled extensively throughout 16
The Costume Designer Winter 2011
Europe, Africa and South America before returning to the United States and his career as a Costume Designer. Michael Dennison’s talent was just beginning to reveal itself with an enormous range of work in a short span of time. The futuristic world of The Chronicles of Riddick, the gripping, true story of World Trade Center, Oliver Stone’s chronicle of the life and presidency of George W. Bush in W., and Frank Miller’s high-styled, crime-fighting comic series The Spirit. Michael’s friendship with neighbor Julie Roberts led to their first collaboration on the 1950s film Mona Lisa Smile and continued through the years. They recently reunited professionally when he designed the film adaptation of the bestselling novel Eat Pray Love. Several memorials were held to honor the life of Michael “Dixie” Dennison including one at Julia Robert’s home in New Mexico and another at Western Costume Co. here in Los Angeles. As an organ donor, Michael’s body and spirit lives on.
DISARONNO CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM & TELEVISION
JULIE WEISS
Esteemed Costume Designer Julie Weiss is a gifted artist whose designs have won recognition in every medium—stage, television and film. Julie’s design process insists on a dialogue of insight and wit. She takes risks and pushes boundaries to get to the truth of the costume, and asks her colleagues to take this journey by her side. Her dedication to get to the truth has forged lasting bonds with both actors and directors. Julie’s storied career spans four decades of impeccable design. In the mid-’70s, after receiving her B.A. in dramatic art at UC Berkeley and her M.F.A. from Brandeis, she began designing costumes for the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and prominent Broadway theaters in NYC. In 1979, Julie received a Tony nomination for her brilliant costumes in The Booth’s production of The Elephant Man. By 1984, Julie was firmly rooted in the world of TV and film. Her quest for the truth and texture of a pioneer mother’s costumes in the TV movie The Dollmaker won Julie her first Emmy that year. She received her second Emmy for A Woman of Independent Means, with Sally Field as a high-society Texas lady in the early 20th century. Five more Emmy nominations would follow. By the late ’80s, her career in full bloom, Julie was designing costumes that would help distinguish some of the most iconic and beloved films of that time, including Steel Magnolias; Honeymoon in Vegas; Searching for Bobby Fischer; Twelve
KRISTIN DAVIS EVENT HOST
HALLE BERRY
Monkeys (her first Academy Award nomination); Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; A Simple Plan; and CDG Award–winning American Beauty. In 2002, Julie was honored with her second Academy nomination for the colorful, epic costumes in Julie Taymor’s mythic Frida. She then designed Paul Schrader’s salty biopic Auto Focus and Gore Verbinski’s horror classic The Ring that same year. Julie then followed up with a group of period films: The Missing, set in 1885 New Mexico; Mrs. Harris, which garnered an Emmy nomination; 1950s movie-star murder mystery Hollywoodland; and the fictionalized account of Robert Kennedy’s last hours, Bobby. Then, in a blaze of Swarovksi crystals came the ice-skating comedy Blades of Glory, which won Julie her second CDG Award. Most recently, Julie designed the contemporary romp No Strings Attached with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher; Diane Lane’s costumes as American sportswoman and racehorse owner Penny Tweedy Chenery in Secretariat; and the 1930s fable Get Low, about 1930s hermit Felix Bush who threw his own funeral. Julie Weiss is a Costume Designer who is dedicated to storytelling and fascinated by projects with more questions than answers. Costume design is Julie Weiss’ alchemy. Melding text, character, history, and clothing with her powerful imagination, Julie has mined design gold: extraordinary costumes that transform the actor, deepen the narrative, and enrich the production.
LACOSTE SPOTLIGHT AWARD
JOEL SCHUMACHER DISTINGUISHED COLLABORATOR
Winter 2011 The Costume Designer
17
EXCELLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY FILM
EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD FILM THE FIGHTER
BLACK SWAN
Costume Designer: AMY WESTCOTT Assistant Designer: REBECCA HOFHERR Key inspiration? My relationships with the ballet dancers at ABT and NYC Ballet … our conversations provided me with so much information. Watching them rehearse was like being a fly on the wall of something so beautiful and stirring. Most challenging? The rehearsal sequences had to be so realistic. Keeping it grounded in reality was important. We didn’t want to make a fluffy, scrubbed-up version of a ballet movie. I wanted it to feel more like a documentary. Advice? Take jobs that are interesting to you, no matter how small the budget—be crafty! And try to always be professional, no matter what the circumstances.
Costume Designer: MARK BRIDGES Assistant Costume Designer: ANITA CABADA Key inspiration? The HBO documentary High on Crack Street. Shot in 1993, it gives a perfect sense of Lowell, MA, during that period. Most challenging sequences? The ones involving the group of sisters, keeping true to their respective characters but varying them within the group and changing each throughout the story. Costumes that inspired you in 2010? The workmanship and detail of Alice in Wonderland, the texture and storytelling of Get Low and the luscious high style of I Am Love. Advice? Always have a point of view. It may change as you begin to collaborate, but having a personal vision of the piece helps keep you grounded and focused
THE KING’S SPEECH
Costume Designer: JENNY BEAVAN Assistant Costume Designers: SALLY TURNER & ALISON BEARD
BURLESQUE
Costume Designer: MICHAEL KAPLAN Assistant Designer: STACY CABALLERO Illustrator: BRIAN VALENZUELA
Key inspiration? The script made me weep! In addition, the photos from the press and family albums of both the Royal and Logue families were also inspiring. Most challenging? The naval uniform Colin Firth wears when he goes to the Accession Council Chamber. We had to ‘cobble’ it together due to our time and budget restrictions, in the knowledge that a lot of uniform experts would know if we got it wrong! Best advice? Learn to think laterally! Other thoughts? The importance of costume houses. In this present economic climate, all costume houses are struggling. It is in our interests to convince producers to pay correctly for the services and clothes.
Key inspiration? Each musical number gave me the opportunity to create an homage to the multitude of inspirational eras and influences of the burlesque genre. I was also inspired by the music, the choreography, and the atmosphere of the Burlesque Lounge. Most challenging? I would say that the finale costumes were the most challenging, since we wanted them to “upstage” everything that came before. They were made from gold chain and Swarovski crystals, and were incredibly labor intensive. What costumes inspired you in 2010? The Fighter was brilliant … so real and so accurate. An amazing example of characters defined by their costumes. Advice? Everything matters.
INCEPTION
TRUE GRIT
Costume Designer: MARY ZOPHRES Assistant Costume Designer: JENNY EAGAN Key inspiration? The novel, the script, and research. Most challenging? The “Bear Man.” They moved him forward on the schedule, so we had to turn a bearskin rug that I found at a taxidermist in ABQ, plus four other skins into his costume in a day and a half. Costumes that inspired you in 2010? Long list: Boardwalk Empire, I Am Love, The Fighter, Alice in Wonderland, The King’s Speech, The Last Airbender. Best advice? Love what you do, work hard, keep your ego in check, watch as many films as you can from the past and present, and let all things inspire you.
Costume Designer: JEFFREY KURLAND Assistant Designer: TERRY ANDERSON Illustrator: PHILLIP BOUTTE JR. Key inspiration? The script and its author/director Christopher Nolan. He is a consummate filmmaker. The script was a mind-expanding experience with characters changing on different planes of existence. The challenges were endless. The story and its inhabitants were always paramount. Favorite costume? Impossible to choose. I would rather speak of the joy and privilege of working with colleagues like cinematographer Wally Pfister and production designer Guy Dyas. It was an amalgam of art, reality and pure imagination. Comments? My particular work process was respected, embraced and folded into the making of the film. The experience was extraordinary, one that I will cherish forever.
THE SOCIAL NETWORK Costume Designer:
EXCELLENCE IN FANTASY FILM ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Costume Designer: COLLEEN ATWOOD Assistant Designer: CHRISTINE CANTELLA Illustrator: BRIAN KNOPFF Key inspirations? Alice in Wonderland was motivated from the original story and the film’s screenplay. Most captivating, from a creative standpoint, was Alice entering Wonderland and being transported into a completely different realm. The challenge of taking the story to a visual place that it had never been before (with Tim Burton’s take on it), was extremely exciting for me. Most challenging? Creating two distinct, uniquely-styled worlds: Alice’s “real life” and “Wonderland” and, the technical aspect of dealing with Visual FX and animated characters like the Queen’s head and Alice’s grow-andshrink outfit. As films evolve with new technology, it allows for far greater possibilities for costume design.
THE TEMPEST
JACQUELINE WEST
Key inspiration? The actual events surrounding the creation of Facebook and the fallout that resulted. Favorite costume? The backward GAP hoodie that David Fincher had me create so he could shoot Jesse Eisenberg running through the Harvard Yard using mirrors. It actually read PAG. What costumes inspired you in 2010? The most inspiring were the illuminated costumes in TRON because of the practical lighting and the fabulous way they lit the actors’ faces. Best advice? Read as much as you can and see as much as you can: films, paintings, dance and music. Travel and expand the imagination in any way possible.
Costume Designer: SANDY POWELL Assistant Costume Designer: DEBBIE SCOTT
Your most challenging costume? Prospera’s magical cloak. It was made from 3000 vacuum-formed pieces of plastic, each one individually weighing nothing, but all together ended up weighing a ton! The cloak was described in the script as consisting of shards of glass and light. What costumes inspired you in 2010? Contemporary and ’70s/’80s films from northern Europe, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden. I’m impressed by the realism and attention to detail without being distracting. There seems to be a different sensibility in these countries. Advice? Remember that you can’t please everyone and that sometimes harsh criticism can be taken as a compliment. At least you’ve been noticed!
WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS Costume Designer: ELLEN MIROJNICK Assistant Designer: JOHN GLASER Key inspiration? In 1987, I designed Wall Street. 23 years later, the story of money, power, and greed was still inspiring to revisit. Most challenging costume and sequence? The most challenging was re-introducing Gordon Gekko, who had become a cultural and a satirical icon, and keeping him an outsider, ordinary and believable until he gets Gekko’ed. My favorite sequence was the Bull and Bear Ball at the Met. It was important that it appeared as if it was the last breath of the Gilded Age in NYC 2008 … and that everyone looked RICH!!! Advice? Learn to monetize the images you create.
Costume Designers:
TRON: LEGACY MICHAEL WILKINSON & CHRISTINE BIESELIN CLARK
Assistant Designer: CARLOS ROSARIO
Key inspiration? The script. Favorite costume? MW: An eclectic range of influences. Hi-tech sportswear, future soldier concepts from the U.S. military, haute couture, & cutting-edge lighting technology! Most challenging? MW: Each costume posed a unique challenge. How to have practical lighting in a costume while still being comfortable, safe, good for stunt work, aesthetically pleasing, and above all, illuminating the personality of each character. Advice? CBC: This is a high-pressure business with shrinking timelines and budgets. Remember to take a step back to enjoy the process of creating your art. MW: Remain curious about the world, find inspiration in everything around you, and look after your costume department, they are your family!
OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY TV SERIES
OUTSTANDING PERIOD/FANTASY TV SERIES BOARDWALK EMPIRE
BIG LOVE
Costume Designer:
CHRISI KARVONIDES-DUSHENKO
What was your key inspiration this season? The main characters because they transitioned from domestic to political personalities with a senate race this season. Most challenging? Portraying the very unique culture of polygamist people both traditionally and contemporarily; and acquiring the research for it. What costumes inspired you in 2010? Wow, Sandy Powell’s with her creativity and use of color! Any advice? Be more focused on real-life experiences rather than the electronic computerized gratifications like texting. Find real-life eye candy and artistic inspiration. Thoughts or comments? Concentrate on visual storytelling through the clothes.
Costume Designers: JOHN A. DUNN & LISA PADOVANI Assistant Costume Designers: CHRIS PETERSON, MARIA ZAMANSKY & COURTNEY MCCLAIN Key inspiration? LP: The ’20s, stylistically, was a very exciting time for design. Different influences culturally, historically and in fashion made it a candy store of design choices for us. Favorites or challenges? JD: We get to do everything from showgirls to bootleggers to senators to suffragettes. Creating the complex world of characters that converged in Atlantic City at its birth is insanely ambitious for episodic television. LP: Most pieces are manufactured since that era is difficult to find. Any advice? Focus on gaining experience with designers, writers and directors you admire. Design is a collaborative art. Don’t settle. You always achieve excellence with an open and imaginative mind.
MAD MEN
DANCING WITH THE STARS Costume Designers:
RANDALL CHRISTENSEN, STEVEN LEE & DANIELLA GSCHWENTNER Assistant Costume Designer: MICHELLE BUSH
Key inspiration? RC: The music and collaboration with the dancer/choreographer. I consider their concept for their “scene” and what they are trying to portray in the performance. Challenge? Shopping for two gorilla suits in less than a day, re-rigging to tear away, and adding a tutu to Bristol Palin’s, all within 24 hours of designing it! Plus the reveal costumes underneath in only four days. What costumes inspired you? DG: I get a lot of inspiration from fashion, runway shows and music videos. Any advice? SL: Surround yourself with a loyal team. Inspire yourself with art and fashion, commit to long hours, and keep a good attitude!
GLEE Costume Designer: LOU EYRICH Assistant Costume Designers: JENNIFER EVE & ELIZABETH MARTUCCI Illustrators: SUSAN ZARATE AND IMOGENE CHAYES What was your key inspiration? The written word of the script and the inspiration generated by the actors. Most challenging sequence? We had five big episodes, three shooting simultaneously, double-ups, and five dance numbers. At one time! It was the first time I thought, “Hmmmm...” Who else inspires you? Really, all the designers working on episodic television. I know what goes into each episode and am constantly inspired by all the hard work. Any advice? Learn as much about the craft, including costume history, sketching/illustration, and tailoring/building. These things will make you a better designer.
MODERN FAMILY Costume Designer:
Costume Designer: JANIE BRYANT Assistant Costume Designer: LAURA FRECON Your key inspiration? So many from Mad Men! I use catalogs, movies, the Internet, and so many different things—not one specific. What’s most challenging? The biggest challenge is to merge the seasons together, keeping a flow of continuity and melding the season seamlessly. Then we have to continue to move forward in time from there on. What costumes inspire you? Colleen Atwood’s Alice in Wonderland. I’m totally obsessed with that film and its amazing, brilliant costumes. Particularly Alice’s and how it transforms along with her while she grows and shrinks and has so many different actions. Any advice? Believe in yourself!
THE TUDORS
Costume Designer: JOAN BERGIN Assistant Costume Designer: SUSAN O’CONNER CAVE Illustrator: KELVIN SEENY What was your key inspiration? Inspiration came more from paintings and the fact that by series four I felt I was a member of His Kingship’s family. Most challenging? The battle sequence. Henry went to war as a last glorious hurrah. I wanted to show the vain glory and romance of war, whatever its consequences. Any advice? Go to the theatre, ballet, watch films old and new. Keep a visual memory diary. Tip: Try and have past references when your director talks character. Thoughts/comments to share? The Tudors was a mind-blowing exhausting dance. Worth it, but happily finished.
OUTSTANDING TV MOW OR MINISERIES THE PACIFIC
Costume Designer: PENNY ROSE Assistant Designer: GORDANA GOLUBOVICH Key inspiration? WWII in the Pacific. It had to be accurate. We made all the uniforms using authentic army patterns. For the civilian scenes, Australia in the 1940’s was behind the times in fashion, so the costumes were inspired by 1930s England. Most challenging? The two wedding dresses. During WWII, rationing made fabric scarce and couples got married on short notice, so the dresses needed to be sensible, practical, and not too fussy. Comments? There are three people in a fitting: you, the actor, and the character. If you’ve done your job well, the actor will look in the mirror and see the character for the first time.
ALIX FRIEDBERG
Your key inspiration? The “Modern Family” itself. To me, the most important thing was to make the characters relatable, make them feel and look like your own family or people you know. Most challenging? The Halloween episode because it involved the whole cast, highlighting each of their personalities without enough prep time. What costumes inspired you in 2010? John Dunn’s work on Boardwalk Empire. His work, despite budget and time limitations, blows me away! What keeps you focused and calm during the busiest of days? A positive and supportive team! Advice to the next generation? Surround yourself with the best people you can, collaboration is very important.
TREME Costume Designer: ALONZO WILSON Assistant Costume Designer: ANN WALTERS Inspiration? The real people of New Orleans. This series is based on their lives and circumstances in the wake of Katrina. Most challenging? The Mardi Gras Indian costumes. In reality, it takes each Indian about a year to complete the spectacle and grandeur of his “suit.” Our challenge was making three in under six months. Advice? Learn what it means to approach each costume from the heart and soul of the character. If more back-story is needed, don’t be afraid to approach the producers, writers, or actors for inspiration. Keeping true to character never fails.
TEMPLE GRANDIN
Costume Designer:
CINDY EVANS
Key inspiration? Temple Grandin’s story was so compelling, I felt the most important thing was for the costumes to feel authentic and have a strong sense of realism. Most challenging? To keep the show organized as it moved in and out of three different time periods, seasons, and different parts of the country … several times a day! What costumes inspired you in 2010? The King’s Speech was truly flawless. There was such a beautiful effortlessness to the costumes, and yet I knew there was so much thought and intention behind it all.... Amazing! Best advice? Communication and organization are key to sharing your creative vision. Having a few tricks up your sleeves these days can go a long way too.
YOU DON’T KNOW JACK Costume Designer: RITA RYACK Assistant Costume Designer: MARIA TORTU
Key inspiration? Kevorkian family photographs provided by Jack’s associates were invaluable. Al Pacino, of course, is an inspiration, and Barry Levinson is one of our great directors. I suppose the whole design was keyed to Jack’s fabled powder blue Goodwill cardigan, which was auctioned, when Jack was incarcerated, for $50,000. Most challenging? Transforming Al Pacino into Dr. Kevorkian, who is a very different physical type. Rather than duplicating the clothing (other than the iconic blue cardigan), I looked for clothing that would evoke the character and allow Al to “paint a portrait” of Jack, rather than to “do him” (Al’s words). Costumes that inspired you in 2010? The costumes in The Fighter blew me away.
EXCELLENCE IN COMMERCIAL COSTUME DESIGN CHANEL “BLUE DE CHANEL”
Costume Designer: AUDE BRONSON-HOWARD Assistant Costume Designer: LIZ SHELTON Key inspiration? The city of New York with all its beauty and poetic grit, spectacularly portrayed by the genius of Martin Scorsese. Favorite costume? When our hero expresses his passion for his beautiful girlfriend, inspired by the famous seductive scene in Blow Up. Best advice? Hang in there, baby.... It is an ever-evolving puzzle, with so many stories to “dress.” If you have a passion for the craft and persist, your voice will be heard. Other thoughts? Let’s draw attention to our craft, making sure that we support and fight for all of the creative collaborators who are so indispensable.
DOS EQUIS “THE MOST INTERESTING MAN IN THE WORLD” Costume Designer: JULIE VOGEL Assistant Costume Designer: SARAJANE SLOTNICK What was your key inspiration? A combo of 1960s James Bond and 1940s Cary Grant. What was your favorite costume? The Amazonian costumes that we whipped up the morning of the shoot, or maybe it was the authentic ’50s climbing garb worn by MIM while feeding the baby eagles. What costumes inspired you in 2010? I loved the costumes in The American and True Grit. I have a thing for period Westerns. What is your best advice to the next generation of designers? Be prepared and organized, Internet savvy, resourceful, and have a great team behind you for support.
NETFLIX “WESTERN” Costume Designer: LYDIA PADDON Assistant Costume Designer: ASTRID GALLEGOS What was your key inspiration on this particular project? The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and Toy Story. What was your favorite and/or most challenging costume or sequence on this project and why? A cowboy’s character is all in the hat. Choosing the right hat for the right man was the biggest challenge. What costumes inspired you in 2010 on film and/or TV? Winter’s Bone, True Grit, The Fighter, The Office. What is your best advice to the next generation of designers? Never wear high heels to work and be nice.
TARGET “PREPARING FOR RACE/BLACK FRIDAY” Costume Designer:
MICHELLE MARTINI
Key inspiration on this project? Mainly, the actress. I felt the character would be just as zealous about her clothing as she was for the Target sale. Your favorite costume? A redesigned version of a dress the agency found online. A big bow at the waistline made the dress look like a Christmas present. What costumes inspired you in 2010? Most of my inspiration comes from life and art. I recently visited the Smithsonian galleries, where the Portraiture Gallery is especially fascinating. Best advice? Love your research. It’s important for a Costume Designer to be in touch with the past, the present, and the future.
COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARDS 2011 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2011 THE BEVERLY HILTON TICKETS: BLUE ROOM EVENTS 310.491.1401 amys@blueroomevents.com ADVERTISING: INGLEDODD 310.207.4410 dan@ingledodd.com
Joel Schumacher
WHAT
DIRECTOR, WRITER, PRODUCER, COSTUME DESIGNER DISTINGUISHED COLLABORATOR
W
hen you mention the name Joel Schumacher to a Costume Designer, what comes first is a big grin. The kind you can even hear over the phone. Next comes the usual, “Did you know he was a Costume Designer?” Joel Schumacher never actually wanted to be a Costume Designer. He knew he wanted to direct from the time he was 7. He had a scholarship to Parsons and worked his way through school doing the windows and interior displays at Henri Bendel’s on the weekends and after school. Then … as he tells it, “After crashing and burning in the fashion industry due to drugs, in 1970, I stalked Dominick Dunne, who was producing the independent film Play It As It Lays. I wanted to be a PA on the movie. They weren’t looking for any PAs. They were looking for a $200-a-week Costume Designer. I said yes, and didn’t know what I was doing. Following that movie, I was very lucky to get job after job after job.” Not only was Schumacher getting “job after job,” he was collaborating with directors like Paul Mazursky (Blume in Love) and Herbert Ross (The Last of Sheila), and writers Neil Simon (The Prisoner of Second Avenue) and Joan Didion (Play It As It Lays). Schumacher designed two films for Woody Allen. The memorable mad cap adventure Sleeper and the deeply intense drama Interiors. Joel remembers, “While working with Woody Allen on Sleeper, he encouraged me to write. When my scripts started selling, it led to my lifelong dream of directing. In fact, Ann Roth was
The Phantom of the Opera, 2004 one of the first supporters of my writing.” Ann and Joel “moved in the same crowd,” she says. “He was tall, handsome and very smooth and knew a lot about everything—movies, architecture, painting, the latest plays. And of course, design.” She felt that his evolution from Costume Designer to Director was not unexpected. Joel began his professional screenwriting career with the films Sparkle and Car Wash and then tested the directing waters with two television movies. His feature-film directing debut came in 1981 with The Incredible Shrinking Woman, starring Lily Tomlin. He then went on to define the 1980s with such iconic films as St. Elmos’s Fire, The Lost Boys, Flatliners and Dying Young, all with the very talented Costume Designer Susan Becker. Susie feels, “Joel has always been very modern and current and conscious of what was going on in fashion, art and music. He didn’t have to try hard to make his characters enviable, it came organically from the story and he was the writer—so he knew those characters. Before Buffy, Twilight and True Blood, there was The Lost Boys—looking back, he was so prophetic.” When asked how he works with Costume Designers now, he responds, “My job is to hire people more talented than I am and we learn together. But I always have a special place in my heart for the costume department.” He further explains, “Less is more. I don’t like prints, or dots, or patterns that would take away from the actors. I like simplicity. But sometimes the costumes, like in Phantom and St. Elmo’s Fire and Batman Forever are part of the
St. Elmo’s Fire, 1985
The Lost Boys, 1987
Winter 2011 The Costume Designer
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Sleeper, 1973
Batman & Robin, 1997
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The Costume Designer Winter 2011
Falling Down, 1993
The Incredible Shrinking Woman, 1981
story. Susan Becker’s “Lost Boys” have certainly become as famous as the movie. Alexandra Byrne [Phantom of the Opera] is, I hate to use the word genius, because it’s so overused in our industry, but she is truly a dazzling talent. I wish everyone could see and touch those costumes because the detail is extraordinary. They are works of art. And I wish I had the Phantom’s clothes.” Joel is careful to say that he’s worked with too many talented designers and it would be disrespectful to mention only one or two. “I try to make a different film each time. So I make my choice based on what designer I feel is right for each movie. However, sometimes the people I would love to work with again are not available, or they become so famous and so expensive that I can’t afford them.” CD Daniel Orlandi has designed three very different films for Schumacher and claims, “Joel respects, appreciates and understands our work. He doesn’t ever let his background affect his ability to encourage a designer to create and add your own ideas to his films. Our first collaboration was Flawless, from Joel’s brilliant original script. We had to make a bunch of Drag Ball costumes for many of our principal actors. I was showing Joel sketches and fitting photos but after the first few, he said, ‘Stop! I want to be surprised on the day.’ Very scary at the time—but it gave me the confidence to do something special.” Phone Booth was shot in only 11 days. Orlandi is certain that “only Joel could manage a shoot like that.” Schumacher would go on to direct the film versions of two bestselling novels by John Grisham (The Client and A Time to Kill) as well as two installments of the blockbuster Batman film series Batman Forever (No. 1 movie of 1995) and Batman & Robin. Marlene Stewart designed Falling Down for Schumacher and she talks about how “Joel made decisions much more quickly and
with a lot of confidence. Not second-guessing himself or anyone else. He allowed me and my department more time to enjoy the process. There is no “lost in translation” with Joel. For Michael Douglas’ character, I told Joel about my dad and how I remember him going to work every day in his “uniform.” The image I remember from when I was growing up was of a slightly see-through, white short-sleeve shirt with tank undershirt and pens in his pocket … like every other dad on the block. Joel liked the image and so we decided on the “uniform.” Marlene sends her love from Berlin where she’s designing Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. “Working with Joel is what every designer wants, someone who they can communicate with.” Designers who have had the privilege to work with Joel Schumacher will tell you that his sets are always a lot of fun, he treats everyone on the crew the same, and unlike most directors, Joel likes everyone around the monitor. “He is the best storyteller” is proclaimed again and again, and his past experiences are equally hilarious and inspirational. He has nurtured so many writers, actors, and designers. He truly defines what it means to be a great collaborator. Deena Appel dappel@costumedesignersguild.com
The Phantom of the Opera, 2004
Flawless, 1999
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The Costume Designer Winter 2011
Batman Forever, 1995
Dying Young,1991
Phantom, 2004
The Kobal Collection WinterPhotos: 2011 courtesy The Costume Designer 29
GALLERY
JULIE WEISS These drawings are costume sketches. They belong to the actor. They represent their character as wearable notes and changeable thoughts. They began with the script and the director. Sometimes they were drawn on napkins, car mist or through other peoples’ memories. Some fabric has yet to be cut. Some zippers yet to be zipped. Some sketches already part of the story. The director will continue to direct. The actor will discover. Research will be re-researched. New dialogue will re-describe. The camera will land. The focus will not be on the golden shoes absent in the “close ups.” Odds are, I will succumb to death by asphyxiation due to Pink Pearl eraser dust. But it is the curiosity of choice that will lead to longevity of imagination. Sharing the tale. Knotting the knot. And just one more thing… We are a community of different voices, different styles that have the responsibility of delivering a costume that will clothe the actor in a world that now has left the sketch on a table of choices that will be missed until the next time. My sketches will remain rough until they are turned over where there hopefully will be illustrations of darts, seams and hemlines for the reality to take shape.
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The Costume Designer Winter 2011
–Julie Weiss PROJECTS: Top, left-right: Frida, American Beauty, The Missing Bottom, left-right: Frida, Twelve Monkeys, Bobby Sketches courtesy of Julie Weiss & Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
MATERIALS: Anything within reach: chalk, white-out, Winsor & Newton #6 & #7 brushes, eyeliner, pastels, oil pastels, Conte crayons, guache, swatches, #80 Bainbridge board, brown paper, matte board, velum, Winsor & Newton dried-up paints, Q-tips, Prisma colors, charcoal sticks, Sennelier oil pastels, Pink Pearl erasers, Dixon Ticonderoga pencils, watercolor marker brushes. Winter 2011 The Costume Designer
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THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT
EMMA POTTER
HANNAH JACOBS
CAMERON FOLAN
MEET THE ASSISTANTS
After growing up in the Bay Area and attending UC Berkeley for undergrad, this fashionista headed east to explore the Big Apple. Cameron studied fashion design at Parsons, and then decided to pursue costume design for film. She landed an internship with CD Michael Wilkinson on The Nanny Diaries and she was hooked. Cameron recently transplanted to Los Angeles, where she has primarily assisted CD Catherine George. She credits Catherine as having been instrumental getting her start in the industry. Catherine expounds, “At first, I noticed her great sense of style. I soon came to see her organizational skills and dedication. We have worked together on movies in New York, Detroit and L.A. and she has the same enthusiasm for each new project. Her energy is great to be around and we have a lot of fun together even when the work is all-consuming.” Cameron relies on her “even temper,” persistence, and ability to work on very little sleep. She loves being a part of an upbeat design team and takes pride in finding the perfect-fitting music, flattering lighting and taking great photos. She stays motivated by illustrating, draping and sewing when she has downtime. When not at work, Cameron heads back to Northern California to spend time with her three sisters and nieces and nephews. She tries to ride, ski, snowboard, water ski and wakeboard whenever she gets a chance; but if all else fails, she’s happy to get cozy with a good book.
Growing up in Los Angeles, the daughter of a production designer and a writer, Hannah developed a love of storytelling at an early age. At 13, she was introduced to CD Deborah Scott during an annual ‘Take Your Daughter to Work Day.’ Under Deborah’s guidance, Hannah began designing the four school plays every year and quickly knew that costume design was her destiny. She was eager to further her education at Carnegie Mellon University where she earned her B.F.A. in drama design with a costume emphasis. During one summer home from college, Hannah landed an internship with CD Janie Bryant on Deadwood. She explains, “Janie allowed me to shadow her and learn every aspect of the design process, from research, swatching and sketches, all the way through to construction, fittings, and establishing the completed costumes.” Since graduating, Hannah has diligently worked toward her goal of joining the CDG. She credits past experiences with designers Eduardo Castro, Valerie Laven-Cooper, Albert Wolsky, Salvador Perez, Melissa Desrosiers and Hope Hanafin as invaluable teachers. Now an ACD in her own right, Hannah relies on her education, attention to details and effective communication to get the job done. “The role of the ACD is to always support the designer and their vision and never forget that you are representing them at all times. Each project has its own battles. The key is to learn from each one and apply those new skills to the next job.”
Born and raised in England, Emma hopped across the pond to pursue an education in fine arts. While attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she began to explore her affinity for fabric and fiber-based art. Thanks to the school’s open department system, Emma was able to combine “textile craft and manipulation classes with clothing history, sculptural processes and garment construction” and the result was an interest in costume design! After working on several short films and falling for the collaborative process, she knew her path. Once she did the rounds in the Chicago costume scene, Emma made the leap to come out to Los Angeles to further her career. Now assisting CDs Suttirat Larlarb and Hope Hanafin, Emma finds ways to always keep her creativity flowing. Larlarb elaborates, “Emma makes herself indispensable not just by being obsessively thorough and organized, but she also steeps herself in the visual language that’s defined; she’s an extremely creative deputy to have on your side.” Hanafin loves her “trained artistic eye, graphic skills” and an “appreciation of the big picture and fine detail.” Emma trains her eye to be constantly alert on and off the job. She has an attraction to all things creatively inspiring, “collecting objects, materials and images” that catch her eye. On her off time, she exorcises her love of sketching and takes part in “various sculptural practices” as well to keep her artist’s eye acute.
cpfolan@gmail.com
design.hannah@gmail.com
elp.work@gmail.com
can’t live without an upbeat team, a great camera & Umami burger
can’t live without Pittsburgh Steelers, good music and a stash of safety pins
can’t live without a sense of calm, morning tea, a large notebook & fountain pen Courtney Hoffman courtneyehoffman@gmail.com
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The Costume Designer Winter 2011
THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT
WESTERN COSTUME CO.
HISTORY OF DRESS A-Z
X Y
-STRAP: Referring to the strap across the instep of a popular dance shoe made by Capezio. The shape was redefined with the platform version designed by KorkEase in the 1970s.
ARMULKE: The Jewish skullcap to be worn at all times with general dress by Orthodox Jews. Also a cap worn in reverence when reading the Torah, it indicates the faith’s reverence for God’s presence.
YASHMAK: Long, narrow veil worn by Muslim women by wrapping it around the upper and lower parts of the face so that only the eyes are exposed. It is often worn with the chador.
YATSHMAGH:
Z
Checked headscarf in red and white or black and white and worn in Iraq.
AMARRA:
A sheepskin coat worn by Spanish shepherds.
ZIMARRA: Type of cassock worn in the
house and on the street by priests of Roman Catholic Church. It is similar to the chimere, but has a small cape and short oversleeves. It is not confined to any particular rank of clergy.
ZIPPER: Although the record indicates that there were versions of the zipper, or “Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure” as early as 1851, and there was some early usage in galoshes and tobacco pouches, the big campaign for wide usage began in the 1930s. It promoted the use of zippers as teaching self-reliance for children’s clothing. In 1937, the zipper beat the button for closing men’s trousers. Esquire extolled the virtues of pants free of “the possibility of Unintentional and Embarrassing Disarray.”
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The Costume Designer Winter 2011
would like to Congratulate all the Nominees for the 13th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards
ZOOT
SUIT: Male costume made notorious by unconventionals and some teenagers in the early 1940s, consisting of baggy trousers tight at the cuff, and jacket of exaggerated length and losseness. Often worn with an oversized watch chain hanging to thighs. ZOUAVE JACKET: A bolero style jacket with rounded corners, no collar or buttons, with gold braid ornamentation and worn with full red cloth pantaloons. Uniform of the Zouave regiment originally formed of Kabyles of Algieres. Many Frenchmen joined the body of infantrymen and in 1838, it became a French unit and fought in the Franco–Prussian War, 1870-1871.
ZORI: Is a form of Japanese footwear. Having flat soles, they are made of woven straw, rush, flax or bamboo and the top is covered with fabric or leather.
ZUCCHETTO: The Roman Catholic version of the yarmulke in appearance only; the significance is quite different. The cape is meant to keep the tonsured head of the clergy warm. Different colors denote different ranks: the Pope’s is white, cardinals red, bishops purple, deacons and priests black. Illustrations by Robin Richesson rrichesson@costumedesigners Text by Karyn Wagner kwagner@costumedesignersguild.com
Colleen Atwood
Michael Kaplan
Jenny Beavan
Jeffrey Kurland
Joan Bergin
Steven Norman Lee
Mark Bridges
Michelle Martini
Aude Bronson-Howard
Ellen Mirojnick
Janie Bryant
Lydia Paddon
Randall Christensen
Lisa Padovani
Christine Bieselin Clark
Sandy Powell
John A. Dunn
Penny Rose
Cindy Evans
Rita Ryack
Lou Eyrich
Julie Vogel
Alix Friedberg
Jacqueline West
Daniella Gschwendtner
Amy Westcott
Chrisi Karvonides-Dushenko
Michael Wilkinson Alonzo Wilson Mary Zophres
Disaronno Career Achievement
Hall of Fame Award:
in Film & Television Award:
Michael Dennison
Julie Weiss
THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT
Flexibility, patience & grace.
VAN RAMSEY The number one thing I cannot work without is my character and color plot. A holdover from my theatre background. By creating the chart, I can see the entire production and the progression of color. Doing it on my computer just doesn’t work for me. Rit dye. Almost everything I design is dyed and over-dyed. 4mm China silk from ISW. I believe we used more than 800 yards in the miniseries, Helen of Troy. I really can’t live without it! My scalloped pinking shears for period edging.
ROBERT BLACKMAN A good cup of coffee to start the day.
Moroccan mint green tea, a must, at least eight cups a day.
A bullet list of the day. The layout of the day is essential because it can go to “Hell in a handbasket� lightning quick. I love a day that includes research. Whether it is period or tear sheets, it is always fun. Meetings with the producer/writer collaboratively solving the script and character needs. Fittings that are a collaboration with the actor to deepen and enrich their portrayals are really the very best of the process.
LOU EYRICH My amazing crew. No. 1 on the list.
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 Shoes, hats, masks and accessories 612.375.8722 or e-mail costumes@costumerentals.org &"45 )&//&1*/ t .*//&"10-*4 ./ t $0456.&3&/5"-4 03(
Laughter. Google/YouTube.
JULIET POLCSA
Bicycle.
Casting information in a timely manner.
Daily meditation.
That “Aha� moment when the actor is no longer in the fitting-room mirror. He has been replaced by his character. The amazing research tool that is the computer. Coffee with milk. Pocket squares.
SHAY CUNLIFFE Legal-size manila folders to organize my fitting photos. My digital camera!
RANDALL CHRISTENSEN
Research binders, always my starting point. For the reality of the characters’ lives/time period and for looks which inspire me.
My database of costumes.
My personal research boxes for every decade of the 20th century. My contacts & resources and wardrobe crews, the most essential of all.
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The Costume Designer Winter 2011
Tear sheets. Videos.
New research shows that staying active and eating healthy aren’t just good for your heart. They also may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. To learn more about Alzheimer’s and what you can do, visit alz.org/californiasouthland. Thinking ahead now might make all the difference tomorrow.
My years of past designs & sketches. My Swarovski crystal color chart! Jeesh! What would I do without THAT?!!
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COSTUME CO-OP
Art supplies.
Tracing shadows in the Mojave.
CostumeRentals offers year-round access to the Guthrie and The Children’s Theatre Company’s combined inventory of extraordinary costume pieces.
The opinions of other costume designers, which I pretend I don’t really need in an already-full fitting room.
iPad, MacBook, digital camera, flip, Blackberry, Internet/WiFi access.
Skype.
Empty pages ready to be filled.
Books to be discovered & rediscovered.
ARIANNE PHILLIPS
Black safety pins.
Empty spaces to be filled.
Custom made and Alterations for the Entertainment Industry
A FEW OF MY
FAVORITE THINGS
JULIE WEISS
om costumeco-op.c
11501 N. Chandler Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601 Tel: 818 752-7522 Fax: 818 752-7524 mail@costumeco-op.com
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BOLDFACE NAMES BOLDFACE AT WORK CD Mary Zophres has scored a hit with True Grit but she’s actually thrilled to be shooting in town for a change. ACD Diana Edgmon is working with Zophres on the DreamWorks feature Welcome to People. Olivia Wilde, Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks and Michelle Pfeiffer headline the drama about a man tasked with delivering a big sum of his deceased father’s fortune to a sister he has never met. CD Brenda Copper (who has more recently been working in front of the camera) is reteaming with Fran Drescher (The Nanny) on the pilot Happily Divorced with CD Terry Ann Gordon as her supervisor. The romantic comedy penned by and based on Drescher’s real life will reunite Fran with her exhusband/producer. While up to her elbows in glamour as the CD for Entertainment Tonight and The Insider, Anya Sarre will be stepping into some new shoes, teaching Fashion Styling & Coordination at FIDM in Los Angeles. CD
Christopher Lawrence brought in his fellow 892 designer, Susan Nininger, to ACD four back-to-back Bud Light Super Bowl commercial spots. Whew! Go team. CD Valerie Laven-Cooper and ACD Hannah Jacobs have signed on as ACDs for CD Kime Buzzelli on 90210 here in town. CD Keri Smith recently wrapped work on the ABC comedy Happy Endings, starring Zachary Knighton and Elisha Cuthbert about an altarbound couple who break up on their wedding day, forcing their friends to choose sides. After finishing up the series Undercovers, CD Laura Goldsmith moved on to TNT’s episodic pilot, Bird Dog, shot in Big Bear. CD Salvador Perez is currently designing the Lifetime pilot The Wedding Band. How does he find the time for work with all the time he devotes to the CDG?!
CD Sarre is ready for FIDM
Illustrator Lucas Culshaw exercised his sketching talents for a recent Best Buy commercial project. CDG Eboard member and
IN FOCUS
BOLDFACE NAMES BOLDFACE AT WORK Illustrator Felipe Sanchez broke out the crayons to illustrate some special children’s costumes for designer Deena Appel’s Lifetime pilot Exit 19. Sanchez and EJ Krisor challenged their creativity while illustrating Spiderman 4 for CD Kym Barrett. CD Lisa Jensen is designing the feature Dear Annie. CD Lauren Jean Shannon and ACD Ken Van Duyne wrapped up the much-anticipated remake of the 1984 hit Footloose. The Paramount feature was shot in Atlanta and stars Julianne Hough (Dancing With the Stars), Dennis Quaid, and Andie MacDowell. CD Hope Hanafin and ACD Emma Potter spent the fall in Clearwater, Florida, with dolphins and kids and a cast that includes the lovely Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, and Harry Connick, Jr. The Alcon feature, Dolphin Tale, is based on a true story of a young boy’s plea for an injured dolphin to be saved, prompting a campaign to develop and fit the dolphin with a prosthetic fin. CD Alexandra Welker is Chip-Wrecked on the seas for the latest adventure of Alvin & the Chipmunks 3. The sequel sets sail
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from Florida to Cozumel, to the North Shore of Oahu with cast/ shipmates Jason Lee, David Cross and Jenny Slate (a new member from the Saturday Night Live cast.) The 20th Century Fox film will come ashore for interiors in Vancouver. New Orleans continues to draw more production and finds fellow CDG members rubbing elbows and sharing neighboring production offices. CD Sharen Davis is designing the sci-fi feature Looper. The story, set in the near future, centers around a group of killers (Loopers) who work for a crime syndicate, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano and Bruce Willis. Davis has ACD Marylou Lim, Illustrator Gina Flanagan, and Dana Hart working as a supervisor on her team. Longtime Mary Zophres collaborator Jenny Eagan is designing on her own, for would-be smugglers in Contraband, with Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma), Kate Beckinsale and Lukas Haas (Inception) starring. The feature, filming in the Big Easy, revolves around a financially troubled security guard considering a return to his smuggling ways when an associate offers a potentially lucrative opportunity. The Courier, a feature designed by CD Caroline Eselin-Schaefer, is also currently shooting in the area, and stars Mickey Rourke and
Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Rounding out the heavily trafficked New Orleans news is CD Danya Pink, having recently returned from the Warner Bros. feature The Lucky One, based on a Nicholas Sparks novel (have your Kleenex, ready!), starring Zac Efron and Blythe Danner. CD Ernesto Martinez is finally stateside again, this time in D.C. and Baltimore designing the HBO project Veep, with fellow 829 CD Diah Wymont, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfield, The New Adventures of Old Christine). News from the southwest: CD Ilene Meltzer is kicking up dust designing In Plain Sight, a new series from Universal. Ha Nguyen had the pleasure of designing the top-secret Super 8 for the much loved, multi-hyphenate director, producer, writer, all-around nice guy, J.J. Abrams.
DESIGN CENTER
Congratulates the nominees & honorees of the 13th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards
CD Michael Kaplan has gone from his CDG–nominated Burlesque to full tilt action with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. The fourth installment of the highly successful TV series-turned-film series has been shooting in Vancover with Maria Schicker travels home. locations in Prague and Dubai. CD Maria Schicker enjoyed a winter wonderland while wrapping up her feature thriller Dunkel in Germany, and then went on to enjoy Christmas where she was happily snowbound with family. CD Marlene Stewart, ACD Ann Foley and Illustrators Phillip Boutte & Christian Cordella are living a
Always a perfect fit! Custom Manufacturing • Costume Rentals • Prep Spaces 818.954.1297 • www.wbsf.com
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Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
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The Costume Designer Winter 2011
Winter 2011 The Costume Designer
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IN FOCUS
BOLDFACE NAMES BOLDFACE AT WORK seemingly fairy tale existence on the new feature Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. The story of the fabled siblings, now a grown-up, bounty-hunting duo, will keep this CDG team busy in Germany until May. CD Gersha Phillips knocked out two projects this fall in Toronto: The sci-fi series Falling Skies, starring Noah Wyle and Colin Cunningham, and the TNT pilot Perception for ABC, starring Rachael Leigh Cook and Eric McCormack as an eccentric yet erratic, brilliant neuroscientist pulled in to assist on cases with the FBI.
BOLDFACE HONORS The ever-humble CD Lou Eyrich was recently honored at the 2010 Hollywood Style Awards and bestowed with the accolade of Television Costume Designer of the Year. She was showered with praise as her Glee cast mates Chris Colfer and Jayma Mays presented her statuette. CD Colleen Atwood, no stranger to the award circuit, was also honored with Outstanding Achieve-
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The Costume Designer Winter 2011
CD Eyrich accepts!
Atwood & daughter Charlotte
ment in Costume Design for Film, presented by Zooey Deschanel. Colleen celebrated the evening with her daughter Charlotte. Congratulations to the CDG Award nominees (see the feature Q&A) and our CDG members nominated for Academy Awards: Colleen Atwood for Alice in Wonderland, Sandy Powell for The Tempest, and first-time Oscar nominee Mary Zophres for True Grit.
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BOLDFACE FESTIVALS & EVENTS Larger than life and sparkling on the Sunset Strip is a 10-ft-tall Swarovski encrusted guitar, designed by our very own CD Erin Lareau for the launch of GuitarTown, a public arts project, featuring more than a few dozen dazzling instruments which will be auctioned off for charity at a later date. Look for Lareau’s piece at GuitarTown Sunset Strip Public Art Exhibit, 9400 Sunset Blvd. CD Maria Schicker has been building her travel miles account with her participation in a group art exhibition at the Royal College of Art in London that recently wrapped in December. Our new CDG Illustrator, Allen Villanueva, is thrilled to present himself and his work at the recent Sundance Film Festival this January for the indigenous short Stones. Villanueva served double duty as art director and illustrator. Hopefully, he’ll get a few runs down the slopes as an added perk!
BOLDFACE ENTREPRENEURS CD Stephen M. Chudej has expanded and re-dedicated his rental house, San Marcos Costume Company, located in Dallas, Texas. San Marcos Costume is a collection of more than 50,000 pieces of men’s and women’s civilian clothing exclusively from the 1950s and 1960s, and caters to the smaller (aka “lower budget”) boutique films but has served several large-scale productions in the past. Contact Chudej for more info: 214.566.3263 or www .san marcoscostume.com
Alter fashion world! the
IN FOCUS
Compiled by: Alonzo Wilson yourowndesigner@aol.com Suzanne Huntington shuntington@costumedesignersguild.com Deena Appel dappel@costumedesignersguild.com
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Gown by: Marylynn Crawford, Class of 2010 Photo by: Volker Correll
Join the fashion revolution: mcd.woodbury.edu/fashiondesign
Photofest
SCRAPBOOK
Theoni Aldredge, 1928–2011
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The Costume Designer Winter 2011