CD Magazine, Spring 2024 (Costume Designers Guild)

Isis Mussenden

Comes Full Circle With The Color Purple

FILM

A

BY CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

OWEN GLEIBERMAN

Jacqueline Durran

Jacqueline Durran

NOMINEE

EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD FILM MARK BRIDGES • GALI NOY • KRISTEN KOPP “A TRANSFIXING LOVE STORY. MADE WITH ENORMOUS CARE AND ATTENTION IN EVERY CRAFT DEPARTMENT. MARK BRIDGES’ costumes further enhance the vivid sense of time and place.” David Rooney,

COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARD NOMINEE

EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD TELEVISION SHARON LONG

COMMUNICATIONS & CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Anna Wyckoff awyckoff@cdgia.com

CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Allana Johnson allana@yokcreative.com

Turner Johnson turner@yokcreative.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Gary V. Foss garyvictorfoss@gmail.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Bonnie Nipar bnipar@cdgia.com

PRESIDENT

Terry Gordon tgordon@cdgia.com

VICE PRESIDENT

Ivy Thaide Ithaide@cdgia.com

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Brigitta Romanov bromanov@cdgia.com

ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Doug Boney dboney@cdgia.com

MEMBER SERVICES DIRECTOR

Suzanne Huntington shuntington@cdgia.com

SECRETARY

Kristin Ingram kingram@cdgia.com

TREASURER

Nanrose Buchman nbuchman@cdgia.com

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Catherine Adair cadair@cdgia.com

Phillip Boutté pboutte@cdgia.com

Salvador Perez sperez@cdgia.com

Nancy Steiner nsteiner@cdgia.com

ACD REPRESENTATIVE

David Matwijkow dmatwijkow@cdgia.com

COSTUME ILLUSTRATOR REPRESENTATIVE

Oksana Nedavniaya onedavniay@cdgia.com

LABOR REPRESENTATIVE

Dana Woods dwoods@cdgia.com

BOARD ALTERNATES

Michelle R. Cole mcole@cdgia.com

Julie Weiss jweiss@cdgia.com

Daniel Selon dselon@cdgia.com

Ami Goodheart agoodheart@cdgia.com

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Cliff Chally cchally@cdgia.com

Jacqueline SaintAnne jsaintanne@cdgia.com

Barbara Inglehart binglehart@cdgia.com

Mikael Sharafyan msharafyan@cdgia.com

EXECUTIVE SPECIALIST

Kristin Ingram kingram@cdgia.com

BOOKKEEPER

Aja Davis adavis@cdgia.com

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Natalie Gallegos ngallegos@cdgia.com

PUBLISHER Moontide www.moontide.agency

ADVERTISING

Ken Rose 818.312.6880 kenrose@mac.com

Elizabeth Ferris Eferris@afmla.com

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER

Nicola Goode

& Creative Director

Anna Wyckoff Associate Editor

Bonnie Nipar

Stacy Ellen Rich

Turner Johnson Creative Director

Fawnia Soo Hoo Contributor Contributor

Gary Victor Foss Managing Editor

Allana Johnson Creative Director

Time does fly! We’ve sped through the holidays and everyone’s back working at hyper speed. This new year began with concentrated focus on our negotiation plans and upcoming crucial meetings with local “kith and kin.” Now that everyone’s finally back to work, we know your time is valuable and at a premium. The Executive Board, Guild staff, and our dedicated committees will continue to keep you informed with new and vital information, but it’s up to you to stay engaged and up to date. Reach out with your questions and concerns. Please attend the town halls for more detailed information.

The surveys we’ve sent, both from IATSE and the Guild, have gleaned crucial information about your problems and priorities. This is your time to be heard. Make sure you’re receiving all of your CDG emails. So often we hear, “I’ve never received or heard anything about this!” We send emails, texts, and make phone calls, but if you disconnected your CDG emails to avoid promotions and FYC announcements, please re-engage and check your spam. Call the Guild if you need help with this. Also be sure to read the weekly “In the Know” newsletter emails.

With the lengthy strike behind us, we celebrated the holidays in full force at the Guild with over 300 in attendance. Thanks to Western Costume for sponsoring the festivities, and Lallier Champagne for bringing the bubbles. On February 21 we’ll come together again for our CDG Awards at the lovely and intimate NeueHouse on Sunset Boulevard. The breadth and depth of work we’re celebrating this season is impressive, eclectic, and inspiring. We look forward to embracing the artistry of all our nominees and colleagues. Please commend and congratulate all of our nominees when you see them. Our unity and support of each other is more important now than ever before.

Speaking of awards, please note: The second annual Children’s and Family Emmys (CAFE) were awarded in December. Many of our CDG members were nominated. We are proud to congratulate costume designer Judianna Makovsky for her win for TheGuardiansoftheGalaxyHolidaySpecial for Disney +.

Finally, I’m proud to announce the creation of the Eddie Marks Scholarship Fund. The scholarship will be awarded to one 892 or 705 member’s child seeking a career in the costume industry beginning 2025. Details to follow. Donations can be forwarded to the CDG for the “Eddie Marks Scholarship” to fund the endowment.

In solidarity, Terry

Ann Gordon

Terry Ann Gordon tgordon@cdgia.com

Photo: Kelly Serfoss

Dear Members,

As we embark on the new year, get ready to be inspired by the variety of topics in our upcoming issue, brilliantly curated by our very own Anna Wyckoff. From the cover to the articles, Anna has her eye on every detail. As a union, we strive to highlight our members and educate the reader on all aspects of costume design. Anna executes this mission brilliantly, and her herculean efforts need to be brought to light.

First, you’ll dive into the vibrant costume world of our 26th CDGA career achievement honoree, Francine Jamison-Tanchuck. Her latest work, The Color Purple , promises to captivate, taking us on a journey that traverses the depths of emotion and strength of the characters she costumes. We then travel to the period piece about the first Black U.S. Deputy Marshal, Bass Reeves. Once again, costumes silently narrate the tale of history. Shifting gears, our sartorial spotlight falls on the enduring charm of denim, which many have been obsessed with through the decades.

Finally, we bid our last goodbye to Shawna Trpcic, a costume designer extraordinaire who mastered the art of conveying the perfect visual narrative. Shawna, you will be dearly missed.

Within these pages, we celebrate costume design in every aspect. As a union, we honor and protect entertainment workers—our members. For the CDG, costume design and unionism are intertwined. Let us all remember that the paths we forge are for our future members. May we collectively contribute to creating a working environment that we are proud to see flourish.

In solidarity, Brigitta

Brigitta Romanov bromanav@cdgia.com

Romanov

Photo: Stephanie Romanov

Photographer Nicola Goode has a unique connection to the CDG as the niece of Adella Farmar, one of the first Black costume designers in Hollywood, whom the CDG posthumously inducted as a member. She is also close to one of Francine Jamison-Tanchuck’s dearest friends, Michelle Cole, Adella’s mentee. Her efforts on this cover represent a homecoming of sorts and an intersection of her professional life with family and friends. On this cover she captures the close bond between Francine and the stars, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, and Fantasia Barrino that developed on 2023’s TheColorPurple .

Based in Venice, California, Goode is a Los Angeles native whose

work includes documentary media and architectural installation. She holds an MFA from Otis College of Art and Design and a BFA from Yale University. She is a member of Local 600, the International Cinematographers Guild and the Society of Motion Picture Still Photographers. Goode has worked as a still photographer on numerous feature film and television productions. Some of her recent work includes Lucasfilm and recording Shawna Trpcic’s work on The Book of Boba Fett, TheMandalorian, and Ahsoka

Her work has been exhibited internationally and is in private collections.

COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARD NOMINEE

EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD TELEVISION

Amy Roberts

“O NE OF THE MOST WELL-MADE TV SHOWS IN THE MODERN ERA. THE LEVEL OF CRAFT IS IMPECCABLE.”

Bass Reeves : Forrest Goodluck as Billy Crow. David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves.

Lawmen:

Barry Pepper as Esau Pierce. Photos: Paramount

By Bonnie Nipar

Opening with stirrups jangling and cannons exploding, the Battle of Pea Ridge was the fight that forced the Confederacy to give up the West. Its authenticity is brilliant, but heartbreaking. “That scene nearly killed us,” says Isis Mussenden, costume designer for Lawmen: Bass Reeves. “It was a movie unto itself.” It is no wonder—with 300 Union and Confederate soldiers, 50 Confederate Cherokee soldiers, 129 stuntmen, and 80 horses on the first day of shooting.

From executive producers Taylor Sheridan, David Oyelowo, and Chad Feehan, it relates the untold story of the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshall west of the Mississippi River. Lead actor Oyelowo became obsessed with Reeves’ legendary life and bought the property rights to the frontier hero in 2014. He and writer/creator Feehan took it to 101 Studios, where Sheridan thought it was a good fit to stream on Paramount+. They filmed the eight-episode anthology series 40 miles outside Fort Worth at

Lawmen: Bass Reeves

: Lauren

E. Banks as Jennie Reeves. Demi Singleton as Sally Reeves. Dennis Quaid as Sherrill Lynn.

Photos: Paramount +

“terrific costume design”

“there’s an embarrassment of riches in the film’s aesthetic ”

“I never designed a Western before, so I had to start my research from scratch.“

Sheridan’s Silverado Ranch. At over 140 acres, unobstructed by modern buildings or wires, the expansive property was a perfect location to shoot the 1860s through 1870s, and it provided horses and wranglers.

Mussenden is a big believer in reading, not just looking at photographs. She also believes in using fellow costume designers as part of her team. “I never designed a Western before, so I had to start my research from scratch,” she reveals. “I began with the Civil War using Time-Life’s The Old West encyclopedia that I borrowed from my friend, costume designer Kimberly Adams. I hired costume designer Christine Cantella for three weeks to visit all the museums in Texas and take photos.” Additional research included combing through digital libraries.

With no cast other than Oyelowo and a short prep time, Mussenden and her assistant costume designers Amelia McKinney and Jacqueline Martinez rushed to build a stock of lawmen and bandits in general sizes. They needed 30 sets of jacket, vest, shirt, pant, and coat times four multiples to cover the actor, a stuntman, a hero that is never worn, and one for insurance. At

the end of the day, production extended from six to eight episodes and pushed two months, giving them time to build stock for all the day players. The volume of work necessitated construction at many different costume houses. The team also pulled every available period piece from rental houses for background.

Oyelowo’s costumes, or at least the hero and the one he wore, were custommade, including his hats and boots. Reeves entered the war as a body man, something like a valet, to his officer master. His waist-length Confederate coat indicated his enslavement. After his emancipation, Reeves begins as a poor farmer, mostly in vintage henleys with suspenders, then becomes comfortably wealthy, as lawmen were generously paid. Mussenden had fabric woven for him by Rabbit Goody at Thistle Hill Weavers, known for producing historically accurate fabrics. She used an abundance of textures in Reeves’ clothing and incorporated color whenever possible.

“She’s like an overdesigned chair, a style that was popular in the 1870s.“

Most of the lead actors’ costumes were made to order, including Sherrill Lynn (Dennis Quaid), who looks like a quintessential lawmen in a darkish suit and black tie, and “Hanging” Judge Parker (Donald Sutherland), who wore mostly judicial black punctuated with white shirts. Three prominent women are in the series. Reeves’ wife, Jennie (Lauren E. Banks), is tall and stunning, even when poor in simple cotton dresses, but is elegant and tastefully refined as her husband becomes more affluent. Daughter Sally (Demi

Singleton) dresses like a mini version of Jennie, evoking a mother-daughter bond, and Jennie’s cousin Esme (Joaquina Kalukango) is the complete antithesis. “She’s like an over-designed chair—a style that was popular in the 1870s,” quips Mussenden who relished the contrast of the two women.

The workroom spent weeks making beautiful garments, jewelry, and feathers for the Indigenous people. The script describes Billy Crow (Forrest

Goodluck) as a peacock. In his floral shirts, bright orange neck-scarf, and leather leg gaiters with horsehair toggles and trim down the sides, he’s her hipster. “I learned the power of silhouettes while designing animation,” notes Mussenden, “and used it when I selected a bowler hat for him.”

Mussenden was fascinated by the dichotomy between the Union soldiers, who wore regulation uniforms due to the North’s resources, and the ragtag Confederate Southern Theater in Arkansas, who were the poorest of the Civil War fighters. If you had a jacket and a kepi cap, you were a soldier. The rest of their uniform was personal or pieces taken from fallen soldiers. This allowed Mussenden

to make imaginative design choices, even mixing in some calico prints. She hired costume designer Harlan Glenn as her Civil War technical advisor, overseeing the procurement, dressing, and shooting of the war scenes. The down-and-dirty look was achieved by head ager/dyer Shel Bauman. “He was brilliant and took a lot of pride in his work,” says Mussenden. “On a Western, you just can’t spend enough money on aging. I was so proud of the amazing team of passionate people in all departments who made this story come to life. As David Oyelowo said, ‘Bass Reeves was an extraordinary man who lived an extraordinary life at an extraordinary time in American history.’”

Lawmen: Bass Reeves : Forrest Goodluck as Billy Crow. Lauren E. Banks as Jennie Reeves. Demi Singleton as Sally Reeves. Mo Brings Plenty as Minco Dodge. Photos: Paramount +

COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARDS NOMINATIONS

EXCELLENCE IN SCI-FI / FANTASY FILM

TRISH SUMMERVILLE

EXCELLENCE IN COSTUME ILLUSTRATION

OKSANA NEDAVNIAYA

COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARD NOMINEE

EXCELLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY FILM

APRIL NAPIER

“ A FASCINATING AND TWISTED SLICE OF THE

AMERICAN DREAM GONE SIDEWAYS.

EVERY SCENE IN MAY DECEMBER IS AN EXQUISITELY CONSTRUCTED PIECE OF CRAFTSMANSHIP.”

Jeans: singlehandedly unbuttoning decades of snooty, aspirational attire, California’s greatest export has been swathing bottoms for over a century, pairing sexy and cool with an irresistible egalitarian subtext.

Levi Strauss minted the original out of twill, but in 1873 his tailor, Jacob Davis, added rivets, which may as well have been hammered by Paul Bunyan, because the rest is a myth minted in America’s other greatest export—commercialism. Workwear aside, the world might not have fallen in love with jeans if Hollywood hadn’t doubled down and changed iconography forever, starting with the cowboy and ending with the rebel.

1920s Wild West shows starring Buffalo Bill, Will Rogers, Bill Pickett, and Tom Mix translated the romantic appeal of rodeo into film, dominating public imagination. Dude ranches became a fad where both men and women wore jeans, some for the first time, taking denim from labor to leisure.

Far from the range or the silver screen, jeans began to catch on in the ’50s when teenagers turned their noses up at adults and had the passive income to support their rebellion. Although The Wild One starring Marlon Brando had no credited costume designer, the uniform of blue jeans, a white T-shirt, the inky Schott Perfecto motorcycle jacket, and engineer boots launched an archetype. Two years later, Moss Mabry amplified the angst in CinemaScope when he overdyed all of James Dean’s looks and his Lee 101 Rider jeans in Rebel Without a Cause. When Travilla wasn’t festooning Marilyn in pleats, he slipped her into denim for RiverofNoReturn

Loathed by parents and banned by schools, denim’s popularity and spirit of rebellion became cemented into the American psyche. It was said that legendary costume designer Irene Sharaff added stretch to jeans in WestSideStory, which literally danced off the screen.

A slew of rock stars ditched the suit, starting with Elvis in Jailhouse Rock , The Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix, landing denim in the ’60s and ’70s, symbolizing different revolutions. From powerful civil rights activists who embraced their roots and stood in contrast to the starched establishment to the antiwar movement that shunned “respectable clothing” and took to high-waisted flares, denim became the language of protest. Even Warhol said he wanted to die with his jeans on.

In the late ’70s, Albert Wolsky used strong colors to underscore 1950s subcultures for Grease. To usher in the ’80s, Calvin Klein tantalized and scandalized the public when he had Brooke Shields utter the infamous tagline, “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” In a series of John Hughes films from The Breakfast Club to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Marilyn Vance captured the look of angsty teens starting with John Bender’s Levi Trucker jacket. In Thelma and Louise, Elizabeth McBride traded soft skirts and blouses for light washed jeans and muscle shirts to echo the eponymous duo’s bid for freedom. Betsy Heimann took the notion full circle when she remarked that “rock stars were more like cowboys of the West. They were explorers.” In Almost Famous, jeans were the ticket to be in the band.

We witness the power of denim everywhere we look—on the street, in high school hallways, and even offices. Jeans straddle the innocuous and cool, respectable and risqué, even a century and a half later. From Debra McGuire’s beloved Friends to the slick dark washed low-riders of Drive as imagined by Erin Benach, or the classic look of Top Gun: Maverick by Marlene Stewart, the synergy between denim, film, and television keeps minting icons embodied by a simple, accessible garment.

Career Achievement

The Color Purple : Colman

Domingo as Mister · Phylicia Pearl Mpasi as young Celie and Halle Bailey as young Nettie. Fantasia Barrino as Celie and Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery. Photos: Warner Bros. Pictures

“Costume design tells everything.“

By Fawnia Soo Hoo

“Costume design tells everything,” says 2023 Career Achievement Award honoree Francine Jamison-Tanchuck. “It’s what you see at first and just opens up the whole story.”

2023’s The Color Purple holds special personal resonance for Jamison-Tanchuck, who served as costume supervisor on the original 1985 version, directed by Steven Spielberg—who coproduced the recent adaptation with Oprah Winfrey. It was a homecoming of sorts, as she considers the movie’s costume designer, Aggie Rodgers, also a CDG Career Achievement Award honoree, a mentor.

Jamison-Tanchuck got her foot in the door in the ’70s through an apprenticeship program, leading to a full-time stock clerk job at Universal Studios under Vincent Dee. Working from the ground up, she met esteemed predecessors including Yvonne Wood, Donfeld, and Grady Hunt. She even joined Edith Head’s team on The Sting. “I had two satchels of vintage shoes, and my job was to try and change out shoes that were falling apart (to dress) the background,” she says with a laugh. “It was just horrendous with the rain, birds, and the cold. But what an experience to be around the legendary Edith Head!”

Jamison-Tanchuck found a network and support group with fellow trailblazers Ruth E. Carter, Michelle R. Cole, and Sharen Davis. After nearly five decades, with a staggering number of awards and nominations among

them, the four remain close. “We wanted to support one another because we are women, and also women of color,” says Jamison-Tanchuck. “Hopefully how we handled it helps others who are coming into the industry.” Additionally, her husband, Earl Tanchuck, serves as a key costumer on all of her shows, providing support and giving her more space to focus on the creative.

While paving the way for future generations, Jamison-Tanchuck helped create characters and stories that continue to impact greater culture-atlarge. In 1992, White Men Can’t Jump popularized colorful Venice Beach-style tank tops and cycling caps. In Boomerang, starring Eddie Murphy and Halle Berry, Jamison-Tanchuck exhibited the innovative fashion sensibilities of a Black-run Manhattan ad agency. “They had to be creative, and they had to be stylish, so why not with themselves?” says Jamison-Tanchuck, recalling outfitting Eartha Kitt in corsets and Grace Jones in avant-garde patent

leather. “The takeaway is that style and class know no color or creed. That’s the wall that has to be broken down.”

For the small screen, Jamison-Tanchuck also costume designed the 2002 pilot of David Simon’s HBO show The Wire, widely considered “the greatest TV series of the 21st century.” She helped establish iconic characters, including Dominic West’s Detective Jimmy McNulty and Idris Elba’s Russell “Stringer” Bell. Jamison-Tanchuck’s costumes encouraged the actors to organically inhabit their characters and to then evolve with compelling plotlines. “They were coming through with their own characteristics,” she says. “We should just let them be who they are.”

Jamison-Tanchuck’s extensive portfolio runs the gamut from comedy to the fantastical adventure thriller They Cloned Tyrone to historical drama, such as Regina King’s triple-Oscar-nominated One Night in Miami and Michael B. Jordan’s Just Mercy, about civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson. “Glory is still closest to my heart,” says the costume designer, about her second department head job

on the 1989 Civil War epic. The film, about the first all-Black regiment in the Union Army, won three Oscars, including Denzel Washington’s first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Working with Civil War reenactors, whose emphasis on accuracy rival that of any fandom, was a daunting prospect, but she won them over with her expertise. Her son, Michael, himself an Otis-Parsons Art Institute student, worked as an illustrator on the film. “It really did something to launch my career,” says Jamison-Tanchuck, “because Glory also catapulted me into the Costume Designers Guild.”

She recalls additional hurdles, like amassing troves of period uniforms and wardrobe on a small budget. “Many of the Bostonian costumes were either refurbished or repurposed things that were falling apart,” she says. But Jamison-Tanchuck treasures the experience, especially the collaboration with the entire filmmaking team and actors. She later reunited with Zwick and Washington for the 1996 Gulf War thriller Courage Under Fire and revisited Civil War-era costumes in 2016’s Birth of a Nation, based on the story of Nat Turner, who led an 1831 slave rebellion.

They

Cloned Tyrone

: Teyonah Parris as Yo-Yo. Jamie Foxx as Slick Charles.

Photos: Netflix Glory

: Denzel Washington as Private Silas Trip. Photos: TriStar Pictures

“The research was extensive.“

In Blitz Bazawule’s adaptation of the beloved musical The Color Purple, the near-50-year industry veteran has an expansive story to chronicle. Based on Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, the sweeping narrative covers four decades and two continents. “The research was extensive,” says Jamison-Tanchuck, who enthusiastically dove into library materials, Pinterest, and her own comprehensive archive to authentically portray 1909 into the 1940s.

At the start, 14-year-old Celie (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi) and her sister, Nettie (Halle Bailey), enjoy a rare carefree childhood moment in rural Georgia. Celie, who learned dressmaking from her late mother, wears a delicately ruffled but faded puff-sleeve dress, and a straw-hatted Nettie coordinates with intricate ruching and cutwork detailing.

To evoke springtime on the Southern coast, Bazawule envisioned a light pastel palette, exploding into the opening musical number. Jamison-Tanchuck wanted to communicate the practicality of Celie’s grueling day-to-day

routine and the limited resources, explaining, “A lot of those fabrics, like cotton and homespun textures, were the dry goods that came out of the general store.” Reuniting with head agerdyer Darren Manzari after Will Smith’s 1860s-set Emancipation, the duo demonstrated the small-town country terrain and socioeconomic constraints through distressed clothing, grimesoaked hemlines, and muddy, worn-in boots.

“We envisioned someone walking back and forth on a dirt road, dealing with shrubbery and the forest,” says Jamison-Tanchuck.

The costumes also illustrate the close bond between Celie and older Nettie, each serving as the other’s beacon of hope, while living with abusive father Alphonso (Deon Cole). “Nettie loved different outfits and dresses,” says Jamison-Tanchuck. “Celie found joy making those garments for her sister, as well as sewing things for herself.”

Celie’s creations illustrate how aspiring teacher Nettie shared her extensive learnings. “They would read and (venture) away into other worlds

The Color Purple : (Center) Danielle Brooks as Sofia and cast.

Photos: Warner Bros.

Pictures

looking at certain styles, like different collar shapes, indicative of that particular era,” says Jamison-Tanchuck. The costume design team ensured period authenticity by hand top-stitching the dresses, like Celie would have.

Celie is forced to marry Mister (Colman Domingo), whom Nettie calls “the Devil,” propelling the teenager into excruciatingly bleak years. “Her life was getting more and more complicated and abusive, so her somber clothing reflected that,” says Jamison-Tanchuck. She dressed adult Celie (Fantasia Barrino) in functional late-1910s dresses in muted grays and the occasional pastel blue. “She wouldn’t be in frilly and colorful things because she’s not really feeling that.” But Celie still expresses her connection with Nettie and her mother using subtle flourishes like contrasting Peter Pan collars and cuffs or light floral prints.

As 1922 hits, Celie’s style, like that of many of the townsfolk, remains in the previous decade. But then the pastor’s—and community’s—prodigal daughter, Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson), makes her splashy return. “She got out and saw places

that they would never see,” says JamisonTanchuck. “She wanted to bring that influence back to her town.” Sipping from a Prohibition eraflask, the glamorous blues singer arrives in full flapper gear—a chunky white fur-lined bolero over a low-cut, knee-length poppy red dress. Later, Shug dances at the local juke joint in a scarlet red crystal-encrusted and bead-fringed dress, topped with a spectacular feather headpiece. “Shug is a lot more flamboyant in her attitude, which reflects in her dress and everything about her,” says Jamison-Tanchuck. “But she also has a handle on what love truly is.”

Shug takes Celie under her arm, and influences her sartorially. “Celie’s garments begin getting brighter and more colorful,” says JamisonTanchuck. Shug even lends an elated Celie a black and gold-beaded flapper dress, with chic accessories, for the evening. “Even Fantasia, after wearing all these little cotton dresses, said, ‘Oh, I could wear this all the time.’”

The Color Purple : Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery.

Photos: Warner Bros. Pictures

Relishing another challenge and the chance to work with renowned choreographer Fatima Robinson, Jamison-Tanchuck specifically designed for the energetic dancing. She attended rehearsals to coordinate costumes with the dynamic movement, right down to the underwear for the juke joint bacchanalia sequence. “I love the idea of the ruffled bloomers from the ‘20s [exposed] when the dancers kick up their legs and fly off the tables,” says Jamison-Tanchuck. “We can have both creativity and stay in the period.” She also expertly hid stretchy gussets in Roaring Twenties wool trousers to avoid any incidents during the high kicks, zealous jumps, and spins.

In collaboration with Bazuwale’s friend, Sir Ozwald Boateng, Jamison-Tanchuck also interprets Celie’s active imagination as she reads Nettie’s evocative letters from West Africa. The GhanaianBritish fashion designer and bespoke tailor helped Jamison-Tanchuck source the vibrant Kente cloth hues and prints, which would be worn by royalty receiving missionaries upon the shore, but with a little creative leeway. “We went over the wonderful

fabrics and headdresses [over Zoom] that they would actually have worn at that time in that period,” says Jamison-Tanchuck. “But this is how Celie imagined they would have looked like.”

In the 1940s, Celie opens a dress shop in Alphonso’s old general store, taking control of her own narrative. For the showstopping Shug-red look, Jamison-Tanchuck based Celie’s trousers on authentic silhouettes with full legs and high waists. She depicted what Celie would have stocked in her store. “I recreated styles in fabrics that Shug was able to help Celie obtain,” she says. “They had access to a lot more influences and materials.” In discussions with Bazuwale, Jamison-Tanchuck developed the idea for Celie’s quick-change reveal into brilliant red sequin pants to further enhance her gleaming polka dot top and the moment. “We wanted her dress shop to just sparkle,” says Jamison-Tanchuck. “Celie has a new life, a new beginning. She’s like, ‘Look at me now! Who’s wearing the pants now?”

proudly welcomes its new CEO and President Gilbert

Moussally

By Stacy Ellen Rich

It’s been over a decade since The Hunger Games took the world by storm. Costume designer Trish Summerville has been at the lushly aesthetic helm since the second film. Throughout the films, she has created an impressive assemblage of garments and pieces to culminate in Mockingjay’s full capsule collection. The driving concept of the current line is to be absolutely fandriven at price points that are accessible so anyone can purchase at least one piece. Nothing is over $100 and there is talk of an affordable range from $39 up to $80.

The Lionsgate production for this grand collection was an enormous undertaking. Once again, the marketing maven and costume designer advocate Linda Kearns stepped in and recommended Laura Cantu Jewelry based in Monterrey, Mexico, which turned out to be a perfect match. Summerville had a specific take on how the film would be interpreted into the line. Eschewing big logos,

she preferred to make statements that give a nod to the essence of the characters. Art and graphics were implemented into home accoutrements, hoodies, T-shirts, joggers, and accessories. A sumptuous offering of genderless adornments features eight designs in charm bracelets, pendants, rings, and necklaces.

Summerville decided to imbue more color into the Districts, while the Capitol, Panem, is more controlled. At this point in the narrative, there have only been 10 years of the game, so the people of the Districts haven’t yet been so beaten down by the Capitol. There is a lot of joy in the ether as with Lucy Gray Baird and her band, the Covey.

The audience experiences the land that the population inhabits, as opposed to the austere vibe of the coal mine.

Digging into the treasure, one can shop a bevy of baubles. Two charm bracelets singularly in gold and in silver with enamel palettes. The Capitol, Academy, and Panem theme bracelet is in red, black, white, and blue colorways. The other is centered around Lucy Gray and District 12 in metal, black, and lavender. Each sports five charms. Both herald the Songbirds and Snakes crest, and outside of that are single charms. An Academy charm—a petite vial Morphling charm—is a bow to Dean Casca Highbottom, and a fave of Summerville’s.

The collection includes a pendant for the 10th games, a Capitol pendant, and dog tags that reference Sejanus Plinth and Coriolanus Snow when they’re in boot camp.

The charms for District 12 and Lucy Gray directly allude to this particular movie—a little guitar, a songbird, a snake, and the Songbirds and Snakes icon. These have a collectible aspect, as the backs of the charms are engraved with the Panem insignia and a couple pieces she envisions becoming a collectors’ items.

Summerville’s luxuriant design will attract ardent fans and folks who simply love the look.

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Lucy Gray

Launching the fantasy of the screen onto the runway, Bridgerton costume designer Lyn Paolo partnered with Allure Bridals, Shondaland, and Netflix to create a wedding collection that translates the hit show’s Regency romantic spirit into gowns that are modern and inclusive, from silhouette to price point.

The event was held in the Shakespeare Garden of the Huntington Library, which, taking a cue from the Bridgerverse, was festooned with lavish garlands of peonies and roses. Gilded Chiavari chairs lined the paths and guests were attired in Regency-inspired cocktail looks. A diverse group of brides modeled the collection. Inspired by Queen Charlotte, Paolo used layered fabrics that shimmered and glittered. The silhouettes were period-adjacent, elegant, and feminine, an aesthetic that will undoubtedly resonate with audiences.

Paolo’s lengthy collaboration with Shondaland dates back to the sold-out Scandal collection, and she credits Shonda Rhimes for being the ultimate collaborator who created the “A Seat at the Table” initiative. Bridgerton Wedding was “a joyous experience. I worked with Linda Kearns to broker the deal, marketing genius Sandie Bailey, and of course Shonda and the Shondaland marketing team, who all understand that what we bring is the authenticity of the shows.”

“It’s

the whole zeitgeist about this show,“ she says. “Finding that romance in your life. So when Shondaland reached out to say that they were considering a bridal line and that they wanted me to be a part of it, I was beyond excited.“

Sandie Bailey, Shonda Rhimes, Lyn Paolo and Katie Lowes

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By Gary V. Foss

“Her creativity brought this world to life.“

Costume designer Shawna Trpcic was a favorite of filmmakers and fans alike. When Trpcic needed to dress Inara Serra (Morena Baccarin) for a fancy sci-fi ball in Firefly, she took her own wedding dress, cut the back to fit the actor, and shot the scene. Her efforts became part of the show’s mystique for sci-fi fans. When she attended the Browncoats Convention and later Star Warsconventions, she’d pose with fans wearing their versions of her costumes. She would often judge cosplay competitions, completing the circle from designer to audience.

Born in Artesia, California, Trpcic planned on becoming a truck driver until an influential art teacher, Gene Gill, encouraged her to indulge her creative side. She attended Otis College of Art and Design for fashion, and during her senior year, she worked on Bob Mackie’s team. Costume design for her “was like creating fine art for the body because you’re creating this dimensional character, and I was hooked immediately.” After Otis, Shawna got her start illustrating for Albert Wolsky on the Oscar-winning film Bugsy and then became his assistant on Barry Levinson’s film Toys. She was soon designing films, including The Cabin in the Woods and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, along with many television shows. Trpcic would often add a pink flamingo to her costumes, considering it a personal signature.

She was ACD to Jill Ohanneson for the pilot of Firefly then took over the show. When a Firefly fan who worked at Skywalker Ranch, Lynn Bartsch, gave her a tour she met George Lucas. Things came full circle again when the opportunity came up to design Star Wars projects The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian, and most recently Ahsoka.

Her collaborators have effusive praise for her imagination, inspiration,

Photos: Courtesy of the Trpcic Family

Shawna will be dearly missed by her family, friends, and collaborators. She is remembered by her mother Rana and her two children, Joseph and Sarah Trpcic.

and dedication. “Shawna had a deep love and appreciation for Star Wars,” says producer Dave Filoni. “You can see that in every piece of work she did with us. She loved everything about being a part of these stories, including connecting with fans and being a part of that community. Her costumes tell a story, providing the suggestion of a life experience that happened before the cameras rolled.”

“Dear Shawna’s remarkable talent was fierce and boundless,” says Rosario Dawson of her work on Ahsoka. “Her style, creativity, forethought, attention to detail, vision, and care were legendary, expert and exquisite. Her love of the craft was palpable in every invisible stitch. Colaborating with her was an absolute dream. Her indefatigable joy and dedication made us all better.” Trpcic’s collaboration with actors is probably best summed up by Jennifer Beals who played Garsa Fwip in BookofBobaFett. “Early in the process, we talked about meditation and dreams. Oftentimes, we acknowledge our characters found their way into these places. Shawna encouraged me to bring in anything that had come up through meditation or in my dream life for Garsa. And I did. Then as I was being fitted for Garsa’s final gown, Shawna showed me how she had embroidered the symbols that had arrived in dreamtime into the fabric. I was stunned by the beauty of the embroidery work and by her artistic generosity.”

Firefly

: Mor ena Baccarin as Inara Serra. Jewel Staite as Kaylee Frye. Nathan Fillion as Malcolm Reynolds. Gina Torres as Zoë Washburne. Adam Baldwin as Jayne Cobb. Alan Tudyk as Hoban ‘Wash’ Washburne.

Photos: 20th Century Fox Television

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