Ink and Paint

The year is 1938. Walt Disney premieres his first full-length animation, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” to raving reviews. There is a red-carpet turnout, complete with Mickey Mouse and even the Seven Dwarfs. Yet, the film, in full technicolor, could not have been possible without the hard work of the Ink & Paint department. The only department that featured women at the time, the employees of the Ink & Paint department were the people who brought the animations to life. They dutifully drew the lines and carefully

selected the colors. They are the reason that Snow White’s dress has that perfect blend of crisp apple red, sunshine yellow and royal blue.

Although the Ink & Paint department does not exist today, the women there pioneered the style that we as viewers have come to associate with a Disney animated film. Whether a Walt Disney Animation film or a Pixar Animation film, the company focuses heavily on forming a cohesive aesthetic. One way in which their films create this aesthetic is through the design of their characters, namely the costume design. ►

101It’s almost impossible to think of Disney without Belle’s yellow dress as she walks down the stairs to meet Beast, or Cinderella’s ball gown as she flees back to her pumpkin carriage. The clothing choices these animators make are what bring Disney stories to life and give the characters personality. For example, the specific decision to make Russell’s shirt yellow in Pixar’s “UP” gives him a childlike innocence reminiscent of a sunflower. Even the design of his slightly disheveled ankle socks add to his sense of wonder and draw to adventure. In contrast, a character like Maleficent, the villain in Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty,” is purely characterized by her outfit. A dark purple and black ensemble, complete with a cape, contrasts with her green skin in order to create a ghostly and villainous look. However, ironically, the royal purple that Maleficent wears represents the exact title that she wishes to hold but does not: royalty. These clothes fit the personality of a character but also add to them, giving us insight to a person before they even speak on screen.

Since wardrobe and hair is so important to a character, Disney’s animation department spends years to ensure that a character’s design is correct. For example, in “Brave,” Merida’s wildly red hair took almost three entire years to correctly design and put into practice. However, sometimes the character’s personality changes over the course of these years, causing the costumes to change as well. In “Zootopia,” Nick Wilde, a hustling fox that eventually sees the light, wears a light green Hawaiian-style button-down, shorts, and a loose necktie. However, long before the film was finalized, Nick’s backstory included his inheritance of his father’s

tailor shop. The Hawaiian shirt we see in theatres turned into a full-blown, completely tailored suit, because Nick’s appreciation for such an item of clothing stemmed from his then-personality.

“Inside Out” is a prime example of how personality is embodied in costume design. Each of the main emotions in the film is represented by a color: Joy is yellow, Sadness is blue, Disgust is green, Fear is purple and Anger is red. Yet, the animators for this film did not stop there. Joy’s dress, although yellow, features little blue flowers with petals that look more like exclamation points. Before we learn anything about Joy, we see this dress and, as the story progresses, the flowers begin to make sense. Joy is an exclamation point; a crescendo at the end of a sentence. She is happiness but she is also energy, sometimes too much so, to the point where Sadness is later affected by her over-exuberance.

In contrast, Pixar’s “The Incredibles” brings real-life fashion into a world of superheroes. Edna Mode, Disney/Pixar’s resident queen of fashion, creates super suits that are not only good for fighting Syndrome but also quite fashionable as well. She is one of Disney/Pixar’s first characters to have a stake in the fashion world. Her blunt bob, giant, Harry Potter-style glasses and love of black and white all add to her personality but also give Edna a shape. While personality is shown in these pieces, the clothing of “The Incredibles” almost breathes a life of their own, or rather, sees a collection of clothing put together by Ms. Mode that seems as though it should be walking the runways in real life.

103104However, “Frozen” is the epitome of Disney’s love of putting a character’s personality into their costumes. Both the brighter, primary colors of Anna’s coronation dress and her winter wear embody the princess’ colorful spirit. Similarly, Elsa’s magical transformation from a dark navy, deep turquoise and plum coronation dress to a sparkling, bright blue evening gown represents her newfound feeling of freedom. Even Hans’ costume creates a sense of irony when his true nature is revealed. The primness of his suit makes his prince charming vibe seem almost sinister and calculated instead of magical.

The characters of “Frozen” have also inspired a wave of design beyond the animated world. Disney took on the role of “Project Runway” last year and offered Otis College of Art and Design students a chance to design a small collection based on the design found in “Frozen.” The winning designers saw an item or two from their collection on Nineteenth Amendment, a designer-direct fashion house, bringing the designs of animation to both the real and high fashion world.

Additionally, a new wave of designers is bringing Disney’s high fashion to everyday life. Small shops found across social media are using the designs animators put forth to inspire their own creations. For example, customized Mickey ears to wear to Disney theme parks are made by many small shops and feature the zig-zag bodice and light pink coloring of Rapunzel’s dress in “Tangled.”

Disney has been known to partner with high fashion names in order to cross-promote their films. Most recently, at the Paolo Sebastian Spring/Summer 2018 show, a Disney-inspired couture collection walked down the runway featuring looks influenced by Disney’s most popular films, such as “The Little Mermaid” and “Pinocchio.” Many of the dresses featured the films’ most popular quotes. For example, in the Blue Fairy’s look, the words “when you wish upon a star” were written. Similarly, Disney partnered with Kenzo to create a “Jungle Book” line that was slightly more affordable and more everyday-wear, featuring items such as T-shirts and sweatshirts. However, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” constantly makes an appearance wherever Disney is concerned. Most recently, in celebration of its 80th birthday, Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City decorated its windows for Christmas to celebrate the classic film, featuring looks by prominent designers like Monique Lhuillier. While the Ink and Paint department has disappeared, their legacy and their careful design of Snow White have made it easy for designers to translate the film’s style into wearable clothing.

The year is 2018. As we near the premieres of “Incredibles 2” and “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck it Ralph 2,” Disney’s aesthetic continues, its line-up of iconic costumes grows, and we will see more animation history in the making. The beauty of animation comes from its imitation of real life. The exciting part, though, is that we are beginning to find a little inspiration in Disney’s ink and paint.