Revisit the island of New Penzance and the summer of 1965 and consider...

B E S T P IC T U RE
B E S T C OS T UM E DE SIGN
KASIA WALICKA MAIMONE

WINNER
5BEST PICTURE
SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS
INCLUDING

BEST PICTURE
GOTHAM AWARDS

“WONDROUSLY BEAUTIFUL. MADE WITH

EXTRAORDINARY DETAIL, CARE AND LOVE.”
Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

“SPECTACULAR COSTUMES. RAPTUROUS.”

Andrew O’Hehir, Salon.com

Directed by Wes Anderson

Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola

For more on the artistry and acclaim on this film go to www.FocusGuilds2012.com

 vol. 8, issue 4

26 28 18

FEATURES
Pin, Post, or Tweet:
Finding Inspiration Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
From Archive to Screen:
Conversations About Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Hollywood Costume at the V&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Costume Design for the Historical Figure . . . . . . . . . . . 28

CDG Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD

11969 Ventura Blvd., First Floor
Studio City, CA 91604
DEPARTMENTS
phone: 818.752.2400 fax: 818.752.2402 Editor’s Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
costumedesignersguild.com
GENERAL CDG CORRESPONDENCE Union Label. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
[email protected] President’s Letter
Executive Director
COVER
Historical Figures in Recent Films Labor Report
Designed by Our Guild Members
Clockwise from left: Elizabeth: The Golden The Costume Department. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Age, The Social Network, W.E., Lincoln, History of Dress
Julia & Julia, J. Edgar, Ray, Liz & Dick,
Hitchcock, Temple Grandin, Marie Antoinette.
For details, see page 9.
In Focus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Boldface Names
Features credits: The Wizard of Oz MGM/The
Kobal Collection. Lincoln © 2012 DreamWorks On Location: New Orleans
II Distribution Co. LLC and Twentieth Century What’s On What’s In
Fox Film Corporation. Photo: David James.
All Rights Reserved. CD Jacqueline West
Inspiration Board Argo
Scrapbook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 3

EDITOR’S NOTE

When I had the honor of interviewing several of our Guild mem-

bers to discuss Costume Design for the historical figure, I found
myself in awe of the scope of their vision.
One chose to depict the space between a character and his
clothes, while another fashioned a black suit as the unmistakable
signature of one man and also as a “portal” to his inner darkness.
One used obstacles as assets, and another strove to tell a story of
baroque excess without caricature.
The breadth of the research, the quality of the observation costumedesignersguild.com
coupled with the consummate skill to see this vision through in
EDITOR-AT-LARGE
three dimensions, this is Costume Designer as psychologist, sociologist, and detec- Anna Wyckoff
tive. This is bravura Costume Design. ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Bonnie Nipar
Apparently, I’m not the only one impressed, as the Hollywood Costume exhibit Christine Cover Ferro
at the Victoria and Albert Museum has received a flood of praise. Three of our PRESIDENT
members give us a firsthand account—I’m sure you’ll be tempted to book a ticket Mary Rose
[email protected]
to London. VICE PRESIDENT
In this issue, CD Alonzo Wilson of Treme fame gives us a charming cheat sheet Van Broughton Ramsey
[email protected]
of his New Orleans. Thank you, Alonzo. Also, we have some new faces, like ACD
SECRETARY
Rebecca Raleigh who was kind enough to contribute a piece on online inspiration. Terry Gordon
[email protected]
One thought which surfaced through many of my interviews was how many of
TREASURER
you love to get up, go to work, and tackle this job. When the public thinks of Costume Marilyn Matthews
[email protected]
Design, they see it through the fog of glamour. And there is glamour, absolutely. And
EXECUTIVE BOARD
grit, but it is created on a budget and against a ticking clock. It is a testament to the skill Salvador Perez
of our membership and its passion that costumes can be so powerful. [email protected]
Cliff Chally
[email protected]
Julie Weiss
Anna Wyckoff [email protected]
[email protected] April Ferry
[email protected]
Brigitta Romanov (ACD)
[email protected]
Felipe Sanchez (ILL)
[email protected]

“
BOARD ALTERNATES
The most interesting challenge when Mark Bridges
[email protected]
Susan Nininger
researching the lives of the Duke and [email protected]
Ken Van Duyne
Duchess of Windsor—which was the same [email protected]
Mona May
task when researching Johnny Cash and [email protected]

June Carter or Larry Flynt—is the private BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Peter Flaherty
persona. I found records documenting their [email protected]
Jacqueline Saint Anne
[email protected]
work or their public lives readily available. Karyn Wagner
[email protected]
Finding out who they were when they were EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Rachael M. Stanley
home, in their private time, amongst their [email protected]
families and friends, is the most difficult to Member services ADMINISTRATor
Suzanne Huntington
research. Interpreting their essence, the [email protected]
RECEPTIONIST/SECRETARY
‘quiet’ of what made them who they were, Cheryl Marshall
[email protected]
underscores the historical or public figure
we all think we know.
”
PUBLISHER
IngleDodd Publishing

–Arianne Phillips ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Dan Dodd 310.207.4410 x236
[email protected]

4 The Costume Designer Fall 2012

 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS
RO G E R E B E RT G A RY T H O M P S O N MICHAEL PHILLIPS

CHRISTY LEMIRE

REX REED RICHARD CORLISS

L I S A S C H WA R Z B AU M

P E T E R T R AV E R S
 CONTRIBUTORS

What inspired you to become involved

with Costume Design?

Marcy Froehlich Rebecca Raleigh Suzanne Huntington

(History of Dress, Text) (Pin, Post, or Tweet, Finding (Boldface Names)
Costume Design magically combines all Inspiration Online, Gift Guide) While not a Costume Designer, I have
of my interests in storytelling, history, I had a severe back deformity as an ado- an education in fine arts, a myriad of
fabric, design, drawing, music and dance. lescent. My mother used clothing to cam- other creative pursuits, and a penchant
It allows me to indulge in the thrill of the ouflage my flaws, a disguise for normal- for clothing! The revelation of a character
hunt (for the perfect button or blouse) but cy. The art of using clothing for change or personality spoken through a visual
with someone else’s money! inspired me to find a career where I could means, be it color, style, or patterns, is so
use clothes to tell a story. interesting to me. I’ve always been natu-
rally motivated by visual expression, so
being surrounded by it as I am, feels like
home to me.

Robin Richesson
(History of Dress, Illustration) Bonnie Nipar
A love of clothing, drawing, and the mov- (What’s On What’s In, On Location)
ies. Probably in that order. As a young teenager growing up in
Pittsburgh, I rushed home from school Christine Cover Ferro
to watch The Early Show, which aired (From Archive to Screen, Gift Guide)
old ’30s and ’40s films just prior to din- My undergrad’s theatre department had
nertime. I especially loved the costume a yearly meet & greet/workday early in
extravaganza musicals and old comedies the first semester. I may have been the
like It Happened One Night, Bringing only freshman that sewed, resulting in
Up Baby, and The Thin Man series. So my prompt recruitment into the costume
while my peers were learning the new shop. It felt like home and would eventu-
dances from Bandstand, I was learning ally become the first place any and every-
period clothing! I still have paper dolls one called when trying to find me.
I made of Greta Garbo’s Anna Karenina
when I was 12.

Stacy Ellen Rich

(Boldface Names)
I saw the film Amadeus when it opened
in 1984. I was 14 years of age. I said to
myself,“I want to be a Costume Designer.”

Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 7

F O R Y O U R C O N S I D E R A T I O N

BEST PICTURE
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
LINDY HEMMING

“THIS IS A MOVIE THAT SHOULD BE CELEBRATED

BY ALL WHO LOVE MOVIES, PERIOD.”
S C O T T F O U N D A S,

W W W . WA R N E R B R O S 2 0 1 2 . C O M
 union label
PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

On Wednesday, October 10, trying to beat the heat before the sun rose, I went out to pick up newspapers
in the front yard. As always, the L.A. Times was in my flowerbed and the Daily News was late. My hus-
band and I have a deal when that happens: I get the Calendar and Food sections. As newspaper readers
know, the Wednesday Calendar doesn’t offer much. Looking for something else, a photo of Ben Affleck
behind the camera and a large caption caught my attention in the Business section: “L.A. GETS CAST AS
TEHRAN IN ARGO.” Most of the period drama set in 1970s Iran was filmed locally. I, of course,
read every word of this astounding article, never mind that my eggs were getting cold. Most of the period
drama set during the Iran revolution was filmed ... in our own San Fernando Valley. What a surprise!!!
By now many have seen the film, but may not know that it was shot in the Valley. To tell it all, there is
not enough space, but I feel the need to tell some of it.
Affleck and his crew faced their own daunting challenges on how to film a period drama set in 1979
Iran, mainly in Los Angeles, for about $40 million. Chris Baugh, the imaginative locations manager, worked
magic by finding a Veterans Affairs medical building in North Hills that was remarkably similar to the U.S.
Embassy where Tehrani students demonstrated and stormed the Embassy 7,000 miles away. The building
was one of several locations that enabled the Argo production to film primarily in the L.A. area during the
summer of 2011, with the help of a $6.4 million California film tax credit (thanks to Jerry Brown) and 800
local Iranian-American extras who were bussed in from Beverly Hills and other locations, also courtesy of
Baugh’s ingenuity. I almost wanted send a thank-you letter to Affleck for the positive effect it had on us.
Meanwhile, on the small screen, HBO’s Hemingway & Gellhorn garnered 12 nominations at the
last Emmy Awards, with Costume Design by our own Ruth Myers among them. Other well-deserved nods went to director
Philip Kaufman, stars Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman. That it was shot in San Francisco and Northern California is amazing
enough for a story set in early 20th-century Florida, Cuba, and Paris. You wonder how the production team managed. I can
only guess that the film tax credit incentive might have had something to do with it. Whether it did or not, thanks to Jerry
Brown for extending it for another year.
Let’s all hope there will be more directors and producers alike who value good films and television shows being made
over easy profits. Give us projects we can be proud of.
We’ll endure budget cuts and shorter prep times if we can
work on things that give us pride and enable us to use our We appreciate the ongoing
creative juices... support of our corporate sponsors

Diamond Level
With love and affection,
Mary Rose
[email protected]

­­
Sapphire Level

COVER PHOTO CREDITS

Historical Figures in Recent Films Designed by Our Guild Members

Clockwise from left: Elizabeth: The Golden Age CD Alexandra Byrne © 2012
Universal Studios. The Social Network CD Jacqueline West © 2010 Columbia
Pictures Industries, Inc. and Beverly Blvd LLC. Courtesy of Columbia Pictures.
W.E. CD Arianne Phillips, The Weinstein Co., Photo: Anthony Souza © 2011
Duke and Duchess, LLC. Lincoln CD Joanna Johnston © 2012 DreamWorks II
Distribution Co. LLC and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Julia & Julia ruby level
CD Ann Roth © 2009 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. Courtesy of Columbia
Pictures. J. Edgar CD Deborah Hopper, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo:
Keith Bernstein. Ray CD Sharen Davis © 2012 Universal Studios. Liz & Dick CD
Salvador Perez Lifetime. © 2012 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Hitchcock CD
Julie Weiss © Fox Searchlight Pictures. Temple Grandin CD Cindy Evans © Van
Redin/HBO. Marie Antoinette CD Milena Canonero © 2006 I Want Candy, LLC.
Courtesy of Columbia Pictures. (All Photos: All Rights Reserved)

Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 9

 union label
executive director

Dear Members,

Fall is supposed to be a time when we begin to slow our schedules and get ready to hunker down for the
winter, but that is just not the case with the Costume Designers Guild. We seem to be busier than ever
here at the CDG with a welcome surge in work. The industry went into high gear this year for pilot season
last spring, and it hasn’t slowed since. The downside is that most of the work is being done outside of
Hollywood.
On the upside, we are busy with new projects and changes here at the Guild to help accommodate our
on location members. Your Executive Board recently voted to investigate putting parts of our CDG library
online. An outside firm will assess our library collection so that we can begin the process. With the new
digitized resource, members will be able to access the library from wherever they are working. This will be
a long, ongoing project, but I know our members will find it valuable once it is completed. We also have just
completed the final additions to the website which enable our members to access the office at all hours of
the day and night. When members log in to the members only area, they are able to update their personal
information such as address and phone. They can also report work, put themselves on the availability list,
add sketches to their gallery, or update their resume—whether they are in Asia, Europe or the USA, since the
Internet is always open. They can check out the CDG magazine, The Costume Designer, and CDG Newsletter,
or leave messages on the bulletin board. Our website has a pick of the week that keeps members up on other
designer’s work, as well as feature articles and design details about our craft. Go online now and familiarize
yourself with the website. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with what you find.
I love this time of year and as we head into the many varied holidays, I wish you peace in your life and
joy in your heart.

In Solidarity,
Rachael Stanley
[email protected]

2012–2013 CALENDAR
December
8 CDG Holiday Party

January
7 Executive Board Meeting

February
4 Executive Board Meeting
17 CDG Award Nominees
Announced
19 CDG Awards Event

CDG Holiday Office Hours

Closed Monday, December 24
Closed Tuesday, December 25
Open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wed., Dec. 26,
Thu., Dec. 27, Fri., Dec. 28
Closed December 31
Closed January 1

10 The Costume Designer Fall 2012

BEST PICTURE
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN ALL CATEGORIES INCLUDING

BEST COSTUME DESIGN JACQUELINE DURRAN

“THE COSTUMES PULSATE

WITH FEELING. SUBLIME.
A passionate rendering of
Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece.”
A.O. SCOTT, THE NEW YORK TIMES

“AN INSTANT OSCAR®

CONTENDER FOR
BEST COSTUME.”
PETE HAMMOND, DEADLINE

FOR MORE ON THE ARTISTRY AND ACCLAIM ON

THIS FILM GO TO WWW.FOCUSGUILDS2012.COM
F O R Y O U R C O N S I D E R A T I O N

B E S T P I C T U R E
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
JACQUELINE WEST

“ARGO IS A TRIUMPH. A MOVIE THAT DEFINES PERFECTION.

EACH PIECE FITS SEAMLESSLY AND EVERY DETAIL WORKS.
EXEMPLARY AND METICULOUSLY DETAILED.
IT IS A GREAT FILM.”
REX REED,

WWW.WARNERBROS2012.COM
 union label
LABOR REPORT

COSTUME CO-OP
Custom made and Alterations for
the Entertainment Industry
The American people
have spoken and today
each of us will move
forward to do the
work that gives our
life value and affects
the lives of others.
Thank you
Costume Designers
Guild volunteers who gave time and
voice to a security threat directed toward
middle-class families in California. CDG
volunteers fought the information war
of the deceptive Proposition 32, funded

om
by a few billionaires, some from outside
our state. Prop 32, the Special Exemption
Act, was an attempt to silence the voice costumeco-op.c
of everyday people like you and me. We
faced the threat to our values, and collec- 11501 N. Chandler Blvd.,
tively we stood united, invested and com- North Hollywood, CA 91601
mitted to our families, communities, and
Tel: 818 752-7522 • Fax: 818 752-7524
students who are working hard to get the
education they need in order to succeed [email protected]
in the 21st century. Our collective financial
resources educated voters about Prop 32’s
false promise to take money out of politics.
We thank our IATSE-elected leader-
ship for their well-targeted early action
and steady handling in order to educate
our membership and get the truth out
to voters. IATSE International President
Matthew Loeb, West Coast office rep-
resentative Mike Miller and staff, busi-
ness administrators, and E-boards of every
Local in the IATSE stepped up by giving
financial support as well as personal time
to phone-bank, walk precincts, and get
the vote out on election day. Thousands
of IATSE volunteer hours went into the
greatest effort ever to preserve our collec-
tive bargaining rights.
When you pay your Local dues,
remember the threat posed by Prop 32.
Though we are labeled “big labor,” we are
simply looking out for all 30 million work-
ing people in California who continue
today to have a voice in California politics.
This is what democracy looks like,
sisters and brothers.

In Solidarity,
Betty Madden
[email protected]

CDG_CostumeDesignAd_4.indd 1 11/21/12 6:00 PM

Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 13
THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT

History Of Dress 1860–1870

Chemisette: A small chemise or dickey than back. Worn by both the Union and Confederate
that is visible above the neckline of a dress. armies, the style remained in use as a work hat after the
Civil War ended.
Chignon: A women’s coiffure
that features the hair pulled back O.N.T.: “Our New Thread” devel-
into a large bun at the nape. Often oped in 1866 by J.P. Coats &
supplemented by braided and Clark; a six-cord thread that had
coiled false hair, by day it was the nap burned off in the finishing
usually covered by a hairnet or process. It was the first thread that
snood. The style started low worked well with sewing machines.
on the neck during the
early part of the decade Pagoda Sleeve: A bell-shaped
and eventually moved sleeve, narrow at the shoulder, usually
higher on the head. 3/4 length, and longer in the back.
It was inspired by formal Chinese
G a r i b a l d i costume; thus the name.
Shirt: A blouse with
drop shoulders, full sleeves Sack coat: The short hip-length jack-
gathered into cuffs, and a full body pleat- et that had previously been worn by
ed into the neck, buttoning center workmen or boys that became popular
front. Often made of red wool and in this period for casual wear. Often
worn tucked into the skirt, it was accompanied by a matching vest, it was
copied from an Italian soldier’s first looser and usually constructed of
shirt, and named for their war rougher fabrics; later it became
hero, Giuseppe Garibaldi. more closely fitted and refined.

Jet: A shiny black gem- Sideburns: Male facial

stone derived from fossilized hair that extends from the
wood and often used in mourn- ear down the cheek, but not
ing jewelry. Queen Victoria popularized it across the chin. Named for Civil
after her husband Albert died in 1861. War General Ambrose Burnside.

Kepi: A military cap with a front brim Dundrearies: Long, bushy

and a small crown that was shorter in front sideburns popularized by the
character Lord Dundreary from a
British play.

Stovepipe hat: A tall top

hat (around 8”) whose cylindri-
cal proportions resembled the
chimneys of Industrial Revolution
factories. President Abraham Lincoln
made this style iconic.

Illustrations by Robin Richesson

[email protected]
Text by Marcy Froehlich
[email protected]

14 The Costume Designer Fall 2012

 F O R Y O U R C O N S I D E R A T I O N

BEST PICTURE
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
KYM BARRETT
PIERRE-YVES GAYRAUD

“AN ORIGINAL VISION. CLOUD ATLAS IS A KALEIDOSCOPE,

THE DESIGN OF WHAT YOU’RE SEEING IS HYPNOTIC,
AND IT WIRES YOU INTO THE FILM.”
O WEN G LEIBERMAN ,

F O R S C R E E N I N G I N F O R M AT I O N , P L E A S E V I S I T W W W . WA R N E R B R O S 2 0 1 2 . C O M
Pin, Post, or Tweet: By Rebecca Raleigh

Finding
Inspiration
Online
In just a few short years, the online community has
transformed from a series of basic bulletin boards into
complex social networks.
Social media has now morphed into a method of strategic market-
ing for both companies and individuals, and has exponentially increased
the amount of publicly shared information. In our world, online outlets
are not only a platform for marketing the profession of costume design,
they are also a place for the costume family to connect.
Sites ask users to “share,” “like,” and “pin,” swirling the mind into a
tizzy, landing many users somewhere between overwhelmed, and over
it. But numerous websites combine exciting images and ideas which

>
whet the appetite for inspiration and interaction.

Pinterest connects individuals through

imagery they find intriguing.
An online corkboard to share or “pin” elements that inspire you,
Pinterest is a scrapbook of inspiration—from that haunting Kara Walker
silhouette or a serene view of a Le Nôtre garden—available for other
users to “like,” and “re-pin.” This virtual affirmation adds your photo to
an admirer’s collection. As your Pinterest board gains followers (and

>
you follow others), a silent dialogue of shared imagery ensues.

Instagram is a cell phone application which uses

streams of photographs to encourage interaction.
Using Instagram is easy: simply upload a photo into the Instagram
app, apply one of 18 filters for a professional look, and post. Instagram
encourages an eclectic array of users—from the design student in Paris
to a physician in Cape Town—to see your photograph instantly, “like

>
it,” and respond with a comment.

Twitter enables users to express themselves in short

140-character texts called “tweets.”
A constantly updating ticker tape that keeps you informed of cur-
rent affairs minute to minute, Twitter has also evolved into a soapbox
site where users share thoughts on topics ranging from politics to
fashion, and spirituality. These opinions create a dialogue between the
user, the subject, and the “followers” who read the tweets. Celebrities,
brands, and publications such as The New York Times and Women’s
Wear Daily tweet constantly, as does our very own CDG (@local892),
keeping followers up to date with thoughts like “CD Lindy Hemming is
currently in Wales celebrating the 50th anniversary of the James Bond

>
franchise.”

Facebook is the classic social networking site to

connect with friends, family, and colleagues.
By now we all are familiar with Facebook. But the application can
be used for more than just socializing. Groups have been created to
support industries and their workers. Need a job? Looking for an assis-
tant? From research to a recommendation for stain removal, Facebook
is an invaluable resource for our community. The Costume Connection,
I Need a Producer, and I Need a Production Team are all Facebook
groups that update daily.

16 The Costume Designer Fall 2012

F O R Y O U R C O N S I D E R A T I O N
BEST PICTURE
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
ANN MASKREY
R I C H A R D TAY L O R
BOB BUCK

W W W . WA R N E R B R O S 2 0 1 2 . C O M Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 17

18 The Costume Designer Fall 2012
 From Archive to Screen:
Conversations
About
Research By Christine Cover Ferro

In a 1995 interview with Wired magazine, Steve Jobs

likened creativity to a game of connect-the-dots, with
truly innovative design happening when the dots are
culled from the far, the wide, and the unexpected. “The
broader one’s understanding of the human experience,
the better design we will have,” said Jobs. Carrying this
principle over to costume research takes the designer
beyond putting actors in appropriate clothes and makes
it possible to depict intricate and vivid visual stories.
Costume Designers George L. Little (Zero Dark
Thirty, The Hurt Locker), Jacqueline West (Argo, The
Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Delphine White
(Copper, Breakout Kings) took some time to talk about
how they go about acquiring their arsenals of dots.
It is a rare project that doesn’t require some man-
ner of research. Aspects of a script will often be
removed from the day-to-day world of both the design-
er and the audience. Thorough knowledge of the sil-
houettes, frills and general style of a previous century
is a crucial step to transporting the audience back in
time. Understanding the traditions and resources of
a culture on the other side of the world can make all
the difference in respectfully and accurately depicting
its people. Contemporary subsets of people like mili-
tary branches, immigrant communities, and hipsters
might be superficially familiar and the stuff of count-
less tropes, but they all have their own set of rules,
customs and seemingly impenetrable details. Good
research arms the designer with the nuances and tex-
ture that imbue a specific world with a life of its own

Research board for Argo. In preparation for

the film, the sci-fi films of the time and their
crews were among the worlds West and her
team delved into.

Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 19

and, in so doing, helps the audience better under- by these ladies, discreetly following them as they shopped and
taking note of the colors and styles of clothing that they chose.
stand the lives of the characters.
During preparation for Argo, West’s conversations with
Little summarizes the simple, if exhaustively members of the Iranian expatriate community were instrumental
time and labor-intensive research process: “You’ve in fully comprehending what life in 1979–1980 Tehran was like.
got a subject, and you go everywhere you possibly In addition, she had the opportunity to speak with Antonio J.
can, whether it’s a personal connection or through Mendez (engineer of the rescue mission), who, aside from being
libraries, newspapers, and magazines.” the person best suited to give the “Word of God” account of the
experience, has kept many of the clothes he wore during the
mission and lent them to West for the course of the production.
Going Directly to the Source With lengthy experience on military projects, Little is
Witnesses no stranger to collaborating with technical consultants. Their
When telling a recent or current story, designers may often have authority proves ideal in shaping a realistic world, while raising
the luxury of access to people who were present for the events in a unique challenge. As with any human experience, key details
question. They can always be counted upon to remember details vary significantly based on the source’s own story: where, when,
that, while often insignificant to historians, add that bit of some- or under whom he or she served. Speaking to sources other than
thing that makes the story personal. those used by a director or other teams is likely to create differ-
For a project about Caribbean women working as caregivers ing viewpoints.
for families in North America, White got in touch with a local
magazine and, through that source, was able to meet one of the Primary Sources
women who served as inspiration and get an account of her daily Firsthand accounts like diaries, letters, photographs, civic
life. She also did a bit of espionage at a department store favored records, and interviews, while not always available, present what

Research Resources

Los Angeles The New York Public Library Art Division

www.nypl.org/research/chss/spe/art/artarc/artarch.html
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM)
Library: www.fidm.edu/about/fidm-library The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
Collection: www.fidmmuseum.org/collections/ www.nypl.org/research/lpa/lpa.html
The Getty Research Institute The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
www.getty.edu/research/ www.metmuseum.org/research/curatorial%20research
/the%20costume%20institute
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (Photographs of complete collection also available online)
Doris Stein Research Center for Costumes and Textiles
www.lacma.org/doris-stein-research-center Online
Western Costume Library Corbis Images
www.westerncostume.com/services/research-library www.corbisimages.com

New York Library of Congress Digital Collection

www.loc.gov/library/libarch-digital.html
Adam & Sophie Gimbel Design Library at Parsons School
of Design Life Photo Archive hosted by Google
library.newschool.edu/gimbel/ www.images.google.com/hosted/life
The Bard Graduate Center Library of Bard College The Disfarmer Project
www.bgc.bard.edu/library/ www.disfarmer.org
Gladys Marcus Library at the Fashion Institute of Agence Photographique de la Réunion des Musées
Technology (FIT) Nationaux
www.nypl.org/branch/central/mml/pc/ www.photo.rmn.fr
(Searchable art database for French museums)
Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library
(closed for renovation until 2014) Web Gallery of Art
www.libmma.org/portal/the-irene-lewisohn-costume www.wga.hu
-reference-library/

Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 21

 the reality of the situation was, and offer the most grounded infor-
mation. They also provide a record that is free from interpretation,
or as close to reality as possible. Accessing and working through all
that information creates the foundation from which the designer is
then free to build up the visual world of the story.
Creative works, from paintings and sculpture to fashion maga-
zines, catalog illustrations, and Costume Designs from previous
decades, are by their very nature filtered through the lens of the
creator’s worldview, even when accuracy was the creator’s intent.
These pieces continue to be valuable and necessary in their own
right, with the understanding that designs based on them carry
more levels of interpretation. Inspired projects are possible when
the designer makes the conscious decision to embrace a height-
ened reality, from a staging of Sunday in the Park with George
with period-accurate silhouettes and pointillist paint treatments, to
much of Eiko Ishioka’s body of work.

Period Garments
Historical clothing collections, available in numerous museums,
offer an unvarnished account of fabrics, textures and sewing tech-
niques and are a favorite resource for White. Because most museum
collections can also account for the provenance of garments in
their collections, they also offer a glimpse into the lives, and pos-
sibly heads, of their previous owners. A call in advance to a curator
or preservation department can garner some time behind velvet
ropes and glass cases in order to examine the clothing firsthand.

Photography
The relatively speedy democratization of the photographic art
form gives us, for the first time, a window into the lives of people
beyond the scope of painted portraits. From war photography to
portraits, and even sumptuous magazine spreads, photography has
allowed us to see a more detailed and realistic version of the world
starting around the 1830s than was ever possible before. Seams and
wrinkles that didn’t factor into portraits were now in plain sight.
And, while antique garments and other artifacts are still accessible,
seeing them on people in their original context paints an entirely
different picture.
West advocates photography as an invaluable resource: “I love
the details and quirks that are captured,” she explains, especially in
less formal shots. In preparing for The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button, a favorite source was the work of Mike Disfarmer.

The Value of Nonvisual Research

A common thread throughout the conversations was the importance
of the written word in addition to, and at times over, visuals. All three
designers rely on a multitude of non-pictorial resources to develop
their insights into the world they’re creating. Time and again, text
explains the “whys” in ways that standalone images simply can’t.
While Little is also a fan of photography, frequenting numerous
collections both at libraries and online, he is quick to offer a caveat:
“It’s very easy to find a lot of conflicting photographic research,
and it’s all correct.” He stresses the importance of reading sup-
porting information to place the visual into a context, to get the
“heading or the story underneath it.”

22 The Costume Designer Fall 2012

 “I read a lot,” West explains. When preparing research Interpretation, Adaptation and Deviation
for projects, she’ll first read books and articles contemporary The most compelling storytelling happens when it is rooted in truth.
to the period, citing diaries and letters as particularly rich However, we’re not documentarians: interpretation is inherent to fic-
resources, before delving into pictorial research. For Argo, tion, even when the story is based on reality. Ultimately, the script
several accounts of the rescue mission and related materials must be the road map to the end result, and the story is frequently well
were used, including Mendez’s books and Jean Pelletier’s served by some deviation from the research, or even what one knows
The Canadian Caper. Joshuah Bearman’s 2007 Wired article to be correct.
also helped shape her choices for the Western characters. In Both West and White stressed the importance of including older
dressing the women of Tehran, one of the books she read on garments in scenes to create a truer, richer visual. “Not everyone is
the city gave an account of chadors that captured her imagi- going to be a fashion plate,” West explains, and points out that her own
nation. These garments, mandatory after the Shah’s exile, closet includes prized garments dating back 10 to 30 years. She finds
were also a symbol of national pride, with black ones in dressing background characters this way a particularly good opportu-
particular becoming known as the “Flags of the Revolution.” nity to lend scenes texture and depth.
It wasn’t long before black fabric became scarce, and patri- Some deviations are matters of function. White cites the impractical-
otic women made do by over-dyeing whatever was available, ity, if not impossibility, of acquiring certain fabrics and other materials for
including patterned linens and tablecloths. In reproducing projects. Issues of fit also arise with strict adherence to original cuts and
these, West’s team stayed true to those accounts, resulting in proportions, as modern diets and exercise have changed bodies.
numerous shades of black and subtle but still visible patterns White also points out that the audience will always view the end
in the chadors that appear in the bazaar and protest scenes. result through a contemporary lens. What was pleasant or beautiful
White gleaned valuable information from morgue during another time period may look odd or even off-putting now,
records, while ACDing for Beatrix Pasztor on A Dog of with everything from artificial silhouettes, extra wide crinolines to
Flanders; they “went into great detail describing the fabric historically popular colors—like Dead Spaniard or Maize, are all but
and colour of the clothing that the deceased individuals were guaranteed to be questioned at some point in a designer’s career. The
wearing at the time of their demise.” Costume Designer walks a fine line between staying true to history and
An understanding beyond cut and style in the world presenting the character in the intended light.
being created can sometimes guide design choices. White Or, as a mentor once quipped, “When you know your research
recalls a project where knowledge of the period’s etiquette really well, you know when you can cheat and get away with it.” Lastly,
helped her convince production to sign off on a black dress, sometimes adaptation is called for to simply tell the story. Little says,
despite a previous agreement to avoid the color, as the char- “You want a jumping-off point—here’s reality—but you also find when
acter’s social standing required mourning clothes for a year it’s more important to benefit the character as opposed to being strictly
following her husband’s death. correct. You always have to consider that: the story comes first.”

WOMENS & MENS APPAREL, SHOES

JEWELRY, ACCESSORIES AND MORE

Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 25

Hollywood Costume at the V&A
Like a fantasy party which defies the constraints of time, It celebrates our Costume Design past, present and future, and
Hollywood Costume assembles guests as illustrious as Adrian’s makes any Costume Designer feel proud to have chosen their career
pinafore for Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Penny Rose’s frock- path. Not to be missed!  –Mark Bridges
coat, breeches, and boots for Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the
Caribbean, and Alexandra Byrne’s aigrette, gown, and ruff for Deborah Landis is genius! Her visionary quest for bringing the
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (pictured). The exhibit is the most art of Costume Design to the world stage has arrived, and it is a magi-
successful in the history of the Victoria and Albert Museum cal experience. Deborah has created a groundbreaking, innovative,
in London, with more than 30,000 people viewing it in the dynamic 21st-century exhibition showcasing the artists that create
first week, and it is already sold out. Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Hollywood Costume. She explores the central role of the Costume
Landis, Director of the David C. Copley Center for the study Designer in cinema storytelling. The exhibition unfolds as a cinematic
of Costume Design at UCLA, curated the blockbuster show experience in three acts, illuminating the Costume Designer’s process
which celebrates the art of Costume Design as an essential tool from script to screen, as they design the costume that creates the char-
of filmmaking. acter. Ultimately, Hollywood Costume’s 130 iconic garments showcase
our art that will live on forever.  –Ellen Mirojnick
Hollywood Costume is a unique celebration of Costume
Design, featuring many American films. The exhibition It was an emotional experience to see the Hollywood Costume
is many things at once: it is an education for the general exhibit in person. I feel like, for the first time, our art form is being
public on what Costume Designers do, why we do it, and shown to the public in a way in which they will truly be able to under-
the process and collaborations that are involved. It is also stand and appreciate it. Our work is presented thoroughly, with dignity
a visual feast of iconic costumes from some of Hollywood’s and intelligence. It’s not just an exhibition of costumes; it’s an educa-
best-known and best-loved films, with each section of the tion about our art form. The exhibit and book mark a turning point in
exhibition educating and entertaining. The exhibit uses public relations for our field, and will definitely change the perception
various technologies to present designer and director inter- of what we do and how we do it. I am so excited to have been a part of
views, design research, designer techniques, and film clips this occasion, and am so proud to be a Costume Designer.
to draw the viewer into the visual art of Costume Design. –Kristin Burke

Left: Elizabeth: The Golden Age Universal/Working Title/The Kobal Collection/Greg Williams 2007
Below: Hollywood Costume sponsored by Harry Winston 2012 ©V&A images

Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 27

 Costume Design
for the
Historical Figure
By Anna Wyckoff

Like a Rembrandt portrait captures elusive and intangible qualities,

Costume Design for the historical figure trades exactitude for evocation,
embodying the person rather than merely re-creating them. It is a techni-
cal feat for the Costume Designer to represent an individual the public
has mythologized in a way that is also true to life. Regardless of the lim-
ited time frame and varying budgets of film and television production,
audiences do not consider the difficulty of the task, but only whether
or not they believe in the depiction. In the final
analysis, the ultimate arbiter is history. Four
of our distinguished Guild members
describe their recent experiences in
the genre.

The Stovepipe Hat

Few figures are as recognizable as the silhouette of Abraham with director Steven Spielberg and Day-Lewis, of whom she says,
Lincoln. The 16th President of the United States has been the subject “You can’t think of anybody better.”
of many biopics, the latest of which, Lincoln, is designed by Joanna It was an epic undertaking that included 140 speaking parts. The
Johnston and stars Daniel Day-Lewis. Johnston explains, “I suppose task did not end with making garments for principals and secondary
the challenge and the opportunity is that he is so famous and his principals, but also included the construction and aging of an army
image is so strong, I felt that he could easily become a caricature.” of Civil War uniforms. Because of the limitations of time and budget,
Part archeologist, part psychologist, Johnston used the photo- Johnston had to carefully strategize which costumes to build. For some
graphs of Mathew Brady as a touchstone. She was obsessed with characters she made only one set of clothes so audiences would “hold
the space between Lincoln and his garments. “He’s scrawny and the image of them through the film.” But there were also exceptions.
skinny and doesn’t fill the clothes,” she explains, “there’s this kind For the fashionable Mary Todd Lincoln played by Sally Field,
of void in there, and I wanted to capture that. It’s a difficult quality Johnston re-created a dress from the Chicago History Museum. “It
for film, because sometimes translations can look ill fitting, so it’s a had every single tiny piece of information I needed. It gave me her
fine balance.” She used a set of garments from the end of Lincoln’s dimension, her neck to waist, her circumference in her waist, and
life housed at the Smithsonian Institution as a blueprint, but did not her bust.” It was the one garment Johnston copied exactly, but the
copy them exactly. Because some details were not quite right for dress was eventually cut from the final film. The rest of Mary Todd’s
the project, she made incremental adjustments. changes focused on capturing her essence.
The movie developed over three years, but the actual costume “Because it has been a year since we filmed it, I can now see
prep time was three months. As she was working on other projects, the bigger picture ... and realize what an exceptional piece it was
Johnston began the initial research and the collaborative process to work on.”
© 2012 DreamWorks II Distribution Co.
The Black Suit
Costume Designer Julie Weiss has known Hitchcock her whole you do a project like Hitchcock, once you start filming and you
life. “He was part of my dreams,” she explains. Weiss was first aware see what a glorious excursion it is, you realize that it could be one
of the Hitchcock script a few years ago, and knew she wanted to of the best things you could do with your life, and you hope it is
be part of this quest. “Who would have thought a black suit could not the last.”
define a Costume Designer’s journey?” she asks. It is a legitimate
question for a Costume Designer, but with someone whose clothing
is as well known as Hitchcock’s, it is still a challenge.
Hitchcock’s black suit was only part of a man whose work
and personality represent the darkness of intrigue. Weiss’ design
process involves thorough scrutiny of the subject—from psyche to
role in society and relationships—in order to construct the film’s
world in garments that express the subtle psychological insights
she has gleaned. Her poetic instincts translate into costume choices
which are an expression of a character’s essential nature, and the
roles they choose to play in their life.
“When you’re dealing with a character like Hitchcock who
already is remembered as the man stepping into his own silhouette,
a large man, who when you say his name, is not only remembered
for extraordinary films,” explains Weiss, “you also think of him as
someone who is remembered physically, with his voice and music
as much as the films that he has directed. He is part of his own

Hitchcock design and illustration by Julie Weiss

filmic history.” She continues, “What’s exciting is that if you have
someone like Anthony Hopkins, you see that it’s not that important
that he is a precise copy of Hitchcock, because then, that is what
he would be: a copy. And when you’re dealing with someone like
Hopkins and with a director like Sacha Gervasi, when you watch
the two of them together, you see that interpretation is a very key
word for the Costume Designer.”
Weiss aims to make a costume so characteristic that it seam-
lessly facilitates the actor’s transformation. She explains, “When
you have that merger of Hopkins as Hitchcock and you get past that
silhouette no matter how much of a hyperbole it has become ...
that means you are in the presence of a great actor. When Hopkins
left the set, sometimes you didn’t
know who he was leaving the set as,
because Hitchcock was still there
long after the costume came off.
And that’s why I do it.
“You can only do this with such
a remarkable cast,” she continues.
Weiss describes with wonder how
Helen Mirren (as Alma Hitchcock)
in a red suit becomes strong and in
control, and in the next scene, wears
a red dress sitting in a red chair,
and becomes smaller and smaller. To
Weiss, these are the moments that
represent Costume Design.
“The assembling of the clothes,
the fact that it was not a large bud-
geted project, you had to rely on the
passion of the project, but the pas-
sion is nothing without a costume
crew. Everyone who believed in
this helped, including the costume
houses,” expounds Weiss. “When
© 2012 Fox Searchlight Pictures

Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 29

The Diamond
There is celebrity, and then there is Elizabeth Taylor. Costume He created many looks for Grant Bowler, who plays Richard
Designer Salvador Perez found himself faced with the epic challenge Burton. Perez laughs as he explains, “Grant Bowler has an
of depicting one of the most photographed historical women in the amazing physique but I had to make clothes appropriate to the
world, with a twist: he had to transform another famous personality, period. We almost had to hide his body because Richard Burton
Lindsay Lohan, into the starring role for the Lifetime movie Liz & wasn’t in great shape.”
Dick. The final challenge was painting the scene around the prin-
He began with copious visual research, and Perez was surprised cipals. There were 400 extras and more than 1,600 costumes
at the volume of information available. “You could Google Elizabeth total. “Thankfully, Costume Rental Corporation (CRC) gave me
Taylor or a particular era or date, and there would be an image,” he carte blanche with their collection of ’60s and ’70s clothing,”
observes. “The public has a vast knowledge of what Elizabeth Taylor says Perez, “we were doing 1951, 1963, and 1969 in one day,
looked like and wore. Her iconic images are so embedded in peoples’ from a casual party on a boat to the opening of Hamlet.” Perez
memories that we had to keep it authentic. We had to evoke Elizabeth seems energized by the Herculean task. “I think that’s the dif-
Taylor, but flatter Lindsay Lohan,” explains Perez. He notes that ference,” he smiles, “as a Costume Designer you want to honor
Taylor and Lohan have a waist size within an inch of each other, but history, but still be able to be creative and design within that
Lohan is slightly taller. Perez used a combination of vintage undergar- world.”
ments and re-creations by lingerie
specialists What Katie Did to flesh
out the period silhouette.
But the challenge did not end
there. Taylor was known not just
for her style, but also for her furs
and jewels. “How do you cover a
woman in mink and diamonds on
a television movie budget?” Perez
questions. A longstanding relation-
ship with furrier Edwards Lowell of
Beverly Hills facilitated the answer:
“They opened up their archives and
let me rent some period pieces; we
used so many furs that I could never
have afforded to buy.”
The famous jewelry was repro-
duced by Skinny Dog Design Group.
They re-created such celebrated
pieces as the Peregrina Pearl, the
Krupp Diamond, and the Taylor-
Burton Diamond (out of cubic zir-
conia.) XIV Karats in Beverly Hills
made the set of Bulgari emeralds.
Additionally, Perez scoured Los
Angeles for vintage baubles since
there were more than sixty changes
for Lohan alone, and she was never
without accessories.
Perez strove for authenticity, but
a gap in the documentation of her
private life required him to design
casual looks in her style. In another
instance, 20th Century Fox, who
owns the copyright to Cleopatra,
refused to allow the costumes to be
reproduced. Perez used these set-
backs as opportunities to be creative,
aiming to summon the spirit of Taylor
and the original film while thorough-
ly enjoying the process.
© 2012 A&E Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved. Photo: Richard McLaren

30 The Costume Designer Fall 2012

 The Glitter
Before Lady Gaga, Madonna and Cher, even before Elvis, spared for Liberace ... we had to do things to fool the eye,” she
there was Liberace—the original “Mr. Showmanship.” To con- chuckles. The original garments were heavy, and Mirojnick
jure his opulent personality, Costume Designer Ellen Mirojnick marveled that Liberace could perform in them for hours. She
immersed herself in his world for HBO’s biopic Behind the chose to replicate certain signature pieces precisely, like the
Candelabra, starring Michael Douglas and directed by Steven famed virgin fox coat rimmed in rhinestones with a 16-foot
Soderbergh. It is told from the vantage point of his lover, Scott train, but in faux fur. “I worked night and day with Mary Ellen
Thorson, played by Matt Damon, and is the story of their rela- Field [at Bill Hargate] to beat the clock.”
tionship. In the casual clothes, Mirojnick strove for naturalness.
Mirojnick unearthed reams of research, both public “The wardrobe of the late ’70s and early ’80s was, in fact, a
and private photos, and investigated performance footage fabulous male silhouette. Matt and Michael assumed it really
and images. She found herself walking a tightrope between easily. It gives a man a great shoulder, the armhole and pant
Liberace’s flamboyant stage persona, the more casual cloth- rise is higher, which they had to get used to, but it didn’t take
ing of his personal life, and the deeply psychological script. a long time. It really is a kind of superhero ‘Inverted V,’ and I
Carefully considering not just the historical details, but the happen to think it is classic and handsome.
story the director was telling and what it would take to trans- “But it’s really a tough story,” adds Mirojnick. “It’s color-
form Michael Douglas into Liberace without any feeling of ful, glittery, and exuberant, and it is dark at the same time. It
parody or camp, Mirojnick sought “to really bring something was extraordinarily challenging, but to be able to get up every
to the character that will show the hidden depth, not just the day and create these costumes is the best job in the world.”
outside decoration.”
Not only did Mirojnick have to re-create and interpret At press time, no photographs have been officially
Liberace’s dazzling stage costumes, which were made in released for Behind the Candelabra.
Hollywood using couture techniques and materials, she had
an eight-week prep for the actual build. “From his jumpsuits to
his capes, furs, diamonds, and rhinestones, there was no detail

Salvador Perez Liz & Dick

Photos of Salvador Perez and Julie Weiss: Getty Images

Ellen Mirojnick Behind the Candelabra

Julie Weiss Hitchcock

Joanna Johnston Lincoln

Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 31

 12 Days of Presents
Gift ideas for CDG members, from stocking stuffers to major splurges
By Christine Cover Ferro and Rebecca Raleigh

12
Pencils Sketching:
Illustrator Gina Flanagan can’t live without Prismacolor turquoise
drawing pencils. Set of 12, available at Jerry’s Artarama. ($11.17) 12

11
Energy Boosters:
Snack Attack Basket for on-the-go lunches in the car. Comes with
11 snacks and a decorative basket. www.wellbaskets.com ($75)
11 10
10
Digits Polished:
Enjoy a spa manicure and pedicure package
at Pastel Nails, conveniently
located near Paramount Studios at 5770 Melrose Avenue. ($30)

9
Dames a Dancing:
Give the gift of digital movement with the Intuos Wacom Tablet,
8 recommended by Illustrator Phillip Boutte. ($79-$349)

8
Reads for Research:
9

Filmcraft: Costume Design by Deborah Nadoolman Landis ($29.95); Town-Gown Conflict by Constance Barrère Dangleterre
($35); Fashioning Bollywood: The Making and Meaning of Hindi Film Costume by Clare Wilkinson-Weber ($29.95); Tim
Gunn’s Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet by Tim Gunn ($20); Fashion Brands: Branding
Style from Armani to Zara by Mark Tungate ($39.95); Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth
L. Cline ($25.95); Victorian Fashions for Women and Children: Society’s Impact on Dress by Linda Setnik ($29.99); Menswear:
Vintage People on Photo Postcards (The Bodleian Library—Photo Postcards from the Tom Phillips Archive) ($25)
8
7
Heavenly Minutes:
Bliss Spas Blissage 75 begins with a warm wax foot wrap
and finales with a relaxing full body rub. ($155)

6
Comfy Set Shoes:
6

Keen Ladies Bern Baby Boot in Forest Night ($160); Keen Ladies Auckland Ballerina Slip-on in Prune Purple ($65); J-41 Ladies
Tahoe Sneaker in Navy ($89); Keen Men’s Coronado Sneaker in Brindle/Black Olive ($65); Merrell Men’s Radius Glove Shoes in
Chocolate ($130); Rockport Men’s Sagwon Ankle Boot in Dark Brown ($125)

32 The Costume Designer Fall 2012

 5
Healing Creams:
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream ($4);
Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Ultra-Moisturizing Hand Therapy ($28); TokyoMilk Dark Everything
& Nothing Shea Butter Handcreme ($22); Nivea Crème ($7); Bach Rescue Cream ($8)

4
Piece Refresh Kit: 5
Yes to Blueberries Brightening Facial Towelettes Travel Pack ($3); Colgate Wisp Peppermint
Mini-Toothbrushes with Freshening Bead ($2/4 pack); Palladio Rice Paper Blotting Tissues
4 with Rice Powder ($3.99); Organix Travel Size Extra Strength Moroccan Argan Oil ($4)

3
Bags for Buying:
Will’s Leather Goods Otto Crossbody ($330); IIIBeCa by Joy Gryson Church Street 2
Envelope Crossbody Bag ($98); Marc by Marc Jacobs reusable tote ($68)

2
Sights Worth Seeing:
Warby Parker frames. For every pair you purchase, a pair goes to someone in need.
3
1
And a Costume Drama DVD:
1
The Story of the Costume Drama ($40)

Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 35

You probably know that walking is good the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. To learn more
for your heart. But, here’s some news that about Alzheimer’s disease and what you can
should really get you moving. New research do, visit alz.org/californiasouthland. Thinking
shows that heart-healthy exercise is also ahead now just might make all the difference
good for your brain. It also may reduce down the road.

alz.org/californiasouthland • 800.272.3900
 IN FOCUS
BOLDFACE NAMES

BFN HONORS/FESTIVALS show. Due to its success, plans are already in the works for another
visit in 2013.

CDG Labor Rep and IA Organizer Betty Madden was interviewed

by Henry Walton for the Sunday-morning Labor Review show on
KPFK 90.7. The interview covered the high cost of healthcare and
explored the alternatives to the current system.

BFN ENTREPRENEURS
CD Janie Bryant has been
named a brand ambassador for
Hearts on Fire Diamonds.

CD Stacy Ellen Rich and her

couture line, Heir Apparent Hand
Sewn, are being featured in two
venues this season. Six pieces
from the line are in stock at The
Loved One store in Pasadena. In
early December, Rich and her line are being featured in a designer
profile for the popular website, The Working Wardrobe.

CD Marcy Froehlich was nominated for an Ovation Award for BOLDFACE NAMES - WORK
All My Sons at The Matrix Theatre. The ceremony took place on
November 12, 2012. In October, supernatural-themed projects were par for the course
for CD Bonnie Stauch, now designing Deadtime Stories: Grave
Secrets, the new Nickelodeon series starring Diane Ladd, filming in
the Los Angeles area and wrapping in late December. CD Joyce
Kim Lee puts to rest another Nickelodeon project in a similar vein,
this time the pilot The Haunted Hathaways. CD Marie France
recently wrapped the AMC and Endemol Studios pilot, Low Winter
Sun, directed by Ernest Dickerson. France prepped the crime drama
in Los Angeles and filmed in Detroit. She is poised to design the
series if green lit. CD Nancy Steiner is presently in town working
CD Ann Roth was lauded in tribute at the Hamptons Film Festival. on the Lifetime period pilot, Cinnamon Girl, with supervisor Robin
Among the many wonderful guests in attendance was Meryl Streep, McMullen and ACD Jennifer Starzyk as Steiner’s key. Renee Zell-
who recited a poem she wrote called “Ode to Ann.” weger and Anthony Tambakis co-created the pilot set against the
backdrop of the L.A. music/movie scene in the late ’60s/early ’70s.
CD Audrey Fisher Tosh.0 and The Doctors
was invited to Rio costume designer CD Car-
de Janeiro to pres- rie Cramer recently came
ent a Costume De- on board to lend her design
sign workshop to detail for Alison Sweeney of
70 enthusiastic par- The Biggest Loser. CD Ane
ticipants at Festival Crabtree is excited to begin
do Rio 2012, South designing Showtime’s Mas-
America’s largest in- ters of Sex this December in
ternational film fes- Los Angeles. Michael Sheen
tival. Audrey gave a (Dr. William Masters), Lizzy
keynote presentation Caplan (Virginia Johnson), and
on Costume Design featuring her work for True Blood and included CD Carrie Cramer and Beau Bridges (Barton Scully)
sketches, still photographs, video clips and actual costumes from the Daniel Tosh (Tosh.0) are featured in the series.

Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 37

 IN FOCUS
BOLDFACE NAMES

The dynamic duo of CD Julie Schklair and ACD Courtney

Stern are responsible for the ABC Family shows Switched at Birth
and Perception and will soon launch into the new Jerry Bruck-
heimer pilot, Trooper, in Austin,TX. The pilot features Mira Sorvino
as a sensible mother who becomes a N.Y. state trooper, with Jay
Hernandez as an additional cast member. CD Olivia Miles and
new CDGer ACD Elena Balshem are also in Austin having just
begun the Lifetime pilot, The Secret Lives of Wives, directed by Liz
Friedlander and inspired by the Iris Krasnow novel.

Graceland leads L to R: Aaron Tveit, Daniel Sunjata

CD Roberta Haze recently designed the HBO pilot, Hello Ladies,

written, directed, and starring Stephen Merchant as a gawky Eng-
lishman who comes to Los Angeles, Land of the Beautiful People,
in search of the love of his life. Haze is now ensconced in Ft. Lau-
derdale, and having a fabulous time designing Graceland, a new
USA Network series about a group of DEA/FBI/Customs agents all
sharing the titular beach-front mansion, seized from a drug lord ob-
sessed with Elvis. CD Katina Le Kerr is another designer feeling
incredibly blessed with wonderful people and scripts on her proj-
ect of the last two seasons, Homeland, shooting in Charlotte, NC.
ILL Lois DeArmond recently whipped up some illustrations for
CD Carol Ramsey for a spectacular dance sequence in an upcom-
ing episode of Magic City, now in season two on the Starz Network.

This October, CD Allison Leach designed a commercial featur-

ing a dance extravaganza starring 65 dancers for Microsoft’s new
Surface tablet, completed in two days thanks to Leach’s team of
ACD Tiffany White and newly minted CDGer Chrissy Callan.
CD Christopher Lawrence just returned from Prague, where
he designed a number of Comcast commercials with frequent col-
laborator and director, Phil Joanou.

On the film front,

CD Ann Foley
is just putting the
finishing touches
on the remake of
About Last Night
for Screen Gems,
with director
Steve Pink here in
The Last Stand: Arnold Schwarzenegger Los Angeles. The

38 The Costume Designer Fall 2012

MOTION PICTURE COSTUME CO.

3811 VALHALLA DR.

BURBANK CA 91505
P. 818-557-1247 / F. 818-557-1695
WWW.MPCCWARDROBE.COM
 IN FOCUS
BOLDFACE NAMES
movie stars Michael Ealy and Adam Rodriguez. Early this month, CD
Beth Pasternak started designing the feature, A Many Splintered
Thing, described as an “anti-rom-com” with Chris Evans, Michelle
Monaghan,Topher Grace,Aubrey Plaza, and Luke Wilson, shooting in
Venice Beach and San Francisco, and wrapping mid-December. CD
Michele Michel just finished the final touches on the Lionsgate
feature, The Last Stand, filmed in New Mexico and the Paramount
lot, with Arnold Schwarzenegger stepping back to acting, along
with Forest Whitaker, Rodrigo Santoro, Luis Guzman, and Johnny
Knoxville; CD Carlos Brown assisted Michel from Los Angeles.
ACD Liuba Randolph
has enjoyed a run of il-
lustrating work recently
for fall TV shows: CD Lou
Eyrich for American
Horror Story: Asylum
(don’t watch this with
the lights out), CD Debra
McGuire for Touch ,
New Girl, and Ben and
Kate, as well as for CD
Durinda Wood’s up-
coming LA Opera, Dolce
Rosa, conducted by Plac-
ido Domingo, adapted
from an Isabel Allende
Randolph illustration for McGuire: short story.Wood was also
Ben and Kate thrilled for the challenge

Randolph illustrations for Wood: LA Opera’s Dolce Rosa

of designing a ’70s musical comedy, Lucky Stiff, set in London,
Monte Carlo and Atlantic City, all thankfully shot here in town. CD
Francine Lecoultre is designing the gritty action drama, The
Devil’s Ink, this fall. CD Maya Lieberman wraps a bow on her
latest feature this month with Baggage Claim, a romantic comedy
for Fox Searchlight about a flight attendant who has 30 days or
3,000 miles to beat her sister to the altar and avoid becoming the
oldest unmarried woman in her family.The comedy stars Paula Pat-
ton, Derek Luke, Taye Diggs, Djimon Hounsou, Jill Scott, and Adam

40 The Costume Designer Fall 2012

 M AT T H E W C H R I S T O P H E R

TO EXPERIENCE THE ENTIRE COLLECTION VISIT WWW.MATTHEWCHRISTOPHER.COM

ToAND
FOR RED CARPET find a storeINnearest
PLACEMENT you andPLEASE
FILM & TELEVISION experience
CONTACTthe entire collection
[email protected]
visit us at www.matthewchristopher.com
 IN FOCUS
BOLDFACE NAMES

BOLDFACE NEWS

L to R: Costumer Monica Gartner, CD Alexis Scott,

costumer Charlie Carr, and key Summer Petersen

Brody. CD Alexis Scott sounded wistful at the conclusion of five

glorious weeks on the west shore of Lake Tahoe having designed Last CD Louise Frogley was featured in Los Angeles Magazine’s Haute
Weekend, a dark comedy of manners starring Patricia Clarkson as a List Blog, discussing her choices for Denzel Washington’s character
matriarch whose weekend family getaway descends into complete and in Flight.
utter chaos. CD Ruth Carter hasn’t left the state of Louisiana for
quite some time, having transitioned straight from The Butler to Spike
Lee’s remake of Oldboy, now shooting in New Orleans and featuring
Samuel L. Jackson, Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, and Michael Imperioli.

Labels

Glamour magazine’s Daily Style Blog interviewed CD Salvador

Perez, Jr. on his close collaboration with FOX’s The Mindy Proj-
ect’s creator and star, Mindy Kaling.

On ZAP2it.com, CD
Kathleen Detoro talks
about where she goes for
great ’60s pieces for CBS’s
Vegas.

The Long Beach Post ran

a profile on ILL Alan Vil-
lanueva’s journey as an
illustrator.

Compiled and written by:

Suzanne Huntington
[email protected]
Make your labels. Use your labels.
Stacy Ellen Rich
Submit your labels to the Guild office
[email protected]
for a future label cover!

42 The Costume Designer Fall 2012

 Jewelry made by hand for heros
–dana schneider

experience on over 40 films

www.danaschneider.com 310-435-6694
dana schneider Jewelry shop on eTsy.com

CDG-Ad Dana Schneider.indd 1 11/28/12 2:25 PM

Costumes of Distinction

Layout from McCall’s magazine, May 1925. Source: CDG Library Collection
CDG Library
A large collection of research materials is
available to our members at the Guild office.
Here’s a sampling:
Montgomery Ward catalogues, 1894-1980
Sears catalogues, 1897-1966
Spiegel catalogues, 1928-1976
Seventeen magazines, 1946-1983
Life magazines, 1937-1982
Butterick and Vogue pattern books, from the
1960s and 1970s
Also available is a vast array of research books.
We would like to remind our members that
the library is available for their use, and is
open whenever the office is open. Normal
office hours are 9:00 am to 6:00 pm; please
call in advance to schedule an appointment.
YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR ALL
YOUR DESIGNING NEEDS
Civilian Costumes for Men, Women and Children
Period and Western Costumes
Uniforms: Police, Fire, Paramedics, Airline, Trade,
Service, School & all US and Foreign Military
Patches and Badges - existing or made to order
On-site 6-head Embroidery Machine
Designer’s Office and Trailer Supplies
Research Library and Color Copier
Show Packaging and Episodic Packaging Deals
Tailoring Shop/Made to Order
Production Offices with 24/7 access, internet ready
Cages open 24/7 with trailer access
VIP Fitting Rooms and Laundry Room
Domestic and International packing and shipping

Costume Rentals Corporation

11149 Vanowen St., No. Hollywood, CA 91605
Contact: Mel Sabino, Linda Allegro
Tel (818)753-3700 • Fax (818)753-3737
[email protected]
www.costumerentalscorp.com

Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 45

IN FOCUS
on location
New Orleans with Alonzo Wilson
Costume Designer Treme HBO

Jefferson Variety Meauxbar

239 Iris Avenue 942 North Rampart Street
Jefferson, LA 70121 New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 834-5222 (504) 569-9979
A bit like a fabric flea market, you might find yourself searching My favorite restaurant, I could write a novel about this place. A
through mounds of bolts stacked entirely too high. However, if you neighborhood bistro nestled on the edge of the French Quarter,
have the courage and the power to dig ... treasures you will find. across from historic Armstrong Park, and a stone’s throw from the
This offers ideal novelty fabric for Mardi Gras costumes, the Second famous Treme neighborhood. Chef Matt and his partner Jim make
Line parades, and Mardi Gras beads and the like for Treme. this place your home every time you dine.

Rubensteins French Sole

102 Saint Charles Avenue 333 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130 New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 581-6666 (504) 267-9000
Where famous New Orleans musicians like Allen Toussaint shop. A great little shop for women’s shoes. Studio services are not available
The finest standalone men’s apparel in the city. Valet parking makes in this city (with the exception of Saks), but the customer service
it worth the stop. here is great. They allow us to take shoes on 24-hour approval for fit-
tings and go out of their way to help us find and fit the perfect pair.
Promenade
Fine Fabrics Broadway Bound
1520 Saint Charles Avenue Costumes Inc.
New Orleans, LA 70130 2737 Canal Street
(504) 522-1488 New Orleans, LA 70119
The gem has wool suiting, fine silks, designer prints, vintage fabrics, (504) 821-1000
amazing buttons, ribbons, and trim. Hands down, the best fabrics in I get all my plumes and many of my beads and stones here for my
New Orleans. Mardi Gras Indian suits; Miss Helen and Anna should have their own
reality show. This is the shop many of the Mardi Gras Indians use for
their notions and supplies.

46 The Costume Designer Fall 2012

what’s ON
Malibu Country
Nashville Costume Designer:

Nashville/ABC; Malibu Country/ABC; The Neighbors/ABC; Partners/CBS; The New Normal/NBC; Go On/NBC; Animal Practice/NBC; The Mindy Project/Fox; The Newsroom/HBO; Game Change/HBO;
Costume Designer: elizabeth bass
susie desanto CD to Reba McEntire:
terry ann gordon

The Neighbors Partners

Costume Designer: Costume Designer:
karla stevens Lori Eskowitz-Carter

The New Normal Go On

Costume Designer: Costume Designer:
cathy crandall Nancy Gould

Animal Practice The Mindy Project

Costume Designer: Costume Designer:
sabrina rosen salvador perez

The Newsroom
Game Change
Costume Designer:
Hope Hanafin Costume Designer:
Assistant Designer:
Daniel orlandi
hanna jacobs
The Client List/Lifetime; Political Animals/USA

Political Animals
The Client List Costume Designer:
Costume Designer: laura goldsmith
dorothy amos CD to Sigourney Weaver:
ann roth

48 The Costume Designer Fall 2012

 what’s IN
Lincoln
This Is 40/Universal Pictures; Django Unchained/The Weinstein Company; Parental Guidance/20th Century Fox; Gangster Squad/Warner Bros.; Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters/Paramount; Stand Up Guys/Lionsgate

Costume Designer: Silver Linings

joanna johnston Playbook
Assistant Designers:
Costume Designer:
jane goodaY
mark bridges
Lincoln/Touchstone/DreamWorks; Silver Linings Playbook/The Weinstein Company; Hitchcock/Fox Searchlight; Jack Reacher/Paramount; Not Fade Away/Paramount Vantage; On the Road/IFC Films;

kenneth van dyne

holly waddington

Hitchcock Jack Reacher

Costume Designer:
Costume Designer:
julie weiss susan matheson
Assistant Designer:
Assistant Designer:
kenNETH van dyne elaine davis
perlmaNn

Not Fade Away On the Road

Costume Designer: Costume Designer:
catherine marie danny glicker
thomas Assistant Designer:
Assistant Designer: michele k. short
mickey carleton

Django Unchained
This Is 40 Costume Designer:
sharen davis
Costume Designer:
Assistant Designer:
Leesa Evans
paula elins
Assistant Designer:
Illustrators:
kayti haugh
felipe sanchez
gina flanagan

Gangster Squad
Parental Guidance Costume Designer:
Costume Designer: mary zophres
genevieve tyrrell Assistant Designer:
terry anderson

Hansel and Gretel:

Witch Hunters
Stand Up Guys
Costume Designer:
Costume Designer:
Marlene stewart
lindsay mCkay
Assistant Designer:
Assistant Designer:
ann foley
sarah springer
Illustrator:
christian cordella

Fall 2012 The Costume Designer 49

SCRAPBOOK

Offering legendary lives for the scrutiny

of mere mortals, the biopic film bridges
the gap between subject and audience with
a winning combination of fact and fiction.
Part of its lasting popularity may be attributed
to a double dose of celebrity, often clad in
epic costume.

One iconic example can be found in 1948’s Joan

of Arc, which features Ingrid Bergman dressed in
medieval surcotes, armor, and chainmail. The
depiction garnered Costume Designers Karinska and
Dorothy Jeakins the first Oscar for Costume Design
in a color film, which broke ground for an avalanche
of future accolades in the biographic genre.

50 The Costume Designer Fall 2012

Alter
the
fashion
world!

s ig n a s
· S tu d y C o s tu m e D e
Fa s h io n D e s
ig n ig n a s
rn a B F A in h o e , a n d h andbag des
Ea
h o o s e m il li n
e ry, s 6 ,0 0 0 -p ie c e
a m in o r · C m e h is to ry in th e ri e s to
e s · R e s e a rc h c o s tu
d is c ip li n a ry b o u n d a
e le c ti v ro s s ti o n .
o ll e c ti o n · C , a n d a n im a
Gown by: Stephen Ferradino, Class of 2010
n S tu d y C p h ic d e s ig n Photo by: Volker Correll
Fa s h io ti o n , g ra
c o m m u n ic a
p s yc h o lo g y,

Join the fashion revolution: mcd.woodbury.edu/fashiondesign

 Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
Paid
The Official Magazine of the Costume Designers Guild Santa Ana, CA
Permit No. 450
Costume Designers Guild
Local 892–I.A.T.S.E.
11969 Ventura Blvd., First Floor
Studio City, CA 91604
costumedesignersguild.com

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