Costume Designer Colleen Atwood: I Could Not Have Come Up With Anything Better

Incorporating all of the goth creepiness one expects from Burton, the film showcases the talent of costume designer Colleen Atwood in creating eccentric fashions from the buttoned-up 1790s and the campy 1970s.

Costume designer Colleen Atwood was more than up to the challenge after numerous previous collaborations with director Tim Burton (her efforts for the director's"Alice in Wonderland" earned her a 2010 Academy Award). This time around, instead of going down the rabbit hole, her challenge was to bring a touch of 18th century style to the coastal Maine of the Me Decade in a way that didn't alienate fans of the original gothic television soap opera, which became a cult classic during its run from 1966 to 1970.

Tim Burton's big-screen remake of "Dark Shadows" might not be everyone's cup of fresh AB-Negative, but since it reunited the director not only with Johnny Depp but with another frequent collaborator -- three-time Academy Award-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood -- on a period movie set in 1972, we knew the costumes would be a rich vein to tap indeed.

My Q&A with Atwood about the costume inspirations (which include everything from a Virginia Slims ad to David Bailey books and DIY crafts) and the provenance of some of the key wardrobe pieces appears in this Sunday's Image section.

Among the things we learned from Atwood? Apparently American heads circa 1972 were a wee bit smaller, something she said made it challenging once she'd found the right vintage sunglasses for the characters.

"And, once I found the perfect pair for Johnny [Depp] I needed to get several pair made -- since he's a principal," she told us. "And I couldn't find anyone here willing to do it. Finally, when I got to London, I found someone there who would rise to the occasion."

For the '70s-inspired costumes, Atwood supplemented her memories of that trendy time with period magazine images. For instance, Eva Green's vengeful witch, Angelique, wears costumes reminiscent of a Virginia Slims cigarette ad. "My inspirations were also Ossie Clark, Biba and early YSL pantsuits -- very sleek women's tailoring."

Achieving cult status - Madonna's also a big fan - Dark Shadows has rarely been off American TV screens ever since.

The actor who many feel was the main reason Dark Shadows reached 20 million viewers in its hey day was leading man Jonathan Frid, who makes a cameo in Burton's movie, saying hello to Johnny at a party. And goodbye to Barnabas Collins, the character he had made him famous, and who was now being channeled by the biggest movie star in the world.

It's a moment made all the more moving by the fact that Jonathan Frid passed away in April, at the ripe old age of 87.

"It certainly adds a whole new layer to his cameo," says Atwood. "And to the movie itself. The love that was there for Jonathan when he shot his scene with Johnny was so apparent, and I'm sure he felt that. To have this big movie star treat you like an idol, that's got to feel pretty good..."

For Frid, that day on set must have also felt like a sort of homecoming, given that three of his former co-stars from the TV series - Lara Parker, Kathryn Leigh Scott and David Selby - were also there for their turns as party guests.
"They were like this dysfunctional family, all meeting up after years of not talking to one another," smiles Atwood. "So, that was emotional to begin with. The nomadic life of the actor often sees people being very, very close during a shoot, and then just not seeing each other again after that. I'm just so glad Jonathan - who was very frail on the set - lived to have this special reunion. He was so excited that the movie was coming out..."

As for Michelle Pfeiffer, who plays the grand dame of the Collins family, she's stuck in an 18th century time warp. "She is very ladylike and still dresses for dinner, telegraphing the family's affluent past," says Atwood. Her costumes are a mix of newly made and vintage, including a black chiffon high-necked dress the costume designer discovered at a Los Angeles thrift store.

Says Atwood: "I could not have come up with anything better. Of course, it fit her perfectly, as everything does."