The Movie Marie Antoinette Costume

Marie Antoinette - 2006: Born as an archduchess in Austria on November 2 nd 1755, Marie Antoinette was married at 14 to the Dauphine of France, Louis XVI and later became Queen at the tender age of 19. Chosen by her mother, the empress Maria Theresa, to wed to seal a union between France and Austria , Marie Antoinette has all her foreign items relinquished and is married quite suddenly without being given much time to get used to her new home. She is expected to forget Vienna , Austria and embrace Versailles , France . Antoine, as she was known, and Dauphine Louis are expected to consummate the marriage immediately to produce an heir, but this situation is found to not be anticipated for Dauphine Louis.
With an unrewarding marriage, Antoine must also bear the brute of the Versailles courtiers who not only consider her a foreigner, but also blame her for not having a child. She has to learn to get accustomed to an excessively helped lifestyle, which includes being dressed by another and being fed at an enormous table with large exhibits of food to be eaten only by herself and her husband, surrounded by hundreds of nobles who eye her every move. She further offends them by unconsciously defying French formality by participating on hunting excursions, clapping at the opera, snubbing royal and aristocracy members and giving food to animals. Struggling with this new lifestyle, Antoine finds comfort by spoiling herself and living in luxury, dabbling in gambling, buying expensive gowns and eating lavish baked goods.
With a lot of pressure to become pregnant, Antoine attempts several times to seduce Dauphine Louis and says she will be humiliated if her sister-in-law gives birth before her, which eventually she does. In shame, Antoine continues in her spending sprees ignoring France 's political and financial situation. She remains indifferent to the common French people and continues to indulge in her luxurious, almost reckless lifestyle, further perpetuating their dislike for her. After a few years, she finally has children with her husband and begins to become less of a socialite and more of a mother. Antoine is soon mother to Marie Therese, Louis Joseph, Louis Charles and Sophie Beatrix. Louis Joseph and Sophie Beatrix unfortunately pass away, leaving the other two remaining. The French Revolution is at its peak and has begun their march from Paris to Versailles , forcing the family to flee.

Hero Movie Costume

In my previous post: Lessons in Costuming: Symbolism & Color (or Symbolism through Color) I introduced color, its use and its ability to exercise Symbolism in reference to Costume Design.
As I mentioned, examples of this can and be found in many films (Black & White films excluded). One film I would like to use as an example is Hero.
Director Zhang Yimou is a very aesthetic director. And it is no surprise that he saturated this film with Color. Though Zhang Yimou himself admits he and Cinematographer Christopher Doyle used color with no real intent on Symbolism only character perception, that does not mean it can not be used as an example. Each character's perception becomes a perfect example of common philosophical themes associated with color.

Now there are many other places to find a discussion on color in the movie Hero and I recommend reading as many as possible to help you understand how other people have perceived its purpose. As a Costumer you will be working very closely with the Director as well as the Cinematographer and Art Director depending on how the production is organized. A Costumer will need to possess excellent communication skills. Compromise and a confidence in one's creativity and views will coincide in many projects. Simply put you have to stand by your work and yet still be able to bend. But as you grow, you'll work your way through this and work on your flexibility which can be an effective tool in honing your craft.
For the women in the movie; Maggie Cheung and Zhang Ziyi, their costumes are a shade or tone lighter/softer than the men's and their make-up follows the mood of each of the color schemes.
Red: Jet Li's initial story is told in red since it explains a relationship between two of the assassins of the Zhao kingdom. In fact, the Zhao kingdom is represented completely in red. The people of the Zhao kingdom are all dressed in a rich crimson. In these scenes Flying Snow/Maggie Cheung's character is dressed in red as strong as the wall and she is wearing red lipstick and has her hair draped over her face (very much like Broken Sword/Tony Leung in this scene) which is showing a more rebellious and more fiery attitude. This is supposed to show her as passionate and lustful as this is the part of the story that explains her relationship to Broken Sword.

Blue: After the King has heard Li's explanation, he, not believing Li, tells what he "thinks" really occured. This point of view is seen through the color Blue. Blue in this case represents love. Aside from blending in with the background (since it takes place on a lake) it shows how the King believed Flying Snow loved Broken Sword so much she risked her life so that he may live and the plan to fool the King would be successful. Maggie has a much softer look. She is draped in a light blue and wears her hair back, pulled away from her face with a dark almost violet lip color. It's a very serene and somber aura.

White: Lastly, the truth of the matter is told through white. White a synonym of honesty and purity through truth. This is the true story. Flying Snow lived her life in hatred because of the death of her father during a battle against Qin. Broken Arrow allows himself to be killed by her in order to prove to her that he does love her eventhough he does not support her in avenging her fathers death and defeating Qin. Flying Snow takes her own life as she can not bear a life without Broken Arrow. Meanwhile, Jet Li's character has now seen that Broken Arrow was right about how the Qin King would be able to unite all of the land and people of China and bring peace to "all under heaven", and spares his life.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Costume

I've described Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy to friends as "a movie about grey-faced men in suits looking at each other suspiciously", although a slightly more accurate description would be that it's a British spy thriller set in the 1970s, starring Gary Oldman as a spy brought out of retirement to track down a double agent in the upper echelons of MI6. It's full of reticent Englishmen (Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy...) staring at each other expressionlessly as they try to figure out who is double-crossing whom, and it's freaking awesome. (N.B. Don't worry -- this post is spoiler-free.)
No one in Tinker, Tailor is dressed ostentatiously, and it would've looked out of place if they had been. The setting is (mostly) London in the early 1970s, but it's not the '70s of David Bowie, it's the '70s of chilly civil service offices during the Cold War, where feminism hasn't really hit yet. There are women working at MI6, but they're mostly office aides working silently in the background.
George Smiley
Gary Oldman's character may be the focus of the story, but he's as sombrely dressed as he is quiet in personality. He's neat, he's efficient, he's dogged, and his clothing gives away about as much as his complete lack of outward emotional expression.
According to an interview with the costume designer, Gary Oldman wears two (very similar) grey suits in the film, but I'm damned if I can tell the difference. Everything about him is designed to fade into the background. He's one of the old guard of British spies, quiet men who lived through the War and are slightly out of place in the changing world of the 1970s.
The one time we see him make contact with the world outside the Cold War machinations of "the Circus" (British Intelligence's nickname for itself) is when he goes to meet with his former colleague at her new job, running a hostel for students:
Check out how 70s her shirt is! Is that an artificial fibre I see? (Gary Oldman, on the other hand, looks like he only just noticed that WWII rationing is over.) I loved this scene for its juxtaposition of the buttoned-up Smiley and the young, hippie-ish kids dressing up and fooling around nearby in the hostel.
Guillam
Guillam, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, is Smiley's second in command and the youngest of those working at MI6. He's a bit more modern, and unused to the ruthlessness of the older agents who already lived through one World War.
His trousers have got a bit of a flair. His hair is more modern than that of the other agents. Compared to the older men, who have been wearing either rigid woollen school uniform, rigid woollen military uniform or three-piece suits since birth and have never once considered the possibility of self-expression, he's practically a dandy.

Anne Of Avonlea Costume

If you are as much of an Anne of Avonlea costume fan as I am, I’m sure you will love my upcoming film costume project!  Watching Anne of Avonlea when I was fourteen years old was probably one of the main things that got me interested in historical costumes in the first place, and it’s little wonder considering the fabulously meticulous Edwardian gowns this film is famous for.
There’s something so feminine and enthralling about Martha Mann’s costume designs that make me want to watch the movie over and over again.  And with all those lacy, beribboned dresses, I don’t know how Anne Shirley always went around in such a depressed mood!  How can you be completely “down in the dumps” when you have such a sumptuous wardrobe?
Costume designer Martha Mann was perfect for the Anne of Green Gables film series, as she insisted on absolute authenticity right down to the petticoats and corset covers, and had in fact met Lucy Maud Montgomery herself as a young girl! Miss Mann’s grandmother was good friends with Montgomery, and had arranged for Martha to have tea with Lucy many years prior to the film’s production.  No doubt this chance meeting in her childhood gave her unique insight into what Lucy Maud Montgomery’s characters would have worn had they lived in real life.
Both the Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea films were overflowing with elegant blouses, graceful tea dresses, queenly Edwardian suits, and the most incredible evening gowns!  I believe it would be safe to say that these two films have inspired more women to take up costuming perhaps more than any other period costume movie of recent history.  In fact, while traveling with Sense & Sensibility Patterns’ designer Jennie Chancey in England, I was discussing with her what had inspired her to begin costuming, and her reply was – “Anne of Green Gables”.
Since I love all of Anne Shirley’s and Diana Barry’s costumes I hardly know where to start, but a surprise find of 12 yards of peachy-pink bengaline moire’ (a rarity nowadays) launched me into the exciting project of recreating Diana Barry’s Going Away Dress.  Remember that striking Edwardian gown that Diana wore for just a few minutes between her wedding and her departure in the carriage?  I’ll admit that this costume probably isn’t as instantly recognized as others simply because it was shown for a short amount of time, but I fell in love with Diana’s dress the first time I saw it.

Dangerous Beauty Movie Costume

Dangerous Beauty - 1998: Veronica Franco is an poet whos family lives off of a modest income in 16th Century Venice, Italy. She falls in love with her wealthy best friends older brother Marco, but due to her lack of a dowry and social/political stature, Veronica's true love Marco is betrothed to marry another woman. Veronica's mother in turn teaches her to be a Courtizan. Courtizans are the only women of their time who are able to study literature, history, language, etc. and attend functions where they can partake in political discussions and other current events. (Courtizans also served as prostitutes, but were considered to be the most beautiful women in all of Venice). Veronica becomes a very successful Courtizan and popular amongst her society. Marco is married now, but is still in love with Veronica, although now she refuses to take him on as a client. Suddenly a war breaks out between Italy and Greece. The country calls upon King Henry of England to lend them ships to fight the war.
Legendary costume designer Theoni Aldredge died on Jan. 21. The next day, Soyon An began technical rehearsals for the premiere of the musical Dangerous Beauty at the Pasadena Playhouse, which features An’s haute couture attire. Sheldon Epps, artistic director of the Playhouse, saw it as a passing of the torch.
Aldredge won three Tonys (Annie, Barnum, La Cage Aux Folles) and an Oscar (The Great Gatsby). That An, a two-time Emmy Award-winning designer (So You Think You Can Dance) should make her theatrical design debut at 29, just as Broadway lost its 78-year-old icon, prompted Epps to discuss An as a possible successor.
“I think [Aldredge] was one of the greatest costume designers ever,” he offers. “I always remember those original Dreamgirls costumes. Not because they were beautiful, but what they did theatrically: the way in which they made those onstage changes was stunning work. So you start to think about lineage and who’s coming along. Soyon’s certainly in that kind of line, from my point of view, of truly great designers. She’s quite brilliant. If she wants to continue working in the theater, I think she’ll have every opportunity to do that.”