The costume vault

A good costume design should be able to tell the story solely through dress, creating interdependence between the costume and the character, both becoming two inseparable parts of the same whole. And on that note, the best costume design I've seen in the last years is, undoubtedly the one from Marie Antoinette . The 2006 movie was directed by, at the time, third time director, Sophia Coppola, and the costume design was done by Milena Canonero. Canonero is one of the heavyweights in the business, having been nominated 9 times for best costume at the Academy Awards, and having won 4 of those. Barry Lindon (1975) was her first win, which was followed by the Oscar for Chariots of Fire (1981). Marie Antoinette was the movie that gave her the awaited third Oscar. And this past year, she took home another with The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). Among her body of work, we also find  A Clockwork Orange (1971), The shining (1980), Cotton Club (1984), Out of Africa (1985),...

This journey through Padme's many dresses will continue with the "Purple Senate" Gown from Episode II. Amidala wears this dress in Chancellor Palpatine's officer in the scene after there's been an attempt on her life. And again in a session of the Senate later in the movie. The gown consists of a dark indigo bodice with a low-cut neck and skirt under a dark purple overcoat. The bodice is studded with beads and pearls along the neckline, and the front panel of the skirt and the sleeves are decorated with dark, beaded, scrollwork. The overcoat is decorated with intricate swirls and its shoulders are flared and decorated with beads. The sleeves of the overcoat are long and have a slit through which the sleeves of the bodice show. The long ends of the sleeves are joined at the back with a metal circle decorated with pearls. This design takes much from the same sources that the " packing gown " did. It's very western-oriented, but it...

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I've never been a purist with historical accuracy as long as the changes made have real reasoning behind (generally a narrative or symbolic one). I will always think that La reine Margot (1994) costume design is one of the most gorgeous and smart designs ever, even if said designs' main premise is to purposely bend the period in regards to costume. But there are certain things that bother me in regards to historical accuracy in costume which I realized when I found myself constantly irritated while watching The other Boleyn Girl (2008). This led me to post a question: when is it right to bend history? why is it interesting sometimes? whilst other times it's simply horrendous? To me, when these changes are made for the narrative's sake, I'm usually on board (like the 2012's "Anna Karenina" designs, which mixed the 1870's fashion with 1950's fashion in order to enhance the sense of theatricality and falsehood in Imperial Russia). But wh...