The costume vault

Every genre has its own pre-established set of conventions: a list of characteristics, both visual and narrative, that helps us put them in their neat little boxes. And, though not often considered a genre, the fairy tale format can often be defined in a similar manner. For decades, and thanks to Disney, fairy tales followed a very recognizable set of visual and narrative patterns. But, like many things in the last couple of decades, this format is being tampered with. This is very clearly visible when comparing two movies such as Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman . To clarify, both of these movies have completely zero reasons to exist beyond the fact that the current trend seems to be to remake every single movie that has ever been financially successful. Also, clarify that both movies are bad. You might or might not like them, but they are bad, for very different reasons, but still.... bad is bad. With that said, let's get back on topic. 2012 OR THE...

Despite all the political and religious backdrop, La Reine Margot is, after all, Margot's story. So who is Margot? Marguerite de Valois was the daughter of Henri II of France and Catherine de' Medici and became herself Queen of Navarre and France. Daughter of Kings and sister of Kings, she was never more than a pawn in the power plays of everyone else; being used by her mother, her brothers and later, her husband. She was always an unwilling and rebellious participant into everyone else's grand schemes and still, she tried and rebelled every way she could. This is actually one of her most important defining traits, both in the novel and the movie. So how is that reflected in the costume design? A FORCED MARRIAGE Margot's wedding dress is, undoubtedly, the most iconic gown in the whole movie; and it's the perfect dress in which to introduce our main character. This gown is designed as the perfect synthesis of the Catholic "style...

The European Renaissance spans into a long period of time and has its own characteristics in every one of the different countries where it developed. This is something that is generally ignored in movies, which generally only focus on the span between 1530 and 1580 in England. Therefore, the general image of Renaissance Fashion is that of Tudor Fashion. And so, Mad Love (2001), a Spanish production directed by Vicente Aranda is a welcome break from that monotony. The movie tells the story of Queen Juana of Castile, more commonly known as Juana La Loca (Mad Juana) who is said to have been "loca de amor" (crazy for love). And it takes place between 1496 and 1506 (only covering her married years). The movie takes a highly accurate route both in the sets and the costume departments, creating a mesmerizing image. What makes it so fascinating, partially, is the fact that it focuses on a time period and a place that is often overlooked. So it's very refreshing se...