The costume vault

Princess Leia Organa, as played by Carrie Fisher in the original Star Wars trilogy, is one of the biggest female movie icons in movie history, and, without a doubt, the biggest female icon in science-fiction (granted that there aren't that many female characters in the genre, but it's still a major thing). It seemed only logical, under such outstanding qualifications, to have her kick start a new series of articles dedicated to Movie Icons and how their Costume Design helped them become Icons in the first place. If you ask someone what they think of when they hear  Star Wars , they'll probably say; "Yoda", or "the Death Star", or "the lightsabers"... And at one point or another, they'll say "Princess Leia's buns". Her look, particularly in A New Hope , is one of the most visually iconic elements in the movie. And though some people might prefer the "slave bikini" costume from The Return of the Jedi ,...

Up until now I've been focusing exclusively on Peggy Carter, our amazing lead in ABC's canceled Agent Carter , but this retrospective wouldn't be complete unless I also focussed on the wide array of supporting characters that make Peggy's adventures that much more amazing. One must take into account that she is as defined by her own personality as she is by the world around her. But, because there are just so many amazing characters to talk about, in this third entry I am going to just focus on the men in her life and how are they defined through costume design. Why the men? Well, she works in a world of men and, therefore, she is, more often than not, surrounded by men. Before starting, take into consideration that it would have been very easy, considering they are working with a TV budget and that these are supporting characters, to simply dress them all in standard 1940's suits and call it a day. Instead, the designer chose to use the possibilities th...

The spring of 2001 saw the release of Moulin Rouge! unexpectedly shake the movie industry and the box office simultaneously. Despite the many awards, including 8 nominations at the Academy Awards, and the impressive box office numbers, the movie quickly became very polarizing for audiences. Love and hate seemed to be the only two possible reactions to the movie itself. But that should not come as a surprise. The film was directed by Baz Luhrman, who has consistently been, throughout his career, one of the most polarizing filmmakers of his generation. I still have to meet anyone who simply doesn't mind his movies (which include Romeo+Juliet , Australia and The Great Gatsby ); it's either absolute love or absolute loathing. There is no middle ground with him. And that's mainly because he himself doesn't compromise when it comes to his style, which is so characteristic at this point (fast and frantic editing, vivid use of flashy colors and sparkle and stories a...