The costume vault

A couple of months later than usual due to this pandemic thing that has been messing with everyone's schedules, the nominations for this year's Academy Awards are finally out! And as is traditional in this blog, I'll do a quick recap of the nominees for Best Costume Design. Before we start, just a brief disclaimer. This is neither a review of the nominees nor an actual essay. These are just my most honest thoughts about the movies they nominated this year for Costume Design, two of which I haven't managed to see yet. I might change my mind about them later when I get around to seeing them. It happens sometimes, and that's ok. EMMA. Costume Design by Alexandra Byrne. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Autumn de Wilde's directorial debut adaptation of Jane Austen's novel is the best period film I've seen in a while. It's joyful, charming, romantic, sexy and mean, all rolled in one. It also happens to be the best adaptation of Emma ever...

Good day, beautiful readers!! The votes are in. The poll has officially been closed. It has been quite a tight race, but we have a winner! Without further ado, with the 26,2% of the votes, my next article, as chosen by you, will be...  Padme's Annex covering the costumes for Revenge of The Sith ! With a bit of luck, next week it will be done and delivered into your anxious little hands. I'll try my best. As for those who voted for any other option, fret not, I will also get around writing them. I  can't really guarantee when, but I  will do it at some point. Thank you so much to all of you who've participated and shown so much interest, and also to all of you who follow, support and shower the blog with love. Thank you! I must say that some of you have really made me quite emotional with your responses letting me know for how long you've been reading this blog, and I'm so incredibly touched. To know that something that started as a hobby and that is basically a ...

Oh boy! 2020 has certainly not gone the way anyone expected. It's Agust already and nothing has turned up the way I expected.  Last time, I talked to you I was considering launching a Patreon Site for the blog. And  I was actually working on it when this whole COVID situation blew up in our faces. Given the dire situation that many people find themselves in, I understand that a lot of people won't be able to afford a subscription right now and this got me thinking. So, instead, I decided to launch an option with which I'm way more comfortable. If you like what I do in this blog, and if you'd like to show your appreciation,  consider buying me a Coffee !  What am I talking about? Why am I suddenly raving about coffee? Have I finally gone insane? Probably, but this time it makes sense. I've decided to open a ko-fi site.  What is ko-fi? It is a tip jar. Simple as that. If you like the content I create and wonder how to support the blog, leave a tip and a message !...

As I suppose you are all aware, I've written extensively about the costumes for Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars Prequels in this blog. It seems only logical, this is, after all, a blog dedicated to Costume Design, and hers is pretty iconic and vast. You can find all my articles dedicated to her here . Unfortunately, it seems my thoughts and opinions on the matter have not been welcomed by some, as I've gotten a lot of messages violently asking me why I hate Padmé Amidala's costume design, and even, sometimes, going as far as to accuse me of hating the character itself. This has left me a bit worried, and I thought it was time for sharing some honest thoughts on the matter. EPISODE I: I'M NOT PARTICULARLY FOND OF THESE MOVIES I've certainly claimed this a lot. And it's true. It is a true statement not only for me but for a lot of people as well if the internet is to be believed. Still, somehow, some people have taken this claim to mean that as I do not like the mo...

This week I'll briefly expand on more of the recommendations I've been posting on social media so you'll be able to make a more informed decision when choosing your choice entertainment for the afternoon. This time I'll cover the final recommendations I made from April 30th to May 2nd. Recommendation for APRIL 30th Here I go with my controversial opinions. I absolutely can’t stand Thomas Hardy’s classic FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD. It’s one of the few books I couldn’t actually finish. And yet, I love this adaptation. Thomas Vinterberg combines vibrant colors with intimate natural light in a rich and tactile take on this rather simple story. Carey Mulligan is radiant and fierce as Bathseba and gives the character a strength that I could not find in the original novel. As for the costume design, an array of simple gowns, floral prints, and gorgeous bonnets constitute the wardrobe for this love story. Here Janet Patterson brings froward her usual taste and simplicity and pu...

This week I'll briefly expand on more of the recommendations I've been posting on social media so you'll be able to make a more informed decision when choosing your choice entertainment for the afternoon. This time I'll cover the recommendations I made from April 20th to April 29th. Recommendation for APRIL 20th 2016′s Spy-thriller ALLIED is a rather mediocre movie. It’s entertaining but hardly original. Still, there are two saving graces in this movie: the first one is the always splendid performance of Marion Cotillard, who continues to prove that she is one of the best actresses of her generation, and the second one is the stunning costume design. And by stunning, I mean STUNNING.  The main idea behind the design was to recreate the look and feel of the Golden Age of Hollywood. To bring back to life the world of glamour that Dietrich and Bergman inhabited in the 30s and 40s. And it needed to feel natural to the story and the characters whilst also managing to visuall...

This week I'll briefly expand on more of the recommendations I've been posting on social media so you'll be able to make a more informed decision when choosing your choice entertainment for the afternoon. This time I'll cover the recommendations I made from April 10th to April 19th. Recommendation for APRIL 10th Tiny disclaimer: I die for the Baroque aesthetic, so I’m not very impartial of the assessment of this film. With that out of the way: let’s move forward with today’s recommendation. VATEL is a story that talks about the individual and free will in a world where everyone is keenly aware of their place and the need to stay in it. It’s talking about a world divided into two groups: those who have (the King and Court), and those who don’t (the working classes). And these two ideas are the central guidelines that dictate the visual design for this movie. That division is created mainly through the costume design, by establishing very clear looks for both groups, the ...