The costume vault

As I explained in my last Padme-related article, most of her designs in Revenge of the Sith are actually very similar. That was the basic problem when it came to deciding what was going to be the next costume I reviewed. In the end, I opted for the "Delegation gown" because it was the one that offered me the best chance of not repeating myself. This costume was designed for a scene that ended up being cut from the movie (a Delegation meeting in her apartment) and was later repurposed for the scene when Obi-Wan goes to tell her that Anakin has turned to the dark side. This results in the dress being very little on-screen, but that's nothing new to her character. This outfit consists of a long, green, velvet gown, conical in shape, which helps disguise her pregnancy. The gown has a V-neck that's accented with a jeweled pendant with dangling beads. It also has long, loose sleeves. The whole gown is decorated with intricate motifs. The gown also has a hood, w...

One of then first rules of costume design is that it has to feel integrated within the aesthetic choices of the movie. It has to work with the cinematography and the set design. This gets harder when you're working with a director who has a very particular and personal (and weird) vision and look. A director like, let's say, Tim Burton. Burton has a very particular style and every single element in the frame needs to work towards achieving that style. Perhaps that's why he tends to collaborate repeatedly with specific professionals. Like Colleen Atwood. Atwood is a heavyweight of costume design in and on itself; having worked in over 50 movies throughout her career. She's been nominated for an Academy Award eleven times, winning three times (2002's Chicago , 2005's Memoirs of a geisha and 2010's Alice in Wonderland ). She's also worked in movies like; Wyatt Earp (1994), Little Women (1994), Public Enemies (2009) and the recent Into the Wo...