The costume vault

A couple of months ago, I talked extensively about the narrative aspect of the designs for 2006's  Marie Antoinette (see here ). But that's only one half of the story. This movie is, after all, a period piece, so let's have a look at how they translated that period into the costumes. MARIE ANTOINETTE : WORKING WITH AN HISTORICAL BASIS Period accurate pieces are actually the hardest to get by; that is because clothing in past centuries was way more complex and expensive than our 21st century standards. Because of this, most costume designers end up being constricted by their allotted budgets and have to make compromises with accuracy. This was not the case with this movie. Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette had a rather large budget, which allowed renowned designer Milena Canonero the freedom to create period-accurate pieces (the inaccuracies were only added for narrative purposes, not budget constrictions). Because of this, Canonero decided to work off...

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...