The costume vault

Earlier this year I released my Part I of my Top 10 Film Costume Designs of the Decade list, which covered the number 10 spot all through the number 6 spot. Now (finally) ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, my number 5 through 1! 5. THE DRESSMAKER (Jocelyn Moorhouse, 2015). Costume Design by Marion Boyce and Margot Wilson. The Dressmaker is a story about lies, secrets, and fashion. It feels only natural then, that the movie, despite the tonal whiplash and overall weird storytelling choices, is blessed with a glorious Costume Design. The costumes here are not only eye candy but become an integral part of the story, the characters, and the film's themes. Indeed, such was the scope of the enterprise, costume-wise that they split the Costume Design into the hands of two different Designers. Marion Boyce did all the costumes regarding the townspeople, and Margot Wilson focussed only on the costumes for Winslet's character. The movie explores the true nature of people an...

The dressmaker , despite its many flaws, is a fascinating movie to look at. And what makes it particularly interesting for me, is that it's a movie where the Costume Design happens to be what drives most of the visual narrative of the story. Last week I had a look at Tilly's costume (by Margot Wilson) and how these define her and her arc throughout the movie, but, no matter how impressive Tilly's wardrobe is, it's only one half of the picture. It's Marion Boyce's work on the townsfolk around our main character that completes this mesmerizing ensemble. Because of it, I feel it would be unfair to ignore this other half and therefore chose to divide this into two parts in order to better develop each of the sides. And so, without further ado, let's dive into the other half of this equation. DUNGATAR AND THE MAKEOVER FEVER Dungatar is a fictional run-down street of houses in the middle of the Australian outback that tries to disguise itself as a tow...