The costume vault

Despite all the political and religious backdrop, La Reine Margot is, after all, Margot's story. So who is Margot? Marguerite de Valois was the daughter of Henri II of France and Catherine de' Medici and became herself Queen of Navarre and France. Daughter of Kings and sister of Kings, she was never more than a pawn in the power plays of everyone else; being used by her mother, her brothers and later, her husband. She was always an unwilling and rebellious participant into everyone else's grand schemes and still, she tried and rebelled every way she could. This is actually one of her most important defining traits, both in the novel and the movie. So how is that reflected in the costume design? A FORCED MARRIAGE Margot's wedding dress is, undoubtedly, the most iconic gown in the whole movie; and it's the perfect dress in which to introduce our main character. This gown is designed as the perfect synthesis of the Catholic "style...

Too often we, as viewers, tend to forget the symbolic and iconic value of color and how it can create ideas only by being there. This is very relevant in paintings, but also, on film; through the set design, the cinematography and, of course, the costume design. The 1994's French adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' novel is a movie that uses that at it's fullest potential, creating a stunningly beautiful (and very well-orchestrated) spectacle of death. The movie, directed by Patrice Chéreau, is a tale of intrigue, murder and gore that centers around death itself, and so, the heavy crimsons of blood are a constant presence in the frame; from the sets to the props to the beautiful brocaded gowns. And it is color that takes center stage in the designs in order to clearly separate the two opposing factions in the narrative: Catholics and protestants. CATHOLICS The movie starts with a country divided into two factions that will eventually collide with horrifying co...

Any costume designer needs to take into account certain key elements when tackling a movie; when does it happen? Where does it happen? To whom does it happen? La Reine Margot is a 1994's movie directed by Patrice Chérau (best known for his work as a theater director) and it's a French adaptation of one of Alexandre Dumas' most iconic novels. The resulting piece is a highly confrontational take on Dumas' story. It's harsh in its imaginary and uncompromising in its interpretation. And all in all, strangely faithful to its source material; both thematically and in tone. "Paris est un cimentière"   - Margot- The movie was awarded third-place Jury Prize at the 1994's Cannes Film Festival, and is one of the most critically acclaimed Dumas' adaptations. The costumes for the movie were done by the German-born designer: Moidele Bickel and this movie earned her an Academy Award nomination for Costume Designs. Her work has basically been...