The costume vault

In the first part of my detailed analysis of the evolving design for the crown in BBC's The Hollow Crown ( here ), I covered the whole first season and the designs for Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V. In this second part, therefore, I'll continue this analysis by covering the second and last season of this Shakespearean adaptation, which includes the plays of Henry VI Part I , Part II and Part III and Richard III . So, without further ado, let's dive in. 4. Henry VI The second season covers the infamous chain of events known as the Wars of the Roses and it begins with Henry's infant son all grown up. Shakespeare's work covers, throughout three plays (which are condensed to two in the show), the tumultuous civil unrest throughout Henry VI's reign and his eventual fall from grace. Henry, as portrayed by the Bard, is a meek young man that despises conflict and prefers to pray than to rule. He is this naive, childlike man who is so pure in his inno...

If there is an element of the Art Department often overlooked by audiences when regarding filmmaking, it's the Prop.              PROP (noun) (IN FILM/THEATRE)               An object used by the actors performing in a play or film:               The only props used in the show are a table, a chair, and a glass of water . But why am I speaking about the prop when this is a Costume Design focused blog? It is true that the prop can be something as far removed from costume as a chair or a plate. But it also can be something that easily and naturally intersects with the Costume Design: a piece of jewelry, a shield or a handbag. It's in those cases when a great prop design can bring a lot of narrative meaning in a similar fashion as Costume Design itself. And it's those cases that I am going to be looking at in here. I am going to dedicate this series to spread the virtues ...

The Scottish Highlands were a very isolated territory for a very long time and, therefore, were considered the backwater of Europe. That's why there is so little documentary evidence regarding fashion in the medieval highlands. Most of the pictorial representations of the time are done centuries later, so there's little reference or base with which to work. Even in later periods, documentation, especially for women's clothing, is sketchy at best. So, how do you design the costumes for a movie set in the medieval Highlands? That's the dilemma that Jacqueline Durran, the costume designer for Macbeth (2015, Justin Kurzel) had to face. Macbeth comes out in cinemas this 25th of December, but I was lucky  enough to watch it early (this past October) at the Sitges Film Festival. Because it hasn't had a wide release yet, and I don't want to spoil the  movie for anyone, in this article I won't focus as much on narrative (as I usuall...