At this time of year we are seeing many new film releases hitting the cinema screens and with movie award season not far behind us, we find that many of our customers are feeling inspired to create pieces either in tribute to their favourite film costumes or for their own amateur productions and costume conventions. Film costumes are such big business that many of our customers build a fantastic living from replicating legendary costumes and creating new imaginative pieces for theatre groups and drama schools, alone. On the set of any successful film, the costume is an important and often under appreciated aspect of the complete piece and plays and important role in the visual composition of each and every frame of the film. For any film production, regardless of it's scale there will be an entire team of artists who will take into consideration a number of aspects of design including colour and texture of the Fabrics and the shape and line of the designs. Costume designers must work with the lighting and set designers to create a co-ordinated illustration to communicate with the audience and to set the mood and atmosphere as a back drop to the story. Nothing in film costume happens by accident and each item the actor is wearing will have been carefully planned and executed to depict a certain mood or evoke a particular emotion with the viewers.
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Keira Knightley in Atonement[/caption]
Some film costumes are popular simply because they are so gorgeous. The 1930's style emerald green gown worn by Keira Knightley in Atonement was recently voted the most popular movie costume of all time. Sewn using a stunning silk Fabric and designed to hang delicately of the actress' slender frame. Every aspect of this stunning gown was carefully considered by costume designer Jacqueline Durran, not least the striking shade of green. Traditionally, green is used in film to symbolise sinister events and of course the character of Cecelia Tallis is faced with impending doom and tragedy in pre-war Britain which will continue to haunt her for the duration of the story. The costume design seen in films such as Atonement contains subtle imagery which almost sends a subliminal message to it's viewers through the design, colour and texture of the Fabrics selected. In sci-fi movies, the choice of costume design is often much less subtle and is used to create a fantasy world unrecognisable to our own. Designers are given the chance to be much more wildly creative and allow their imagination to run away with them whilst experimenting with Fabrics and even prosthetics. In the 1999 smash The Matrix, we saw the cast clad from head to toe in PVC Fabrics designed to give the actors a very sleek, slick appearance in direct agreement with their characters personalities. In an action movie such as this, it is important for costume designers to think of practicality as well as appearance. The actors would be expected to perform stunts and martial arts in costume so the Fabric selected had to be one that would permit ease of movement and would allow the actors to be strapped into a harness and hang upside down without exposing the intricate workings of their costumes.
Some of the most talked about film costumes in recent years appeared in the smash hit movie trilogy; The Hunger Games. Based on the novels by Suzanne Collins, costumes are such an important aspect of these films that they have almost become a character themselves. Set in post-apocolyptic Panem, the costumes are designed to show the division between the rich inhabitants of the Capitol and the servants populating the surrounding districts. In the first instalment of the trilogy, we see lead character Katniss and her family dressed in costumes made from dark coloured Fabrics which are designed to reflect the drudgery and struggle of daily life in District 12. The dank and depressing outfits of the District 12 inhabitants are in stark contrast to the colourful and intricate costumes worn by the wealthy Capitol characters. The inequality between rich and poor is one of the central themes running through the story so when designing the outfits and selecting the Fabrics, costume designers had to consider how best to represent the struggle of the District residents in comparison to the wealth and privilege of the Capitol and their insatiable hunger for couture fashion in their bold, futuristic world of freedom. The costume designers working on the set of Catching Fire used their expertise in design to convey the greed of the Capitol residents and their obsession with consumerism.
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Katniss' famous Mockingjay Dress from The Hunger Games : Catching Fire[/caption]
Possibly the most anticipated costume of the second instalment, Catching Fire is Katniss' wedding dress. Featuring a metal bodice, layered with silk Fabrics and embellished with Swarovski crystals, the breathtaking gown weighed a massive 25 pounds and has become known simply as "The Mockingjay Dress'. The character of Katniss has been synonymous with 'The Mockingjay' since the first movie when it becomes a symbol of hope and rebellion against The Capitol. When Katniss takes to the stage for the 75th Hunger Games, she is dressed in a long white gown and pearl necklace, the outfit in which she was supposed to marry Peeta before being summoned back to the arena. Unbeknownst to Katniss, when she is instructed by her stylist to twirl and lift her arms, her wedding dress rises up in flames and smoke and she becomes The Mockingjay. The dress is a message to the uprising districts that the rebellion is still alive and Katniss is their symbol of hope. When designing the costumes for Catching Fire, Trish Summerville and her team used silk, organza and chiffon Fabrics and a laser cutting technique to achieve the key elements in making this one of the most anticipated film costumes of all time.
Film costume is an important narrative between the character and the viewer, when watching a film you may notice that a characters costume will change and evolve with the character representing the characters journey and depicting their mood and emotions. These changes are often very subtle but it is something worth thinking about next time you settle down to watch a film. Of course, accuracy is important particularly in period or historical pieces however, when selecting Fabrics and designing outfits, costume designers must work closely with the director to capture their vision. In remakes of historical drama, costumes are often not an exact replica of that period's clothing and in order to portray a particular mood or emotion a costume designer may work with a specific colour palette which sometimes results in clothing which is not quite the correct colour for that time. Like anything in Hollywood, costume designers will use a certain element of artistic licence to convey a message to the audience and to portray an element of Hollywood glamour to the expectant audience whose priority is to be dazzled and entertained.
Hollywood film costumes, where money is no object are lavish and complex and designers are able to experiment with any kind of Fabric at their disposal. On a smaller scale for amateur productions and costume conventions you do not need expensive materials and Fabrics to recreate your favourite film and period costumes. Our extensive range of Fabrics includes everything you will need to create a period piece, a futuristic sci-fi costume or a glamorous gown.
Have you used any of our Fabrics for stage or screen costume? As always, we love to see your creations on our Facebook page.
Keira Knightley in Atonement[/caption]
Some film costumes are popular simply because they are so gorgeous. The 1930's style emerald green gown worn by Keira Knightley in Atonement was recently voted the most popular movie costume of all time. Sewn using a stunning silk Fabric and designed to hang delicately of the actress' slender frame. Every aspect of this stunning gown was carefully considered by costume designer Jacqueline Durran, not least the striking shade of green. Traditionally, green is used in film to symbolise sinister events and of course the character of Cecelia Tallis is faced with impending doom and tragedy in pre-war Britain which will continue to haunt her for the duration of the story. The costume design seen in films such as Atonement contains subtle imagery which almost sends a subliminal message to it's viewers through the design, colour and texture of the Fabrics selected. In sci-fi movies, the choice of costume design is often much less subtle and is used to create a fantasy world unrecognisable to our own. Designers are given the chance to be much more wildly creative and allow their imagination to run away with them whilst experimenting with Fabrics and even prosthetics. In the 1999 smash The Matrix, we saw the cast clad from head to toe in PVC Fabrics designed to give the actors a very sleek, slick appearance in direct agreement with their characters personalities. In an action movie such as this, it is important for costume designers to think of practicality as well as appearance. The actors would be expected to perform stunts and martial arts in costume so the Fabric selected had to be one that would permit ease of movement and would allow the actors to be strapped into a harness and hang upside down without exposing the intricate workings of their costumes.
Some of the most talked about film costumes in recent years appeared in the smash hit movie trilogy; The Hunger Games. Based on the novels by Suzanne Collins, costumes are such an important aspect of these films that they have almost become a character themselves. Set in post-apocolyptic Panem, the costumes are designed to show the division between the rich inhabitants of the Capitol and the servants populating the surrounding districts. In the first instalment of the trilogy, we see lead character Katniss and her family dressed in costumes made from dark coloured Fabrics which are designed to reflect the drudgery and struggle of daily life in District 12. The dank and depressing outfits of the District 12 inhabitants are in stark contrast to the colourful and intricate costumes worn by the wealthy Capitol characters. The inequality between rich and poor is one of the central themes running through the story so when designing the outfits and selecting the Fabrics, costume designers had to consider how best to represent the struggle of the District residents in comparison to the wealth and privilege of the Capitol and their insatiable hunger for couture fashion in their bold, futuristic world of freedom. The costume designers working on the set of Catching Fire used their expertise in design to convey the greed of the Capitol residents and their obsession with consumerism.
[caption id="attachment_6610" align="alignright" width="181"] Katniss' famous Mockingjay Dress from The Hunger Games : Catching Fire[/caption]
Possibly the most anticipated costume of the second instalment, Catching Fire is Katniss' wedding dress. Featuring a metal bodice, layered with silk Fabrics and embellished with Swarovski crystals, the breathtaking gown weighed a massive 25 pounds and has become known simply as "The Mockingjay Dress'. The character of Katniss has been synonymous with 'The Mockingjay' since the first movie when it becomes a symbol of hope and rebellion against The Capitol. When Katniss takes to the stage for the 75th Hunger Games, she is dressed in a long white gown and pearl necklace, the outfit in which she was supposed to marry Peeta before being summoned back to the arena. Unbeknownst to Katniss, when she is instructed by her stylist to twirl and lift her arms, her wedding dress rises up in flames and smoke and she becomes The Mockingjay. The dress is a message to the uprising districts that the rebellion is still alive and Katniss is their symbol of hope. When designing the costumes for Catching Fire, Trish Summerville and her team used silk, organza and chiffon Fabrics and a laser cutting technique to achieve the key elements in making this one of the most anticipated film costumes of all time.
Film costume is an important narrative between the character and the viewer, when watching a film you may notice that a characters costume will change and evolve with the character representing the characters journey and depicting their mood and emotions. These changes are often very subtle but it is something worth thinking about next time you settle down to watch a film. Of course, accuracy is important particularly in period or historical pieces however, when selecting Fabrics and designing outfits, costume designers must work closely with the director to capture their vision. In remakes of historical drama, costumes are often not an exact replica of that period's clothing and in order to portray a particular mood or emotion a costume designer may work with a specific colour palette which sometimes results in clothing which is not quite the correct colour for that time. Like anything in Hollywood, costume designers will use a certain element of artistic licence to convey a message to the audience and to portray an element of Hollywood glamour to the expectant audience whose priority is to be dazzled and entertained.
Hollywood film costumes, where money is no object are lavish and complex and designers are able to experiment with any kind of Fabric at their disposal. On a smaller scale for amateur productions and costume conventions you do not need expensive materials and Fabrics to recreate your favourite film and period costumes. Our extensive range of Fabrics includes everything you will need to create a period piece, a futuristic sci-fi costume or a glamorous gown.
Have you used any of our Fabrics for stage or screen costume? As always, we love to see your creations on our Facebook page.