Sandy Powell's Glorious Bluntness "I won for the wrong film!"
Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at 10:00PM 
We've revelled in Sandy Powell's uncensored quotes before - like her dismissive "I already have two of these" speech for Young Victoria.
She's at it again providing us with more choice Oscar quotes and I couldn't resist talking about this tonight since the blog had an unofficial Costume Design day today what with the Exodus video, and the debut of "Threads".
See, recently at the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Chicago, in a series related to David Bowie's legacy and his influence on the arts, the auteur Todd Haynes and his sometime collaborator Sandy Powell were invited to speak about their glam rock classic Velvet Goldmine (1998). You can listen to the complete talk here though be advised that the introductions take an incredible 14 minutes to get through. Longwinded much?
One of the best bits a little before an hour in is when Sandy is asked about being an Oscar favorite, a very mainstream establishment thing, despite the fact that she came up into fame working with very anti-establishment artists like Derek Jarman. Because she is Sandy Powell and can't help herself and we love her for it, she doesn't leave it at "I'm happy to have Oscars"...
Sandy: I'm happy to receive the Oscars for the work I did because I work really hard...so for that reason I'm not going to say I'm not grateful. BUT. I would have loved to have gotten it for some of the other films instead. The year I won for "Shakespeare in Love," I was also nominated for "Velvet Goldmine". I had two nominations in one year and I won it for the wrong one. I think I did manage in my speech to thank Todd.
Todd: She managed to get up there and receive the Oscar for "Shakespeare in Love" without mentioning "Shakespeare in Love" and only mentioning "Velvet Goldmine".
They laugh and this leads to fun memories of the director and costumer going to the Oscars together.
Haynes & Powell's next collaboration is the forthcoming Carol (2015) starring Cate Blanchett and they hint that it will arrive in the Spring though that seems unlikely to me. Given the pedigree we're assuming a Cannes premiere and then a fall bow in theaters, don't you think?
P.S. There's a little wonderful bonus for long time TFE fans in this podcast, too. Our friend and podcast mate Nick Davis is given the microphone at about the 34 minute mark and his ode to Todd & Sandy's collaboration is a thing of fan ardor beauty and he asks a great question too than one presumes Sandy has never been asked about Velvet Goldmine.
(Thanks to faithful reader Murtada for the heads up on this wonderful online find)
Reader Comments (6)
I have never seen Velvet Goldmine. Her lack of modesty when she won her third Oscar was everything. She was feeling greedy because the Academy is weird about giving crafts people multiples while punishing actors for winning one.
Sandy Powell is one of the most fantastic people I have ever met/worked with. Completely devoid of ego in her work and calmly self assured. She deserves every nomination and win she has to her credit and it's no wonder she is first choice of Haynes and Scorsese and otehrs. All you have to do is look at her work.
Her "I already have two of these" was followed by saying that the third was for all the people who work with her on each project. It was hardly the arrogant statement it is claimed to be even if it was a rather indelicate turn of phrase.
Unlike other costume designers, every single person on screen (in my experience anyway) is approved individually by Sandy, not just the leads and day players, every scene (if she had been dressing Ben-Hur, the watch would not be on film). Everyone is in proper, period underwear (because she feels period clothes do not hang properly unless you are wearing same period undergarments---and she is right), proper shoes, jewelry, etc. It's that attention to detail that makes her one of the top people in the business.
Orlando is still one of my favorite pieces of her work along with Edward II and Velvet Goldmine.
Well, she is absolutely right! Not that I don't love Shakespeare in Love's costumes. I mean, Judi's appearances are astonishing -she looks like a peacock in one particular scene - and I believe it helped her winning that divisive Oscar.
My word, that image makes me want to rewatch Velvet Goldmine right now!
But Peggy Sue is right, if you make Judi Dench look like that, that's the movie you're getting the Oscar for.
Henry - i didn't know you worked in movies. That's so cool. Thanks for the insight.
I think ger work in Shakespeare in Love is the better one? I can remember a lot of its striking costumes. Velvet Goldmine was bold but easy in comparision. I love the way some costumes in SiL are restrained and then out of the blue something really beautiful pops up. She deserved that Oscar for Judi Dench alone.