Sandy Powell ❤️ plaid
Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 1:00PM ;)
Powell on the set of "The Irishman"by Cláudio Alves
Some auteurists would have you believe that only directors among filmmakers have a distinctive style, a visual language transversal to all their projects. People like Sandy Powell, one of AMPAS' favorite costume designers, defy this logic. Her films share an aesthetic ethos and her taste is ever-present. Notice, for instance, how Powell has a penchant for saturated contrasting colors and bold patterns, often filling the frame with a cacophony of clashing prints. Her approach is so characteristic, in part, because busy textiles aren't something that normally works on camera.
Too much visual information can often distract the audience, dispersing the focus instead of guiding the eye with careful purpose. Powell, however, is capable of making it all work and her films are always bursting at the seams with complicated motifs, be it moiré silks or paisley wools, sequined brocades or floral cotton. Most of all, Powell loves plaid...
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STORMY MONDAY (1988)
Every time I watch a trailer and notice an abundance of quadrangular geometrics in the costumes, my mind immediately goes to Powell and I rush to IMDB to see if the designs are indeed her doing. In case you don't believe me, I've compiled a gallery of images from 1988 onward. Join us, won't you, as we venture in this odyssey through the plaid-tastic cinema of Sandy Powell. Click on the images to make them bigger...
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ORLANDO (1992)
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ROB ROY (1995)
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VELVET GOLDMINE (1998)
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HILARY & JACKIE (1998)
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THE END OF THE AFFAIR (1999)
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FAR FROM HEAVEN (2002)
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GANGS OF NEW YORK (2002)
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SYLVIA (2003)
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THE AVIATOR (2004)
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MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS (2005)
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THE YOUNG VICTORIA (2009)
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SHUTTER ISLAND (2010)
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HUGO (2011)
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THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (2013)
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CINDERELLA (2015)
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CAROL (2015)
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WONDERSTRUCK (2017)
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HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES (2017)
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MARY POPPINS RETURNS (2018)
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THE IRISHMAN (2019)
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THE GLORIAS (2020)
This piece was inspired by the arrival of Carol to Netflix. Go check out what's probably the apotheosis of Powell's use of plaid in costume design.
Reader Comments (12)
What can I say? That's a...lot of plaid!
When I think of Sandy Powell, I tend to think of hats and ties first of all, so this look at her plaid fashions is very welcome!
Edward L. -- Thanks for the kind words. Her Scorsese movies are certainly full of great ties but, as stated in the piece, I always associate her with plaid. There were a lot more examples, especially in extras, that I didn't include.
Hope this article was enjoyable. I wanted to do something sillier than usual, more colorful pictures than overtly complicated verbiage. At the very least, I had a lot of fun screen-capping these pictures.
Love this! My favorites are Orlando, Gangs, Far From Heaven, and The Aviator. Bill the Butcher is one of the best-dressed dandies in film.
So Hilary du Pré and Therese Belivet had the same taste in jumpers (American sense of the word).
It was wonderful to look at all her works exposed like this (not only because I was high and had a lot of fun immersing myself into all these different worlds). Very complete and I noticed a lot of designs that went over my head when watching the films, which is weird considering how much these kind of costumes could stand out in other contexts. I guess that's her magic. She surely works with DPs and art directors and understands their craft as well. Thanks Claudio!
Sandy Powell should have easily won an Oscar for Cinderella.
Cláudio: It was fun. And, I like how you highlight this visual style of someone who isn't a director. So often in our culture, directors get the attention when it comes to visuals. Some cinematographers do too. But craftspeople in other disciplines contribute so much too. And Powell strikes me as a costume designer who doesn't only execute a director's vision but who, often, is hired for her own vision. I can imagine production meetings where thr director or producer says of a script, "We've got to get Sandy Powell for this if we can!" Thanks again for this fascinating article.
Orlando is one of the most wonderful movies ever ever ever.
Plaid is an acquired taste yet she makes it work.
Working stiff -- I was a bit surprised at how similar some of their costumes were too. The silhouettes are very different, but the textile combination is almost the same in some cases.
harmodio -- I would have given it to her for CAROL.
Edward L. -- While I appreciate auteur theory, I get frustrated at how director centric it can often be. Cinema is a collaborative art, like theatre, and many of its makers have individual styles worth appreciating, not just the directors.
Feline Justice -- Glad there are moe ORLANDO fans around here. I absolutely adore it.
I sometimes forget how amazing The Aviator looked. I get and largely share the love for Carol, but the scope of The Aviator - just wow.
Also, Wonderstruck is underrated.
Sandy Powell seems to have that enormous, ever-flowing well of inspiration. I love her work in "The Aviator" and I also can't believe she didn't win in 2015 for either film.