A Celebration of Jacqueline Durran

by Murtada Elfadl

Florence Pugh and Durran on the set of Little Women

Though not as well known as preeminent costume designers and Oscar-magnets Sandy Powell and Colleen Atwood, Jacqueline Durran has quietly been building a stellar reputation over a two decade career. She is best known for her collaborations with Mike Leigh and Joe Wright, though in the last few years she's expanded her repertoire of directors and costumed movies such as Macbeth, Beauty and the Beast and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

This year she worked with Sam Mendes in creating WW1 military garb in 1917 and with Greta Gerwig dressing the March sisters in Little Women. The latter marks her 7th Oscar nomination. She's won once before.   Let’s take a look back at some of the highlights of her career...

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Year in Review: Style Icons of the Big Screen

by Cláudio Alves

As an obsessive list-maker, to write a top ten for The Film Experience's Year in Review was more of a dream come true than a challenge. As we're in festive times, I decided to give myself a gift, by fusing one obsession with another. Cinema, costume design and list-making all consumed my Christmas Eve afternoon in a haze of sartorial glory. Looking back at the movies of 2019, from opulent period pieces to humble contemporary dramas, I went in search of the year's greatest style icons. Not those of real life, obviously, but the ones who graced the silver screen.

In decades to come, we may look at them as we now look at Darth Vader's sinister countenance or Holly Golightly's Givenchy clad figure. Who knows? More than predicting future icon-status, this is a list of personal favorites, though.

Without further ado, let's celebrate 2019's style icons, but first, some honorary mentions…

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The Best Costumes of the Star Wars Saga

by Cláudio Alves

When I was a child my dad gifted me with the tapes of the original Star Wars trilogy and then took me to see The Phantom Menace when I was just five. Other kids left the theatre thinking of pod races and cool fights, but what most fascinated me were Queen Amidala's astounding costumes. As soon as I got home I started sketching ideas of what other crazy attires she could have worn and an obsession with movie costumes was born. I'd only consider dedicating my college studies to it many years later, but that didn't stop me from filling boxes full of drawings of the Naboo Queen and her mother in a variety of extravagant fashions.

In honor of the end of the Skywalker saga, let's take a look back to the franchise's many chapters in search of its very best costumes. Costume design is one of the few elements where the quality never wavered across nine movies, despite a single costume design nomination and win from the Academy (for the 1977 original).

There was plenty to choose from. To avoid any character dominating the list, the self-imposed limitation is one costume per character. 

Honorable Mentions: The many permutations of the Jedi's classic garb including Darth Maul's black version of it, Snoke's red Pretorian guard, Queen Apailana's funereal splendor and the jacket Finn got from his sexy boyfriend...

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Costume Designers Guild Nominations

by Murtada Elfadl

The costume guild nominations were announced today and some of the titles expected were indeed nominated. Ruth E Carter for Dolemite Is My Name, Arianne Phillis for Once Upon a Time….. In Hollywood and Julian Day in Rocketman. All in the Period Film category. 

However, surprise no shows were The Irishman, Little Women, and Judy. Perhaps because it mainly has suits and no showy gowns and dresses, The Irishman was omitted. But then how do we explain them passing on Judy? After getting only 2 Golden Globe nominations does this spell doom for Little Women’s awards chances? Or has it started screening too late for this year’s earlier deadlines?

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Singular Style: Laura Dern in "Marriage Story"

by Cláudio Alves

Some films have overtly brilliant costume design with sprawling wardrobes that call attention to their magnificence at every turn. Others shine in less showy ways, sometimes withholding their potential for sartorial spectacle until the right moment. A stylish coat can alter the way we look at a character. A bold pop of color can transform a scene's emotional tonalities. A singular stylistic choice can make all the difference.

Marriage Story is a good example of this sort of costume design. Mark Bridges isn't unfamiliar with epic feats of costumery but he knows when to hold back and sacrifice aesthetic splendor for the sake of character building. When it comes to Laura Dern's Nora, a savvy L.A. lawyer, his work gets a bit showier. This is a woman who knows her looks can be a weapon, even in a world of grumpy judges and boring office meetings. It's only sensible that her costumes are more attention-grabbing than the other characters' outfits…

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