Lessons in Costuming: A Designer's Arsenal

Research and Inspiration:

Aside from simply watching films or stage productions; a good amount of research should be done within the subject of art itself. Learn the basics such as the color theories, the principles, etc and then crossover to the history of art and architecture. Is there one artist or a specific type of art that inspires you? Expanding your artistic periphery will build a sound foundation in your mind when it comes to creativity. You will be able to tap into what you've learned and what you've focused on specifically whether its environmental art, abstract, dada, surreal, and so on.

For me, Andy Goldworthy's Environmental art,

and the Contemporary works of Dorian Cleavanger and Luis Royo are what have been my favorite sources.

Tools:

Though Costume Designers nowadays do not have to be artists on paper I still feel its essential for getting your ideas down as close to what you are thinking as possible. There are many who specialize in figure drawing and often work with the Directors or Designers for just that reason; helping put down a lot of ideas in a design.

So, for actual sketching a good hefty set of color pencils, markers, pastels, watercolor pallets and yes even chalk are what will put some real dimension in the design. There are many products for sketching and many well-known brands such as Prisma, but you can make due with your standard set of Mr. Sketch markers and color pencils just in case you can't get your hands on the design-specific mediums. I've used Mr.Sketch since high school and though I've been using Prisma Colors I recommend either.

I've also been using (to this day) standard sketch pads. Depending on what you use to sketch and color you'll need the specific type of paper; but there are sketch pads made for everything from water color, to charcoal to marker.

Drawing:

If you're just starting out with sketching start by just taking a sketch pad wherever you go and just draw what you see. It doesn't matter how it comes out. What is important is that you draw as much as you can on paper; look at all the lines and shadows, everything you see. Try to get as much on paper.

When you want to move on to figure drawing books are always helpful. Look for anything from still life books to fashion sketching books. The Fashion books usually have a croquis for beginners to use. A croquis is a simple sketch of either a man or woman that you can use as a stencil and then add on to the design. They are very good for beginners, and some can make their own croquis and use that for all their designs. It's really up to you.

Designer Spotlight: William Travilla

Designer: William Travilla

Movies: How to Marry a Millionaire, Bus Stop, Adventures of Don Juan

Trivia: Dressed Marilyn Monroe in 8 films and is known for the white Grecian dress she wears in the infamous scene in The Seven Year Itch

There are a lot of Costume Designers that I admire and consider iconic; Edith Head, Orry-Kelly, John Mollo, Trisha Biggar, and more. William Travilla (known professionally as Travilla) is one of those Designers who fits that list. Though most people will instantly recognize his most famous designs (the white Grecian dress Marilyn Monroe wears in The Seven Year Itch and the strapless pink one she wears in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) ,

I actually saw his work in How to Marry a Millionaire. When Marilyn Monroe (an actress he would dress in 8 films) is wearing that stunning strapless mermaid dress that is draped with a single asymmetrical jeweled strap running across her dress in that incredible color I thought "how original!". It was so beautifully done and so simple yet sleek I was an instant fan; his other work only cemented my appreciation.

The Glamour Years of Hollywood have been my favorite period of filmmaking out of all the decades since. There is just a true sense of originality, creativity, class and sex-appeal. It is filled with sheer sophistication.

From what I've seen of his work with Marilyn Monroe I truly believe she was his muse.

I highly recommend you watch all of his work; but my favorite of his would be Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Costume Design-wise)

and Bus Stop (because I feel Marilyn Monroe gave the performance of her life.)

Example: Hero (Spoiler Warning)

Movie: Hero

Director: Zhang Yimou

Costume Designer: Emi Wada

In my previous post: Lessons in Costuming: Symbolism & Color (or Symbolism through Color) I introduced color, its use and its ability to exercise Symbolism in reference to Costume Design.

As I mentioned, examples of this can and be found in many films (Black & White films excluded). One film I would like to use as an example is Hero.

Director Zhang Yimou is a very aesthetic director. And it is no surprise that he saturated this film with Color. Though Zhang Yimou himself admits he and Cinematographer Christopher Doyle used color with no real intent on Symbolism only character perception, that does not mean it can not be used as an example. Each character's perception becomes a perfect example of common philosophical themes associated with color.

Now there are many other places to find a discussion on color in the movie Hero and I recommend reading as many as possible to help you understand how other people have perceived its purpose. As a Costumer you will be working very closely with the Director as well as the Cinematographer and Art Director depending on how the production is organized. A Costumer will need to possess excellent communication skills. Compromise and a confidence in one's creativity and views will coincide in many projects. Simply put you have to stand by your work and yet still be able to bend. But as you grow, you'll work your way through this and work on your flexibility which can be an effective tool in honing your craft.

In the movie Hero, during the Warring States Period China is divided into7 seperate and feudal kingdoms: Qin, Zhao, Han, Wei, Yan, Chu and Qi. Out of these 7, the Qin' King was most obsessed with conquering all the others and becoming China's first Emperor.

Jet Li stars as a nameless warrior on a mission to assassinate the Qin King in order to foil his plan to conquer over the other kingdom's; namely his own Zhao.

But Jet Li is not alone, though the movie begins with Li's character claiming to be a Qin warrior who slayed the three assassins from Zhao who plotted to kill the King; it is revealed that he himself was from Zhao and had plotted with the other three.

This film is told and retold in three stories, and color is heavy in the story, the environment and the perceptions.

Costume Designer Emi Wada created a look that would reflect the time period and setting (Ancient China during the end of the Warring States Period/Early Qin Dynasty) and then alongside Director Yimou incorporated the color themes.

For the women in the movie; Maggie Cheung and Zhang Ziyi, their costumes are a shade or tone lighter/softer than the men's and their make-up follows the mood of each of the color schemes.

Black: Jet Li is seen in the beginning and the end in black. It's part of his disguise since he must appear to be a Prefect in a town within the Qin Kingdom. He wears this as he tells his "story" about defeating the three assassins. Black is also not surprisingly representative of death.

Red: Jet Li's initial story is told in red since it explains a relationship between two of the assassins of the Zhao kingdom. In fact, the Zhao kingdom is represented completely in red. The people of the Zhao kingdom are all dressed in a rich crimson. In these scenes Flying Snow/Maggie Cheung's character is dressed in red as strong as the wall and she is wearing red lipstick and has her hair draped over her face (very much like Broken Sword/Tony Leung in this scene) which is showing a more rebellious and more fiery attitude. This is supposed to show her as passionate and lustful as this is the part of the story that explains her relationship to Broken Sword.

Blue: After the King has heard Li's explanation, he, not believing Li, tells what he "thinks" really occured. This point of view is seen through the color Blue. Blue in this case represents love. Aside from blending in with the background (since it takes place on a lake) it shows how the King believed Flying Snow loved Broken Sword so much she risked her life so that he may live and the plan to fool the King would be successful. Maggie has a much softer look. She is draped in a light blue and wears her hair back, pulled away from her face with a dark almost violet lip color. It's a very serene and somber aura.

Green: Tony Leung's character Broken Sword, tells a story of his own; the story of how he met and fell in love with Flying Snow and how he came to have a revelation to live a life of peace. His story is told in green which is to show the desire for peace, tranquility, serenity and a new life. Though he was able to fight the Qin King, he abandoned the mission. Again, Maggie is in a softer shade of green and her look is lighter; no make-up and hair pulled back.

White: Lastly, the truth of the matter is told through white. White a synonym of honesty and purity through truth. This is the true story. Flying Snow lived her life in hatred because of the death of her father during a battle against Qin. Broken Arrow allows himself to be killed by her in order to prove to her that he does love her eventhough he does not support her in avenging her fathers death and defeating Qin. Flying Snow takes her own life as she can not bear a life without Broken Arrow. Meanwhile, Jet Li's character has now seen that Broken Arrow was right about how the Qin King would be able to unite all of the land and people of China and bring peace to "all under heaven", and spares his life.

Lessons in Costuming: Symbolism & Color (or Symbolism through Color)

When you are watching a film you will find the use of Symbolism to be prevelant. But the Symbolism I am referring to will be in reference to the wardrobe of the characters of that film.
What the character wears, how they wear it, how they dress throughout are important principles in explaining him or her and his or her persona. One very important method in costuming (be it stage or screen) is the use of COLOR.

The Color Theory:

Remember your earliest introduction to color when you were in school? An Art teacher/professor will always being an art class with color; how simple and how complex. Primary Colors are Red, Blue and Yellow. Secondary Colors are Violet/Purple, Green and Orange. Complimentary colors, Tertiary colors, the warm and cool colors and so on and so forth so that you understand just how elemental color is (and you'll realize its not just in art but in everything).

Color, like costuming itself, is a sort of inconspicuous and conspicuous tool.


When you are watching a film you may or may not notice that as the character (or characters) journeys through the film their wardrobe might change as well. Depending on the conflict of the person (or persons in the film) their way of dressing will follow him or her. But that does not mean it would be very obvious, it could be the slightest of changes. Always remember that who they are will be represented in how they speak, how they behave and yes, even how they dress.

For instance in the movie Christine, Keith Gordon's character is introduced as a school nerd who after purchasing a 1958 Plymouth Fury becomes possessed by it causing him to go from weak and passive to a more rebellious character (reflecting the time period of the car).

After reading over the book, actor Keith Gordon (Arnie) and the costume designer came up with a visual way to show Arnie being possessed by Christine. As the movie progresses, Arnie begins to wear clothes that reflect the era of Christine's make. At various points, especially when Arnie is yelling at Leigh on the phone, Arnie is seen wearing button up shirts open with black t-shirts, black pants, and boots like a 1950's "greaser". When he's talking to Junkins (both times), he's wearing a leather vest over a button up shirt (a nod to western TV shows which were popular in the 50's), and he even starts to wear a red suede jacket like James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause
(1955). - movie article on IMDB

This is a perfect example of SYMBOLISM.

As is defined in any English dictionary symbolism is:

The practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships.

In Christine, the main character's (Arnie) wardrobe shifts from early 1980's high school student to a rebellious teen/Greaser from the 1950's. As he is possessed by Christine/the 1958 Plymouth Fury the clothing he dons is symbolic of both his change in attitude (from mousy school nerd to free-spirited, independent and punkish Greaser) and Christine herself. He is becoming her; inheriting her passion and aggression. And it is through color that we can see how Christine and Keith are tied; in some of the later scenes is wearing a red suede jacket; a clear reference to James Dean's iconic role in Rebel Without a Cause and Christine's color.

There are many examples of this in today's film and theatre industries. Many abstract stage productions might dress their actors only black and white, strong and soft colors, eccentric patterns, etc, in order to push the envelope and better express either the mood, the story, the characters, relationships or philosophies of the production.

Symbolism and Color go hand in hand.

I will make sure to show more examples of this exercise in design as well as others more specifically in relation to film as I blog.

So you wanna be a Costume Designer....

My biggest ambition (and the one I hope to fulfill later in life) is to someday work on a Hollywood set as the Costume Designer of the picture; not the wardrobe assistant, not the set dresser, but the designer. I want to be the person's whose imagination, creativity and wardrobe savvy mind was hired.

But for now, I have a long way to go. I'm still in the learning process and I'm taking everything in stride. I have to stay grounded and remember to absorb as much as I can about the actual design process and the aspects of the business. That will take time, patience and an open mind.

Though I'm not an expert; I do feel I can offer some advice and personal accounts (at least in relation to what I've learned myself working in my college productions and the design skills I honed from high school up until now) . So, if you have any questions feel free to ask and I will be as honest as possible and answer as best as I can.

I set up a blog to discuss the great work of many Costumers, the movies, and offer suggestions on what kind of skills would be good to learn, what types of classes or schools will help build these skills and any other related information for those who are curious.