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Academy Award-nominated costume designers discuss the work that garnered an Oscar nod

From Clare West to Piero Tosi, costume designers have offered filmgoers some of the most spectacular designs on the silver screen. As artists and historians, these designers have helped create entire worlds on film. California Apparel News manufacturing editor Claudia Figueroa recently spoke with the five Academy Award nominees for Best Costume Design in 2002.

Julie Weiss “Frida”

Julie Weiss, nominated for “Frida,” is a previous Oscar nominee for “Twelve Monkeys.” Her other credits include “American Beauty,” “Searching for Bobby Fischer,” “Auto Focus” and “The Ring.” She is currently working on “The Missing,” a Ron Howard film starring Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones.

Working on “Frida”—she was an unconventional woman—must have been a big departure from some of your other films.

Frida was a nontraditionalist who wore traditional clothing. She wore traditional pieces that represent regional dress, working-class people. By wearing them out of context, she understood the beat of her fellow countrymen. My job is a storyteller, to help create a world on film. I have always made costumes for films in which the main character is someone who becomes extraordinary by the end of the film. That is what I am most proud of about my work.

How did you prepare for the role of costume designer?

I studied her paintings and read her biography. I also visited Coyoacan, where the Frida Kahlo museum [once her house] is located near Mexico City. She left behind an expansive visual diary with her work.

How many costume changes were in the film?

Between 75 and 80.

There are several ways in the film in which her art is brought to life hellip;

Part of it was working with an actress like Salma Hayek, who knows so much about Frida. Salma’s costumes became her clothing. When an actor can merge with a character so completely, the costume becomes very natural.

How did you create the costumes for the film?

Some of the costumes were purchased or made from fabrics we bought in Oaxaca, Mexico. Others were rented from costume houses in Los Angeles.

Some of the pieces included a Tehuana top, rebozos [Mexican shawls] and dresses. We found several pieces from the same region [Oaxaca] in Mexico. A community of people enthusiastic about the filmmakers portraying Frida correctly came forward and shared their knowledge about her wardrobe and jewelry pieces. One was a tailor who remembered seeing Frida at church and who made a suit for Diego [Rivera, her husband]. Frida knew how to combine treasures and trinkets. She had a level of style that commanded respect.

Were you able to make patterns from Frida’s actual clothing?

Someone came forward with one of her blouses and let us reproduce it. I studied what was left behind at Coyoacan. There are some pieces at the museum, and we tried to re-create them in a respectful way. You design them in a way that the tapestry of her wardrobe is fluid, whether or not they had been in existence. You don’t want the audience to know whether or not the costumes actually existed or were inspired by her paintings.

What was it like working in Mexico?

In Mexico City, the spirit of Frida and Diego Rivera is still very much alive. It was inspiring to work in that kind of environment. The generosity we were shown in Mexico while we made the film makes it an honor toallow this woman and the world around her to exist one more time.

Sandy Powell “Gangs of New York”

Sandy Powell designed the costumes for “Gangs of New York.” She is a previous Oscar winner for “Shakespeare in Love.” Her other Academy Award nominations were for “The Wings of the Dove” and “Orlando.”

In addition to designing period costumes for “Shakespeare in Love” and “Interview With a Vampire,” you also created contemporary pieces, such as those in “The Crying Game.” Which type of film do you prefer?

I prefer period films. Contemporary costume design is not as easy as people think. There are so many opinions on how the actors should be dressed in contemporary films. You try to find ways to make the characters stand out in their environment, but they also have to look believable. There is more research involved in period costumes. I find that aspect of costume design very fascinating. But, I just finished designing costumes for a film called “Ted and Sylvia,” starring Gwyneth Paltrow as the late poet Sylvia Plath. The film takes place between 1956 and 1963.

What type of research did you do for “Gangs of New York”?

I read Herbert Asbury’s book, “The Gangs of New York,” and I studied the illustrations in it. I also studied daguerreotype photographs of immigrants who inhabited lower Manhattan [in the Bowery and Five Points] between 1846 and 1863, which is when the film takes place.

How long did you work on “Gangs of New York”?

About 12 months.

How many costumes did you produce for the film?

I’ve been asked that question a lot. It’s been really difficult to answer because I did hundreds of costumes, not only for the main characters but for the extras, too.

How many costume changes did you create for the main characters?

Each character had several changes. Leonardo [DiCaprio] had three or four different looks. But within each look he might have had a few different costumes. For example, he has a certain look when he first moves into Five Points, which was very impoverished. Then his look changes as he earns money and can afford to buy nicer clothes. And then there’s a point in the film when, after he is beaten to a pulp by Daniel Day-Lewis’ character and goes into hiding, he re-emerges looking prepared for battle.

What was your favorite costume in the film?

My favorite costume, for “Bill the Butcher” [Daniel Day-Lewis], was the red jacket he wore with black-and-whitecheck pants and a stovetop hat; he wore it in the beginning of the film when his character goes to battle with “Priest” Vallon [Liam Neeson]. I like Amsterdam Vallon’s [DiCaprio’s] battle gear at the end. His hair is slicked back, and he’s wearing an undershirt with a red stripe across it, which symbolizes his gang, Dead Rabbits. I also enjoyed making Jenny Everdeane’s [Cameron Diaz’s] full plaid skirt with kimonolike bodice, covered by a corset that has the same effect as an obi, during the knife-throwing scene with Daniel Day- Lewis’ character. Her costumes were meant to look like they were patched from different fabrications. I used a lot of layering for her costumes.

What were some of the challenges you faced as costume designer?

At times it was difficult because it was a large-scale production and it was filmed in Italy. I speak very little Italian. It was a different way of working in a different culture. It slowed the process down on an already huge project. But what made it the most difficult also made it brilliant. Plus, I got a chance to live in Rome for a year!

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Anna Sheppard “The Pianist”

Anna Sheppard was nominated for an Academy Award in 1993 for her costume designs in Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List.” Other notable projects include “The Insider” and the HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers.” Sheppard is nominated for her costume designs for Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist.”

You were nominated for an Academy Award for your work on Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List.” Were there a lot of similarities working on “The Pianist”?

Yes. It was difficult to find costumes that could accurately reflect the hardships of that moment in history. The film takes place over a 6-year period in German-occupied Poland. When you see the actors waiting for trains to take them to concentration camps, you don’t see a lot of color. That’s because the director, Roman Polanski, wanted to create a somber feeling. They were hungry, and there was a big question mark as to where they were going. The dark clothing added to the atmosphere of the film.

Where did you find the wardrobe for “The Pianist”?

I went around Europe buying a lot of vintage clothing. I spent time in Paris, Germany and London. Most of the original costumes came from Theatre Kuntz in Berlin, Germany. It took about three months to find all of the costumes.

What were some of the challenges involved in producing wardrobe for the film?

When Roman Polanski began work on the film, he started from the end of the script and worked his way to the beginning, so the actors’ costumes are deteriorated and damaged. It was impossible to do that to costume rentals. I had to find clothes that could also appear like new for the script’s earlier scenes—similarlooking outfits. People don’t realize what you can find looking for costumes. When I was shopping, I had a bad experience at a vintage shop in Paris where I found some shoes that were confiscated from children at the concentration camps. Imagine finding children’s shoes from concentration camps, and they were marked with a swastika symbol. I did not buy them. I could not touch this kind of residue of the war, knowing children who were murdered in the concentration camps wore them.

How many costumes did you produce for the film?

There were about 5,000 costumes. I worked closely with two assistants on the wardrobes and one assistant who helped with military costumes. I also worked with a team of Polish costume designers.

What is your favorite costume in “The Pianist”?

My favorite costume is the crazy woman who asks about her husband. That was a ray of sunshine because it was fun dressing her up. Roman is very particular about costumes, and he accepted it right away.

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Colleen Atwood “Chicago”

For more than 20 years, Colleen Atwood has designed some of the most memorable costumes in American cinema. Last year, Atwood took on a new challenge: producing wardrobe for a musical, “Chicago.” Her work on the film has won her an Academy Award nomination for best costume design. Her next film is “Big Fish,” her fifth collaboration with director Tim Burton.

How did you get the job for costume design on “Chicago”?

I met with the film’s director, Rob Marshall, and he asked me if I wanted to do the film version of “Chicago.” We just kind of clicked at the meeting, and, three months later, he called back and said it was happening. The experience was sort of like doing two movies at the same time. I designed period clothes for the dramatic scenes and costumes for the dance numbers.

What kind of preparation did you do for the film?

When I was preparing the film’s wardrobe, I studied a lot of avant-garde photography and photos of real people who lived in Chicago during that era. I not only studied the styles worn by entertainers in the city but also people who were not entertainers. I read books about Prohibition and speak-easies, as well as books that illustrated what women wore in prisons during that era. I needed to do that to help set the story into reality. I listened to the soundtrack on my CD player while I designed the costumes. I also paid close attention to the choreography for each song. That really inspired me, and it definitely had a huge influence on my designs. I still listen to the soundtrack quite a bit.

How many costumes did you end up creating for the film?

I made about 400 original costumes and rented over 1,000 for extras. For Velma Kelly [Catherine Zeta-Jones] and Roxie Hart [Reneacute;e Zellweger], we used a lot of vintage beads on silk chiffon, and their costumes were made with a snug fit so that they weren’t loose for the dance numbers. For Richard Gere, we created several hand-tailored suits inspired by the late ’20s and early ’30s. The suits were higher-waisted than modern suits, and we used thicker fabrics than what is used for suits today.

What were some of the challenges?

A huge challenge was making clothes that were delicate looking but could survive the stress of the dance routines. I’ve been doing costume design for a long time, so I figured it out as I was making the costumes. For the really delicate pieces that were worn during the dance numbers, I basically used a solid base underneath as reinforcement. When you watch the film, you can’t really see the difference.

What is your favorite costume in the film?

Whenever I see Matron “Mama” [Queen Latifah] on film, it makes me smile. It was fun designing her dresses, and she wore them so well! She especially liked her costume for her main number, “When You’re Good to Mama.” I really like the diamond dress Reneacute;e Zellweger wears in the song called “Roxie” and the outfit Catherine Zeta-Jones wears in the film’s opening number, “And All That Jazz.”

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Ann Roth “The Hours”

Years of experience and a personal touch are part of the reason veteran costume designer Ann Roth is an Academy Award nominee for her work on “The Hours” with Nicole Kidman (whom Roth recommended wear a prosthetic nose in her role as Virginia Woolf), Julianne Moore and Mer yl Streep. She recently received a career-achievement award from the Costume Designers Guild for four decades of costume design in films such as “Midnight Cowboy,” “Coming Home,” “The Goodbye Girl,” “Silkwood,” “The English Patient” (for which she earned her first Oscar in 1996), “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and “Adaptation.” Roth just completed costumes for “Angels in America,” an HBO series directed by Mike Nichols, and for “Cold Mountain,” a motion picture directed by Anthony Minghella that is based on Charles Frazier’s Civil War bestseller.

What was it like preparing for “The Hours”?

“The Hours” script was completed and ready to go the day after Christmas 2001. I was on a plane to London two days later. I read the script on the plane. The next day I met with the film’s director, Stephen Daldry, in London. He told me if I wanted to do the film, I had one month to prepare for it. It would be shot in New York, Florida and London.

“The Hours” has three separate story plots in which three women’s lives are intertwined. Virginia Woolf, played by Nicole Kidman, is writing her novel “Mrs. Dalloway” in the 1920s; Laura Brown, played by Julianne Moore, is reading it in the 1950s; and Clarissa Vaughan, played by Meryl Streep, is living it now. What was the inspiration behind each of the main characters’ wardrobes?

I do costumes that the literature asks for. I figure out what a woman who’s giving a dinner party in Manhattan would wear or what she puts on to go to the florist in the East Village—she’d throw on a pair of denim, a turtleneck, a suede coat with fur trim and a scarf. With Clarissa Vaughan’s character, I used my knowledge of Manhattan’s publishing world and that age group of men and women who live off of Fifth Avenue. I know that world rather well. I think the accessories also helped to achieve that feeling. Clarissa wears mismatched amber earrings.

The Laura Brown world was similar to the work I had done on “The Talented Mr. Ripley” fashion-wise, except she was a post-war suburban housewife so her wardrobe reflects her lifestyle. Laura Brown is a woman whose life is not attached to her body. Did you sense that at all? Her house and even her clothes are very impersonal to her.

Of course, I did a lot of research on Virginia Woolf to come up with costume design for Nicole Kidman. Woolf was a very sensitive woman who went in and out of madness. My costume designs for Kidman were so utterly instinctive. I read somewhere that Virginia Woolf owned exactly two dresses in 1923, so I tried to show that in the film.

What are some other examples of how you relied on the literature as a guide for your designs?

Stephen Daldry’s use of florals, especially yellow roses, is very symbolic in the film because flowers were a very important detail in Virginia Woolf’s novel “Mrs. Dalloway,” in which the main character likes to throw parties. At the beginning of “The Hours,” each character [Clarissa, Laura and Virginia] in their own world says, “Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.” That is when everything begins to unfold. You start to notice yellow roses and other florals. The prints I used in the film were also influenced by “Mrs. Dalloway” but put into perspective for the times of the characters. Laura wears a ’50s-style blue robe with wine-colored rose prints—she bakes a cake and decorates it with yellow roses. Clarissa goes to the florist to buy bunches of flowers. Virginia Woolf wears a floral silk robe and then a floral dress.

What were your favorite costumes in “The Hours”?

At first, I was not pleased with the fabric of Virginia Woolf’s blue knit sweater, but it was one of those things that worked out very well when the film was completed. In one scene, Virginia Woolf wore a brown seersucker housecoat with tie belt, which I liked very much. I liked Leonard Woolf’s gardening look—short-sleeved shirt with old, pleated, tweed pants and flat shoes and galoshes. He wore tweed suits and sweater vests that weren’t chic at all. It wasn’t Ralph Lauren, if you know what I mean.

This year’s Academy Award-nominated costumes and other film costumes are currently display at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising’s Museum of Galleries in downtown Los Angeles. The Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition runs through May 30.