the sweet lark: Costumes

Friday, January 6, 2012

Costume Whore - Mark Bridges, The Artist

I just saw the film The Artist. If you haven't heard, (forgive the corny pun), The Artist is a modern day silent film that is set in the late 20's about (Jean Dujardin as)George Valentin silent film star, whose life is turned upside down by the advent of talkies. Opposite Dujardin is Bérénice Bejo as Peppy Miller, the young ingenue who is taking Talking pictures by storm.

Tears and laughter abound. Not only did I love every minute of the film but being addicted to all things of the art deco era, I could hardly stand the fabulous costuming. Spectacular. Mark Bridges, costume designer for There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights, The Fighter, Fur and so many others took The Artist to task.

Inspired by Clara Bow and Joan Crawford Bridges documents the road to success in Bejo's wardrobe. Peppy goes from wearing classic simple drop waist dresses to beaded and chiffon gowns. An insane monkey fur jacket is one of the highlights! Vintage of couse! Working in black and white meant working in contrasts, textures primarily.

Bridges had to recreate most of the 20's garments to create a wardrobe, as the delicate fabrics and details would hardly hold up to filming. And as we vintage lovers know hard to find. Creating his own patterns from authentic period pieces he made many of the dresses in contemporary fabrics.

He also reconstructed styled a few modern beaded pieces since the 20's (as always in my opinion) are in vogue. According to The Hollywood Reporter the costume's are in Ms. Bejo's closet at her home in Paris, but will travel to Los Angeles for display at FIDM during award's season!

If you have not seen it yet, do!

xo,

Vanessa

P.S. Check out this fabulous blog post on Mark Bridges Costume design for There Will Be Blood by Stitched and Stitched. http://www.stitchedandstitched.com/?p=300

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Hello Hollywood!

I was born in New York City, the Bronx. My brother was born in Manhattan, we moved to Los Angeles the summer I turned 6 years old. Mind you, I wouldn't have escaped my love of Hollywood glamour and film if we hadn't have moved here. I recall coming home from elementary school to the KCET Movie Matinee. My first memory of watching a classic film was from about 2nd or 3rd grade. I came home to my mother who gave me a snack and introduced me to Bette Davis. We watched Of Human Bondage and that pretty much says all you need to know about me....

I love Debbie Reynolds. From Tammy films, Singing in the Rain, the Singing Nun and the Unsinkable Molly Brown she is fabulous! Not to mention I loved her time on television show Will and Grace: Perfection. I love that she admits to having had her share of issues, I love that she forgave Liz Taylor for stealing her husband, and I love her most because she had the vision to keep and catalog the costumes that make up the visual wanderlust we call Hollywood. She personally salvaged wardrobes and props from studios in the last near 40 years including FOX and MGM according to the Associated Press.

Debbie Reynolds still bright and beautiful with some of her collection. Associated Press Photo

Associated Press Photo

Sadly, no one stepped up to create the museum of hollywood costumes, that Ms. Reynolds envisioned which has lead to one of the most amazing private hollywood memorabilia collections for sale. You probably have already heard about 4.6 million dollars paid for Marilyn Monroe's Subway dress from The Seven Year Itch. How about the 3.7 million for Audrey Hepburn's beautiful black and white ascot dress from My fair Lady? These figures do not including fees of nearing a million dollars to auction house, Profiles in History. All of the images below are from the Profiles in History Debbie Reynolds Auction catalog. The catalog is available for download here. Isn't that wonderful!

Below some of my favorite catalog picks and movie moments through costume. Feel free to share yours and comment dolls!