Contrary to popular belief, contemporary design in film is not just about shopping; it involves deep storytelling and thought behind how characters are dressed.
Rogers spoke at the Costume Design Roundtable at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, moderated by Variety’s Senior Artisans Editor Jazz Tangcay. Joining her were Ellen Mirojnick (“The Odyssey”), Arianne Phillips (“The Invite”), Linda Muir (“Werwulf”), Amy Roth (“I Play Rocky”) and Marci Rodgers (“Michael”).
Rodgers recalled her first job on Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It.” Coming from Chicago, she knew New York’s style was different, so she asked Lee to sit with her during background casting. “So I could see how people are coming in here dressed.” When developing Nola Darling’s wardrobe, she learned the character’s favorite artist was Prince. “Purple is clearly going to be a thing. But it would be tidbits of purple. She wouldn’t shop at Saks.” Rodgers focused on thrift stores for Nola’s look.
Phillips also discussed the increasing influence of product placement in costume design as luxury brands enter the financing space. “We’re told by producers, ‘You have to use that product.’ You have to choose directors who support staying true to the story, as this is only going to get more complicated with how films are financed.”
The designers also shared insights into their latest projects.
Ellen Mirojnick crafted over 5,300 costumes for Christopher Nolan, focusing on Anne Hathaway’s Queen Penelope.
The House of Ithaca’s color theme was burned red, which was reflected in Penelope’s costumes throughout the film. Mirojnick explained, “It was very important to keep her in those tones, not to disrupt the story.”
The wealthy bought that wool, so anyone with a lot of wool clothing was upper class. Muir strove for authenticity but said, “The challenge with these films is finding people who can create wool fabrics, hats, jewelry, buttons, belts — all the things that make the whole picture when you have so few styles and elements to work with.”
Phillips discussed her work with Olivia Wilde on “The Invite.” “It was my third time working with Olivia, so there’s a lot of trust there.”
But she pulled it off. She even brought back the iconic cerulean sweater because Andy (Anne Hathaway) would still have it after all these years.
Amy Roth reflected on “I Play Rocky.”
She revealed the original “Rocky” film didn’t have a costume designer, so there were no references to pull from. She said, “Recreating this iconic look — not just from the film, but from my memory and everybody’s collective memory of Rocky — the hat, the leather jacket, the gloves, the bouncing ball, they were all crucial.”
She credits actor Anthony Ippolito for elevating the work and her work. “He wanted his body to look exactly like Stallone’s. He posed like Stallone. He just embodied his body. He really wanted to do what we were doing. He would bring pictures of things he wore, and we’d recreate them for him.”
It was all about capturing every detail, and the zombie dancers mattered just as much. “I thought, ‘That’s the woman in the pink dress. I’ve got to put the pearls right here.”
Watch the full conversation below.
