Sci-fi film Tron: Legacy, twee indie Garden State and teen series Twilight might not appear to have anything in common with the Oscar-nominated American Hustle, but one element they do share is the careful scrutiny of costume designer Michael Wilkinson. The Australian native was nominated for his first Academy Award for American Hustle back in 2013. He faced fierce competition from other period pieces such as 12 Years A Slave and that year’s winner The Great Gatsby.
Before he began to choose costumes for American Hustle, a semi-true comedy-drama about an FBI sting operation, ABSCAM, which was designed to catch corrupt politicians, Wilkinson said he did loads of research on the fashion of the era. He studied magazines and pop culture from the seventies, taking inspiration from icons like Farrah Fawcett and Faye Dunaway for Amy Adams' character Sydney Prosser. He also made sure to use designers and their pieces from the time period including Gucci, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Halston. The fashion statements of the seventies served as inspiration behind some of the film's most notable looks: namely, the plunging necklines.
I loved how he went to great lengths when keeping the costume true to its time period, "The spirit of liberation of the period meant less structure, less tailoring, and being more provocative," he said. "It's a duality: there's a confidence but also a certain vulnerability with daring necklines. We wanted to be period correct, so we didn't use double-sided tape. For the outfits Amy had to carry herself a certain way and be intuitive of the clothing. We also had to avoid any sudden gusts of air or windy situations. Plus, Amy made friends with the video editors to make sure they chose the right takes!"
The leading ladies, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence shone in their roles (literally). For Jennifer Lawrence, who played a bored and unpredictable housewife, David O. Russel wanted to convey the character's instability through her wardrobe. Wilkinson was able to portray a sense of Schizophrenia to the character using costume, in that she wears sweat suits during the day, bored at home, but when she goes out at night, she's dressed to kill, so you don't know if she's a shy type or a man killer. Amy Adams' character goes on this amazing visual journey in the film, from a woman arriving from a small town in American to Manhattan, Wilkinson does a fantastic job of using costumes to transform the way she is seen in the world.
Commenti