On a long 8-hour plane journey I decided to delve myself into the film section on the plane’s entertainment system and watch something new. Dexter Fletcher’s ‘Rocketman’ was something I wanted to watch for a while, but I never had the time to do it, until now. A hybrid of a Biopic and Musical of the turbulent life of the extravagant singer-songwriter Elton John. Knowing how exuberant Elton John’s stage wardrobe was/is, I had big expectations on what the costumes would entail, and from the opening scene of Elton John strutting into rehab clad in an orange devil’s suit complete with a speckled, horned heart- shaped headpiece and rosebud specs, I definitely wasn’t disappointed.
The man in charge of the flamboyant singer’s wardrobe that nearly steals the show, was Julian Day, who had no problem making each costume more eye-popping and outlandish than the last. With his past work being on Bohemian Rhapsody so, Day is No stranger to costuming British rock legends.
We first meet John in 1950s as the young 8-year-old Reggie Dwight dressed in a sweater vest, a tie and a suit. Then in a later stage in his life as the designer notes, "The '60s finds him in Northern England, where he meets up with an American tour band, becomes a 'teddy boy' and realizes clothing can be more than just keeping you warm.". Eventually, John finds his fashion footing at his first U.S. appearance at West Hollywood's Troubadour, clad in a silver starred T-shirt and white overalls covered in crystals. This big contrast in costume change really high lights the quote from the film, "You got to kill the person you were born to be in order to become the person you want to be,". And John soon finds himself as well as his signature style, with Day stating, "As he became more famous, his clothes became more extravagant and more expensive,".
Though the costumes made for John’s stage performances, my favourite costumes were the ‘casual’ outfits (I say casual very lightly as they aren’t casual at all but compared to his stage wear these outfits were pretty mild). These costumes often consisted of multicoloured and highly embellished blazers, a pair of tight-fitting bottoms with a garish print, all topped off with a pair of one of a kind sunglasses. I love how Elton John just wore what his wanted and felt like a star in everything he wore.
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