STITCHES IN TIME
Costume designers create elaborate looks for the Mrs. W characters
It’s fitting that Oprah Winfrey plays Mrs. Which in director Ava DuVernay’s new adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time. The character’s mystical abilities match the media giant’s level of influence, creating an overall air of power the film’s costume designer and makeup team worked together to reflect.
“Her wardrobe was fantastic, and we pull from the wardrobe,” LaLette Littlejohn, head of the makeup department, said of Winfrey’s costumes. “We tried to make her look as strong as possible.”
Mrs. Which and her fellow celestial beings — Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling ) — lead 13-year-old Meg (Storm Reid) and others on a journey to rescue the girl’s scientist father (Chris Pine) from evil otherworldly forces. The three Mrs. Ws dress in elaborate outfits with heavy makeup and big hairdos, each look representing their respective personalities and stories.
OPRAH WINFREY (MRS. WHICH)
One of costume designer Paco Delgado’s favourites elicited gasps when Disney released the first trailer back in July. Mrs. Which appears as a shimmering light most of the time, and Delgado drew from abstract ideas like volcano explosions and depictions of galaxies to capture that energy while dressing her human like form.
“It was a lot of metal and silver — all these things that reflect a powerful woman,” he said. “We tried to put some sort of fibre-optic (fabric) in some of the dresses to make them glow and leap from the inside.”
Derrick Rutledge, Winfrey’s personal makeup artist who also worked on the film, designed rhinestone eyebrows for each Mrs. Which ensemble. He created them by setting metal pieces and jewels from a craft store on lace, choosing tones that complemented Delgado’s designs. Each set took about an hour and a half to make.
This look was special for Rutledge, who had always dreamed of working on a fantasy project. He used silver loops from his late mother’s charm bracelet to create the eyebrows.
“I wanted it to be something that was sentimental to me,” he said, “that made it feel like she was part of this movie.”
The idea behind her cage-like structure — “almost like armour,” Delgado says — came from 19thcentury hoop skirts.
MINDY KALING (MRS. WHO)
Kaling plays Mrs. Who, a scholarly being who often quotes famous thinkers and literary works be- cause she finds it hard to choose her own words. Delgado viewed her as a “super librarian of the universe,” and her garments reflected this worldliness.
“Japanese ideas or South American embroidery or African prints were basically the idea,” he said. “All these different cultures in the world that she knew so well.”
It’s not unusual to see Kaling in crazy prints. Her character on The Mindy Project, which wrapped in November, notably wore vibrant outfits that matched her personality.
Mrs. Who’s makeup is more subdued than Mrs. Which’s. Her paint- ed lips, mascara-heavy eyelashes and rosy cheeks contribute to a doll-like appearance, not unlike the collectible Barbies modelled after the extraterrestrial trio.
That was the intent, said Littlejohn, who said Mrs. Who’s expressive nature led to close-up shots of her reciting poetry to Meg and her companions. The makeup team opted for a not-so-jarring look, one that would endear the youngsters — and audiences — to the character. “So I said, a doll,” Littlejohn said.
Mrs. Who’s intricate hairstyle, by stylist Kimberly Kimble, mimics her quilted clothing. DuVernay values coherence, said Littlejohn, who also works with the director on Queen Sugar.
“She knows exactly what she wants,” she said. “Everything had to blend.”
REESE WITHERSPOON (MRS. WHATSIT)
Mrs. Whatsit, the youngest of the three Mrs. W’s, is also the best at interacting with the children because of her motherly nature. She transforms into a fantastical winged creature on the planet Uriel, and her dresses were therefore made of lighter fabrics like silk.
“When she moved, everything moved with her in the wind,” Delgado said. “I was looking up images of the tails of goldfish and how they were waving with the water, and butterflies and flowers.”
Despite the eye-catching, fiery hue of her hair, Mrs. Whatsit’s makeup is generally limited to shimmery lips and matching eyeshadow. But Littlejohn kept colours consistent, pairing metallic green with a sea green-toned dress, and gold with a plain white gown.
The settings influenced their decisions as well. Meg and her companions follow the Mrs. Ws to several planets, each distinct in appearance and mood — and their looks had to fit them all.
“I didn’t want you to be shocked by their faces going into the planet,” Littlejohn said. “I wanted it to be a smooth run, where your eyes flow — like art.”