THE FAST LANE OF FASHION
While Downton Abbey’s brilliant characterisations and stunning backdrops have provided the vehicle for the drama’s success, many eyes have also been drawn towards the stunning early 20th century fashions – particularly with Lady Mary Crawley taking the initiative with new trends and designs, just as the upper-class women of the period did.
“It’s very true to say wealthy women of the period really embraced new looks and styles, whereas now in a sense it has gone full circle,” admits Dockery. “It is now us normal people in the street who are unequivocally the fashionistas of society while, in many ways, those at the top of the food chain have been slower to evolve and are still dressing as they did several decades ago.
“Mary always felt as though she was displaying as many of the new collections as she could! There were so many Chanel-type styles and the costume department really pulled out all the stops for the last series. Laura and I – you know, ‘the girls’ – really had some numbers!
The Downton costume process has always been an interesting one. Each costume is designed specifically for the character, with actors expected to collaborate with designers Anna Mary Scott Robbins and Caroline McCall. “Sometimes we will put something on and it doesn’t quite feel like your character,” says Dockery. “Sometimes someone else tries it and it works, but it’s all part of it. I love the costumes; I really missed them!”
A lot of what was seen in the show were original pieces that had either been repaired or elaborated on, with explicit attention to bespoke effects and detail – and that came with its own challenges.
“I had to be very careful of not damaging the jewellery – and that often was an issue as I had a habit of playing with the necklaces,” Dockery explains. “There was this one incident when I was sat at the dining table doing a scene. I was fiddling with the necklace and it broke, and the beads went everywhere. We then couldn’t carry on because of the continuity so had to wait about 15 minutes while they pieced it back together.
“Being at The Exhibition [a fully immersive Downton experience] and seeing the costumes over the five years of Downton made me realise just how much fashion had changed over the period. We were in corsets in the first episode and by the end were enjoying 1920s exuberance; just like at the start I had long hair and by the end was sporting a bob.
“It makes you realise it was a time of pretty dramatic change, across society, fashion and culture.”
Behind the scenes, clockwise from top left: Laura Carmichael dances with Harry Hadden-Paton; Maggie Smith having a laugh; Group shots require careful staging; Director Michael Engler watching over the set; Maggie Smith and Michelle Dockery share a scene; Setting up a shot of Highclere Castle; Sophie McShera, Phyllis Logan and Lesley Nicol working together; Michelle Dockery’s hair and make-up must be carefully touched up; The ‘downstairs’ staff sharing a selfie; Hugh Bonneville sharing a moment with ‘his’ new dog, known as Tiaa.