MY FAVOURITE MOVIE COSTUMES
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940) KATHARINE HEPBURN’S WHITE SATIN GOWN
There’s this white satin gown [by designer Adrian] with long sleeves and a geometric decoration with sequins and beads on the front. I used it as inspiration for one of the dresses I designed for Cate Blanchett [who played Hepburn] in The Aviator. It’s a chartreuse mustard colour, but it has the flavour I love. It epitomises Hollywood glamour of that period.
DEATH IN VENICE (1971) DIRK BOGARDE’S WHITE SUIT ON THE BEACH
Death In Venice was one of the films I saw as a teenager that made me want to do costume design. It’s difficult to pick one. But [I’ll choose] at the end, when Dirk Bogarde wears the white suit, fedora, a red tie and a red hatband. He has white make-up. Perfection.
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000) MAGGIE CHEUNG’S ROTATING WARDROBE OF CHEONGSAM DRESSES
An important one! There were 46 versions of the same dress, all in a riot of colour, designed by William Chang. Cheongsam are close-fitting, 1920s-style Chinese dresses that are still popular today.
MARIE ANTOINETTE (1938) NORMA SHEARER’S 17TH-CENTURY STARBURST GOWN
Another Adrian design. There are fireworks all over it, and it’s just really fairy-tale. It’s ridiculous; it’s not particularly right for the period. It’s basically the right silhouette, but it’s completely Hollywood-ised.
THE DRAUGHTMAN’S CONTRACT (1982) ANTHONY HIGGINS’ MONOCHROME COATS
All the costumes are black and white. They’re historically accurate yet stylised. Exaggerated. These 17th-century coats all swish and have movement to them. And yet I discovered they were made of calico and canvas, made very cheaply. I always wanted to do something like that, and then I got to do The Favourite (2018) and that was directly inspired by [costume designer] Sue Blane’s work on this film.
THE NIGHT PORTER (1974) CHARLOTTE RAMPLING’S ICONIC MEN’S TROUSERS AND BRACES LOOK
I think I must have snuck into this one. I was underage. The vivid memory I have of that is where she’s at a station walking away from Michael York, and she waves with her back to him, and she has green nail polish. It’s set in the ’30s but there’s something really ’70s about it as well.
HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940) ROSALIND RUSSELL’S STRIPED SUIT
The stripes go in all different directions — the way it’s pieced together is extraordinary. It makes your eyes go weird. And then she has a little top hat with the stripes going in a diagonal. I really like graphics on costumes. I tend to use a lot of stripes and chevrons.
THE LEOPARD (1963) CLAUDIA CARDINALE’S BALLGOWN
Piero Tosi designed for [director] Visconti. Looking at it, it was an inspiration for Cinderella [2015]. Tosi can be exaggerated but still be spare. There’s nothing unnecessary. Every line is perfect. This white dress — the essence of it is what I was trying to capture with the Cinderella ballgown, which had to be extraordinary yet very simple.
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) TIM CURRY‘S LINGERIE
That’s something that has this decadence and debauchery, but then still a simplicity; a simplicity of line. There’s not too much going on.
ANY FILM WITH FRED ASTAIRE IN TAILS
Nobody has ever worn tails better than Fred Astaire. He was tiny, but they are gorgeously tailored and he just knows how to wear them. Any film where I have evening dressing, I want all my men to look like Fred Astaire.