CMU School of Drama


Saturday, November 17, 2012

Hollywood Costume Exhibition Opens at the V&A in London

clothesonfilm.com: In development since 2007 and nurtured for at least 20 years by curator Deborah Nadoolman Landis since her days as president of the Costume Designers’ Guild (CDG), the exhibition ‘Hollywood Costume’ finally opens at the V&A museum. This is the costume exhibition to end all costume exhibitions; everything from Judy Garland’s gingham pinafore and ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, to Keira Knightley’s burgundy silk gown from Anna Karenina, to Robert De Niro’s ‘King Kong Company’ jacket, check shirt, jeans and even boots from Taxi Driver. Hollywood Costume is a rush; an awe-inspiring journey through the meaning and history of contemporary, period and mo-cap costume design utilising projections, interviews, lectures from A-list actors, installations and even a specially commissioned score.

4 comments:

js144 said...

In my opinion, this is the most exciting exhibit that has arrived at the V&A. To have all of these costumes under one roof is absolutely incredible. So many of the images that this article displayed, showed some of the most famous pieces of clothing. These pieces are the signature looks of so many characters and some of these looks are almost more famous than the actor wearing the clothes. The green dress in "Atonement", for example, is stunning and it was one of the most requested fashion pieces that circulated the fashion industry at that time. I guess I shouldn't be surprised because anything that Keira Knightley wears turns into hgih fashion for at least a few months.
I don't think that we understand how much the characters and their clothing affect our everyday lives. There are many bridges that are formed between costume and fashion. We are inspired by the character and we are inspired to look like that character. It's a wonder they didn't come up with a huge exhibit like this sooner. I'm also really excited that the costumes are not only from older movies but from newer movies like "Argo" as well. It is wonderful that these specific outfits get to shine on their own and that the world can experience their beauty.

kerryhennessy said...

This sounds like an amazing and extremely well thought out exhibit. One of the parts that I find particularly interesting is that they created and original score just for the exhibit. I think that it would be amazing to see all of these costumes that are such an integral part of pop culture. These costumes have had such a large impact on society that it would be wonderful to see them in real life. I wish that they had divulges more about the exhibit.

njwisniewski said...

I am equally amazed by the prospect of seeing so many legendary costumes under one roof. I commented on the article about the auctioning of legendary film garments, and this idea of keeping them open and visible for the public to see, share, and enjoy equally in memory of their relevance and presence in our American culture is something that seems so much more appealing. This sounds really well done- I especially like the fact that the mannequins wearing the costumes have screens as actual heads- I think it really unifies the gallery- the sectioning of the installation itself sounds so respectful, clear, thought evoking and just so marvelous. This sounds more than splendid, more like stellar- such an exhibit is something I feel is so worth seeing, it would be a blessing to get to experience it!

Unknown said...

I think the level of detail discussed in this article is what is truly the interesting part. The article spoke of how LED lights were used and how it doesn't damage the clothing through heat like conventional lighting. I also think in regards to seeing the processes costumers used is as much of an exhibit as the final product. Like others have said costumes often cross over into the fashion world. One example I can think of is Sandra Bullock's watch from the Blindside several people were out looking for that watch. I also am very intrigued with the interviews by De Niro and Streep discussing their favorite costumes. Overall this article has me sold on seeing this exhibit.