Tyranny of Style: HAMILTON is the hottest new show to premiere on Broadway in years (sold-out into 2017!). It is a groundbreaking new musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda who wrote the music, lyrics, and book, as well as stars as the show’s title character. HAMILTON weaves together rap, hip-hop, and traditional musical styles to tell the dynamic story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton, all beautifully portrayed by such a diverse cast. Costumes designed by Tony Award nominee Paul Tazewell, help to wonderfully support such bold storytelling by expertly combining the fussy world of 18th century dress with a minimalist, modern sensibility.
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The costumes made for HAMILTON were brilliantly crafted and designed. I love period clothing and although I'm not a costumes design major yet, just the thought of working with such materials in order to replicate clothing from that time period makes me jittery and excited. Another costume designer, Stephanie Collie, created looks for the BBC Two show Peaky Blinders which was also set in period. I think what I appreciate the most about period fashion is the fact that they focused heavily on the cut and quality of clothing. Before the existence of mass produced fashion and clothing, you would own normally one or two suits. However, those suits would last you forever because of the upmost attention to detail. I would love to be able to work under a master tailor as an apprentice of some sort-- to be able to study and be corrected under the eye of a master would be a wonderful learning experience. Now that mass produced retail fashion is a thing, while many designs are cute and modern, the quality of clothing has decreased tremendously in order to keep up with trends. Take Forever 21 for example-- I do think a lot of their clothing is really cute, but much of their pieces are sewn like crap and fall apart in a few months. If we could go back to focusing on flattering cuts and attention to sewn detail, I believe it would not only be more sustainable for the earth but for your wallet as well.
Yet another flawless aspect of the theatrical phenomenon that is Hamilton. I never really thought too much about the costumes for Hamilton; they just worked well with the show and that was all that I noticed. However, after reading this article, it is a lot easier to notice the intricacies and subtle themes in the costuming designs for the show. One thing that is especially noticeable now are the color palettes for each character. I found the colors particularly interesting in the characters of Eliza and Thomas Jefferson. Eliza's innocent light blue and Jefferson's flamboyant and rock star-esque purple both reflect their characters wonderfully. After reading what the designer was thinking of when making her choices, I definitely can appreciate the designs a lot more. Overall, as with every aspect of Hamilton's writing, acting, and design, the costume design for the show beautifully mirrors the theme of "the story of America then, told by America now."
Having just finished listening to the full soundtrack of Hamilton (I know, I'm behind the trend), it's really nice to be able to pair my knowledge of the show with the thoughts behind the costumes. I've seen images of the costumes, and noticed the fact that they were inspired by a bit of minimalism. Particularly the ensemble, as it seems like they managed to pull off 18th century wear that was also perfect to dance in, which I'm incredibly amused with. Even their boots are very clearly designed to be wearable as dance shoes. While it's easy to come to the idea that you would use modern dress as inspiration for 18th century costumes, it's very surprising that it was pulled off so well. The ensemble looks absolutely incredible, and matches the overall feeling of the show. Nothing stands in the way of the story, and it really does help tell the story instead of deciding to make it's own statement, which is something that is easy to get caught up in.
I think the costumes for Hamilton were great. I really liked how the ensemble was a very neutral color but I did not know that it was representing the parchment that Hamilton wrote on. I think that is brilliant because that was a huge part of the show and they were also able to become different characters so easily and blend into the background. The costumes took away the separation of male and female in the ensemble which I think worked well since the women were doing the same things as the men were. The transitions of Hamilton’s costumes worked very well now that I know the meaning behind them. He was just another person in the beginning of the show so he had that parchment base layer that he was able to add on to. In the second act he was older and wore darker colors to show he was more mature and important.
The striking thing about Hamilton to me is the fluidity of it all, the way every element blends into the next to tell the story evocatively and empathetically, honoring the very theme of the show itself. The costumes are no exception to this brilliance. I think what makes these costumes remarkable is their ability to wordlessly communicate the very same story which the actor's onstage tell, in such a way that they could do so entirely on their own. They don't try to communicate anything but the truth of what we see onstage, and therein lies their strength. More so, the conceptual simplicity is reflected in the costume's visual results. I myself often forget that a concept doesn't have to be complicated to be powerful, and Hamilton's design is a more than welcome reminder of that. And like I said, there is a blended quality to every element of this show - or at least, every element that I can perceive in photographs and the cast recording - that makes it all come together in an "oh, of course!" kind of way. That sense that this is simply the story of a man not unlike ourselves is all the more accessible through the blend of contemporary perceptions of 18th century fashion and authentic historically accurate 18th century clothing, as well as the smooth transition of character arc shown through color. These costumes are important because they don't try to be, beautiful because they take the lead of a story that already is, and timeless because they do not confine themselves to one idea of one period. Overall, I think they will continue to carry this show for seasons to come.
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