CMU School of Drama


Friday, November 20, 2020

'Sylvie's Love' Artisans Talk Tessa Thompson's Hair, Makeup, Costumes

Variety: When period looks onscreen seem effortless, it reflects the mastery of the craft. In “Sylvie’s Love,” set for release on Christmas Day via Amazon Studios, the artisans’ extensive research behind Tessa Thompson’s ’50s and ’60s hair, makeup and styling remain unnoticeable.

2 comments:

Jill Parzych said...

I chose to comment on this article because my love for costume re-production comes from looks of the past and how they are recreated for the television screen. In this case, the looks for Tessa Thompson are classy, and elegant, but do not appear to have so much effort put into them that it seems like television, a character should have just enough effort that it looks like the woman dressed herself, that is what brings a character to life. I was a little shocked to see that the designers asked their staff to only use styling tools of the time, no electric irons or hair driers which I personally disagree with as a hairstylist… Tools today are made to be gentle on the hair and get the job done efficiently and you can achieve the great styles and textures of the time without limiting your staff on how it is done, but that is neither here nor there and may have been a fun challenge to work around. The article says that the character Sylvie’s style is based on the fashion of Aubrey Hepburn and I look forward to watching the show when it premieres and gushing over the costumes of the 60’s.

Briana Green said...

This article had great information regarding the process of how they planned and executed Tessa Thompson’s looks. First, I love Tessa Thompson, from Creed to Thor to everything else, she is absolutely amazing. Her acting is impeccable and she always capivates me in whatever role she is playing. Like Jill said, I don't agree with the notion that you only have to use tools from that time period. While marcel irons are used today, they could damage curl patterns and burn performers. I do look forward to seeing this show, I love that the costumes are based off of Audrey Hepburn looks. She is truly a 60s icon, even my brother and I dressed up as her sleep look from Brekfast at Tiffany’s on halloween a few years ago! I’ve heard a lot about Sylvie’s Love and I cant wait to see the production for not just the costumes, but also the fabulous production design