CMU School of Drama


Tuesday, April 19, 2022

The Gilded Age: The message behind Marian Brook’s pastel gowns explained

TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV | Express.co.uk: Serving dramatic looks and extravagant gowns, The Gilded Age continued to wow viewers every episode. The glamour of 19th century Manhattan, accompanied by the high society battlefield, gave an array of cutting edge looks. Recalling how she designed the costumes, Kasia Walicka-Maimone revealed the secrets behind Marian Brook (played by Louisa Jacobson) and her pastel coloured gowns.

2 comments:

Lilian Nara Kim said...

Funnily enough, the first taste of theatre I ever got was the Lion King show in Las Vegas. I clearly remember the set more than the actual storyline and I remember being struck with awe at the incredibly creative ways the set worked to portray not only the world but also the characters and animals. Today, I am studying to become a set designer because my first inspiration to pursue theatre. I feel that other things, liek the costumes can also become the set, creating an environment on the stage that is most personal to the character itself. So much can be told about the inner world of a character through their clothes, and I find it very similar to what I feel set design is meant to do in a theatre. I am glad that set designers are having a space to show off their work, because I feel like it is often something that is often overlooked because of the notion that sets can simple.

Philip Winter said...

“The Gilded Age” looks like such a good tv series, and I really need to get around to watching it. The costume design within the show is incredible and from what I can tell very historically correct. I absolutely love historic dramas, but only when they truly capture the time period, and costume design specifically plays a massive role in that. I also find it very interesting that it covers the elites of this period in New York. The only other show I’ve seen covering this time period is Gangs Of New York, which hints at the elites that ran the city, but focuses more on the lower class. During the gilded age specifically, there was mass production of everything including clothing, and soon enough clothing sizes would be introduced. Yet, the upper class still would get things specifically tailored to them, and this show perfectly captures that. Kasia Walicka-Maimone captured the period as many women’s dresses would be fitted and specified to the individual and clearly, she has taken that into account.