The Art of Costume: By now, everyone has seen the triumph that is Avatar: The Way of Water. After watching the film (many times), I was shocked to learn just how real it was. Iconic costume designer Deborah L. Scott (Titanic, Back To The Future, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) was the mastermind behind the many costumes in Avatar: The Way of Water worn by the Na’vi as well as the many invading scientists and soldiers seen throughout the film.
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I have never seen an Avatar movie, although I hear that the cinematic quality is mind-blowing. I have always been intrigued by it and find it an interesting concept to film since most of it is CGI or animation. That being said, with the costumes all being hand-made it becomes even more mind-blowing as to how that was physically possible to do. For the costume designer to work on this for 5-6 years for all three movies is mind-blowing and impressive. As a designer, I don’t think I would have the mental capacity to work on the same project for that long. This movie when it first came out and still very controversial which I agree with because of how it embodies indigenous peoples and the concept of colonization. I wonder how the concept of this movie came to be, and why no one in the production team or design team questioned how this move could be offensive.
Truly the level of detail in this show was beyond beautiful. The use of small beads to elevate the textures of these beautiful costumes. I also quite likes how the colors were so purposefully picked to look diverse. A true embodiment of the phrase to make such perfect beauty look effortlessly. I also love how the different articles are made to look worn and to have life beyond fabrication. For example the fraying in the fabric. The handmade look to dyed fabric, feathers, other materials. The way that not two things are exactly symmetrical. And how some dried leaves or flowers are included, no two looking the same and being folded in different ways. The use of stones, crystals, beads, different types of fabric to make such a rich diversity of texture and vibe. I also like how all these outfits have such different approaches to them. Where to show, where to hide skin. What is clothing what is jewelry becomes harder to decipher.
Avatar is truly a one of a kind thing. Its place in cultural consciousness until the sequel came out was basically obsolete, despite being the highest grossing film of all time upon its release. I went into the sequel and was presently surprised — I was engaged, and I received it beyond how visually stunning and groundbreaking it was. One of the things that fascinates me most about this (and many other modern movies relying on CGI) is, as the article mentions, the actors’ performances. I often think about what that raw footage must’ve looked like. Learning that the actors could not wear their costumes in performance makes sense, and it only implies that performing in this way — with dots all over your face, in a morphsuit, on a green and blue soundstage — presents a challenge in immersion. I found it very interesting that the costumes were made physically and then recreated virtually - we know that that’s not technically necessary. I can definitely see the value of the added effort for the actors’ sake, and even for the animators, because it gives an indisputable sense about how that particular garment moves, beyond what simulators assume.
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