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Friday, September 06, 2024
How 'The Perfect Couple' Costume Designer Made Nicole Kidman into a Nantucket Wealthy Woman
wwd.com: To bring the wealthy lifestyle alive, Bier tapped Danish costume designer Signe Sejlund, with whom she had worked on several projects. Sejlund had also worked with Kidman on the HBO series “The Undoing.”
3 comments:
Felix Eisenberg
said...
I found this article very interesting. I mean, Nicole Kidman is so well known for all of the amazing outfits she is always stunning in, and especially the AMC commercial with that gorgeous Pantsuit, but it's nice to see that these shows are taking these costumes to the next level. I feel like I've only really analyzed theater costumes and never really taken time to examine TV costumes. Especially with high-stakes shows that have to do with murder mysteries, outfits have to be on point because everyone is constantly staring at these characters and what they're going to do next. The work of Sejlund really amazed me as well because all of these costumes looked so perfectly crafted with these intricate designs really honing that nantucket feel. The costumes along with the actors also help convey the story of the show, and I thought that just re-searching a little beside the article really helped the reader/watcher believe or lean into their wealth more.
I think it’s so amazing how Signe Sejlund came into “The Perfect Couple” with no prior knowledge of the Hamptons and its unique culture. Getting to start your research from scratch and build from a clean slate without any outside bias is a rare opportunity, and Sejlund really knocked it out of the park. I loved her approach to Nicole Kidman’s wardrobe through the use of color. It can be easy to fall into the trap of “red means power, green means greed, etc…” but hearing Sejlund’s justification for dressing Kidman in creams and off-whites fit perfectly with what her character represents. Beyond her work, I was also interested in how many projects she’s collaborated on with Bier in the past. When designers have long standing relationships with directors of other designers, it creates a unique aesthetic that becomes visible throughout all of their projects. Think about Cher and Bob Mackie—their images will always be connected because their work is so deeply intertwined.
As someone with very limited knowledge and experience in costumes, beginning to read into the world of costume design and production has been interesting to take in, and for this article in particular, it is amazing to see principles of great design being woven into this work. Clearly Nicole Kidman knows that great design pays attention to every detail that an audience takes in, regardless of if they are conscious of that choice or not, and being able to fully execute on a vision is what makes great design successful. Especially when portraying wealth (and even moreso in Nantucket), the details are incredibly important since this is what the wealth in real life pays for - intricate detail that often only serves aesthetic purpose, which is exactly what Kidman is capturing here. One last thing that was illuminating to hear about what the functionality of the clothes to the character in that the clothes are spotless not because they have nice clothes, but instead because the family never has to do the chores around the house, allowing the clothes to always stay clean.
3 comments:
I found this article very interesting. I mean, Nicole Kidman is so well known for all of the amazing outfits she is always stunning in, and especially the AMC commercial with that gorgeous Pantsuit, but it's nice to see that these shows are taking these costumes to the next level. I feel like I've only really analyzed theater costumes and never really taken time to examine TV costumes. Especially with high-stakes shows that have to do with murder mysteries, outfits have to be on point because everyone is constantly staring at these characters and what they're going to do next. The work of Sejlund really amazed me as well because all of these costumes looked so perfectly crafted with these intricate designs really honing that nantucket feel. The costumes along with the actors also help convey the story of the show, and I thought that just re-searching a little beside the article really helped the reader/watcher believe or lean into their wealth more.
I think it’s so amazing how Signe Sejlund came into “The Perfect Couple” with no prior knowledge of the Hamptons and its unique culture. Getting to start your research from scratch and build from a clean slate without any outside bias is a rare opportunity, and Sejlund really knocked it out of the park. I loved her approach to Nicole Kidman’s wardrobe through the use of color. It can be easy to fall into the trap of “red means power, green means greed, etc…” but hearing Sejlund’s justification for dressing Kidman in creams and off-whites fit perfectly with what her character represents. Beyond her work, I was also interested in how many projects she’s collaborated on with Bier in the past. When designers have long standing relationships with directors of other designers, it creates a unique aesthetic that becomes visible throughout all of their projects. Think about Cher and Bob Mackie—their images will always be connected because their work is so deeply intertwined.
As someone with very limited knowledge and experience in costumes, beginning to read into the world of costume design and production has been interesting to take in, and for this article in particular, it is amazing to see principles of great design being woven into this work. Clearly Nicole Kidman knows that great design pays attention to every detail that an audience takes in, regardless of if they are conscious of that choice or not, and being able to fully execute on a vision is what makes great design successful. Especially when portraying wealth (and even moreso in Nantucket), the details are incredibly important since this is what the wealth in real life pays for - intricate detail that often only serves aesthetic purpose, which is exactly what Kidman is capturing here. One last thing that was illuminating to hear about what the functionality of the clothes to the character in that the clothes are spotless not because they have nice clothes, but instead because the family never has to do the chores around the house, allowing the clothes to always stay clean.
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