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Thursday, November 07, 2024
Interview: Costume Designer Richard Cooke on the Evolving Wardrobe of 'Joan'
Awards Radar: Joan Hannington is one of the most notorious criminals in British history. Regarded as “the godmother” of the United Kingdom’s criminal underworld, Joan’s story was always ripe for adaptation, so it’s no surprise that ITV’s stylish crime drama Joan captivated audiences earlier this fall.
I LOVE how when costume designer Richard Cooke was discussing his process for dressing actor Sophie Turner for the role of Joan Hannington in the new period piece Joan, he says, “Sophie is tall and slim, so I didn’t want the clothes to overwhelm her.” It sounds simple, but it can be easy to forget that your costumes are going on REAL people with REAL bodies when you’re still in the design phase of a production (especially if you’re designing a costume without yet having the knowledge of what the performer will look like). It doesn’t matter how beautiful the gown you’ve designed is, if you haven’t taken into account the actor’s body type and coloring, you could easily drown them in fabric or wash them out completely. Including Turner in his design process and working with (instead of against) her body really shines through in the cleanly darted, fitted silhouettes you see Joan Hannington wearing so often in the show.
I had never heard of this show, or Joan Hannington, but I definitely want to watch it after reading this article! I loved Richard Cooke’s discussion of the color palette he used and how it progressed throughout the series to match Joan’s character development. Color is a powerful tool of storytelling, and it’s unique in that it can be either subtle or blatant depending on how it is used. I also thought it was fantastic how he referenced back to the softer color palette even after Joan has grown to be more confident in order to show that she can still be insecure sometimes. That’s such a small detail and I was delighted that he discussed it. In addition, Joan having 100 outfits seemed crazy to me. That’s so many! Keeping them all organized must have been a real challenge, but I would imagine having that much material to work with allowed Cooke to really go deep into the character development in a way he might not have been able to do under different circumstances.
Richard Cooke reflects on his process and experience designing the wardrobe for ITV's crime drama Joan. What interests for me about this designer is that she has a rich background in costume design, and draws on his previous work with period pieces like Pride & Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility to create costumes that feel authentic to the 1980s while still modernizing them for a contemporary audience. A key theme throughout the design process was how the costumes not only reflected Joan's evolution but also supported the emotional undercurrents of the narrative.The conversation highlights how costume design is more than just fabric; it's a tool for storytelling that helps audiences understand a character’s emotional landscape and inner transformation. The process of blending historical accuracy with modern sensibilities, especially in a setting as culturally rich as 1980s London, was both challenging and rewarding for Cooke, but it allowed him to explore his love for history and character-driven storytelling.
![](https://i0.wp.com/awardsradar.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/JOAN-FASHION-031024-joan_series_1_episode_3_11-1.webp?resize=1152%2C648&ssl=1")
3 comments:
I LOVE how when costume designer Richard Cooke was discussing his process for dressing actor Sophie Turner for the role of Joan Hannington in the new period piece Joan, he says, “Sophie is tall and slim, so I didn’t want the clothes to overwhelm her.” It sounds simple, but it can be easy to forget that your costumes are going on REAL people with REAL bodies when you’re still in the design phase of a production (especially if you’re designing a costume without yet having the knowledge of what the performer will look like). It doesn’t matter how beautiful the gown you’ve designed is, if you haven’t taken into account the actor’s body type and coloring, you could easily drown them in fabric or wash them out completely. Including Turner in his design process and working with (instead of against) her body really shines through in the cleanly darted, fitted silhouettes you see Joan Hannington wearing so often in the show.
I had never heard of this show, or Joan Hannington, but I definitely want to watch it after reading this article! I loved Richard Cooke’s discussion of the color palette he used and how it progressed throughout the series to match Joan’s character development. Color is a powerful tool of storytelling, and it’s unique in that it can be either subtle or blatant depending on how it is used. I also thought it was fantastic how he referenced back to the softer color palette even after Joan has grown to be more confident in order to show that she can still be insecure sometimes. That’s such a small detail and I was delighted that he discussed it. In addition, Joan having 100 outfits seemed crazy to me. That’s so many! Keeping them all organized must have been a real challenge, but I would imagine having that much material to work with allowed Cooke to really go deep into the character development in a way he might not have been able to do under different circumstances.
Richard Cooke reflects on his process and experience designing the wardrobe for ITV's crime drama Joan. What interests for me about this designer is that she has a rich background in costume design, and draws on his previous work with period pieces like Pride & Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility to create costumes that feel authentic to the 1980s while still modernizing them for a contemporary audience. A key theme throughout the design process was how the costumes not only reflected Joan's evolution but also supported the emotional undercurrents of the narrative.The conversation highlights how costume design is more than just fabric; it's a tool for storytelling that helps audiences understand a character’s emotional landscape and inner transformation. The process of blending historical accuracy with modern sensibilities, especially in a setting as culturally rich as 1980s London, was both challenging and rewarding for Cooke, but it allowed him to explore his love for history and character-driven storytelling.
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