Los Angeles Times: No matter the century, Saoirse Ronan is going to dance. When the four-time Academy Award nominee moves to the music in her two films this season, the fabric of a blue-striped dress or a vintage silk black top with a rose print becomes one with the choreography. Despite being set more than 70 years apart, London nightlife scenes in the World War II drama “Blitz” and “The Outrun’s” 21st century tale of alcoholism and recovery each display a 1930s influence.
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I found it interesting how Outrun costume designer Grace Snell talks about bringing personal pieces to a fitting with Saoirse Ronan, saying “This silk vest I have had for as long as I can remember in my adult life. It was given to me by my auntie”. In high school, I worked with a costume designer who probably dressed about 50% of the female ensemble in her own clothing. She was an eccentric old woman and, whenever she felt a costume was missing a certain umph, she would stop for a moment and think to herself. Then, she’d have a eureka! moment and start monologuing about an old scarf she had from the 60s or an 80s pantsuit that she thought might do the trick. And, without fail, it always did. I assumed that dressing from your own stock was taboo on the professional level, so I was shocked to hear that Snell brought a personal piece for such a big project. Honestly, it was a bit of a comfort for me! Sentimentality can open a lot of creative doors, so it’s good to hear that professional costume designers make use of this technique as well.
I remember watching Greta Gerwigs's Little Women in 2019. That was my first introduction to Saoirse Ronan, but it wasn’t the last time I saw her on screen. I watched Ladybird a few years later, and have followed her career occasionally online. However, I was unaware of her upcoming films until reading this article. I loved getting an inside look at the process of designing the costumes, especially when Grace Snell, the costume designer for ‘The Outrun’, talked about using pieces from her own personal vintage collection for the film. I wasn’t aware this was something costume designers would do, because of the fact that these garments have familial history and sentimental value. I do think it added some necessary authenticity to the look, and the designer’s willingness to use it probably saved the production a tiny bit of money. I also enjoyed Jacqueline Durran’s description of her process for designing a World War II era look for Ronan’s character in ‘Blitz’. The symbolism behind color and style is what originally got me into costume design and theatre in the first place.
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