wwd.com/pop-culture: ckenna Grace just took method dressing to a new level. The actress wore a recreation of one of Jennifer Lawrence‘s gowns from the film “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” on Tuesday night for the “Elegance Is Authority: The Story, Style and Power of Panem” exhibition at Musee Rodin in Paris on Tuesday night.
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I’m amazed at how strongly the Hunger Games IP has made a comeback in recent years. Dare I say more successful than the Harry Potter Movies. I remember reading my neon copies for the original books in middle school. Like the weird main character child I was– the only books that held my attention were YA Dystopians. I’m most excited for this next movie. Ballad of Song Birds and Snakes was quite good. I love a good villain origin story. I will say with the oldness of that one being that it follows the first Hunger Games and takes place immediately after the war. It had a vintage feel to it a la the 1950s for us. This movie, on the other hand, feels very 1970s. It may just be that it is the 2nd Quarter Quell, but it looks way more extravagant both in set and costumes. And FINALLY Effie Trinket is here. She is one of my favorite characters and it will be so interesting to see the development of her world view.
Watching the hunger games rise to popularity again after such a long time is truly something incredible to see. When I first read those books at maybe 13 years old, I was enthralled by the immersive writing, and the amazing story by Suzanne collins. The first 2 movies, I think, are some of the best movie adaptations of books ever done. Their most recent with “the ballad of songbirds and snakes” is considered to be a weaker story overall but still a very well done movie. The press tour that sunrise on the reaping has had was so impressive to watch. The way they relate their posters to modern authoritarian leaders, and use these unmistakable callbacks to the original movies, proves to successfully promote a hopefully very good movie. The dress itself is absolutely beautiful and does a fantastic job of keeping the original elements that make it iconic while also modernizing the cut a little bit, so make it more flattering to grace and appealing to the audience.
I think this is such an interesting choice for the actors, show, and their media presence. Personally, I’ve always found the parallels with how, in the book, the Capitol publicizes and treats the games and how social media treats the movies. I think that McKenna Grace’s choice to wear this dress out of all the outfits in the movies is especially prevalent, as it is the wedding dress that Snow forces Katniss to wear that eventually turns into the mockingjay dress and leads to Cinna’s murder. Choosing this dress with all its history may be implying something about government control and rebellion, which is especially thought-provoking in a time where our president is controlling the arts and safety of the citizens. Additionally, knowing that Susan Collins has repeatedly remarked on how she only writes if she has something to say about the world makes me think that the current politics and issues in the text are connected and a warning.
Mckenna Grace’s duplication of the dress from Catching Fire designed by Monique Lhuillier keeps going to show just how influential some of the visuals from the initial hunger games franchise are, specifically the very opulent and flamboyant fashion that was super popular back then especially for the first installment of movies. What is equally interesting is how making this dress meant creating it according to numerous technical elements that other makers might simply overlook in the design process. The insanely high fashion being shown in these pictures is just truly breathtaking. Lhuillier is an established designer who specializes in creating clothes, not just making costumes as a part of film truly excelled. The two areas of high fashion and film are usually more interrelated than people think, and it is nice to see some illustration of this unity in the form of a wonderful actress wearing a reimagination of JLaws gown.
I think McKenna Grace’s recreation of Katniss Everdeen’s wedding dress is a really interesting example of how costume design can connect a new production to an established franchise, despite their separate storylines. I like that the dress is more than just a fashion statement, as it references one of the most recognizable moments in Catching Fire, the second Hunger Games movie. The original costume was designed to transform from a white wedding gown into a black Mockingjay dress, symbolizing Katniss’s resistance against the Capitol. Grace’s version pays tribute to that design while giving it a different interpretation in reference to Sunrise on the Reaping. I think this shows how costumes can communicate a character’s identity and the themes of a story even outside the original film. It also demonstrates how influential costume design can become, since audiences can recognize a character or reference through a single outfit. Overall, I think this is a really creative way to celebrate the new movie.
I love it when actors go all in on their press tour outfits and create looks that embody the project they are promoting. Zendaya has become one of my favorites over the years, as she always seems to find new and unique ways to incorporate elements of the movie into her looks, whether through shape, patterns, accessories, or fabrics. Mckenna Grace has emerged as a successful actress in many major franchises over the past few years, and her looks have been very fitting for the film. I’m glad that she is taking advantage of a film with such monumental looks to pay homage to- the fashion within the capital and the hunger games is so grand, and with an ambitious designer, there is so much inspiration in past films. This particular Catching Fire look is very beautiful; I find the textured fabric in the skirt so intricately beautiful, and the contrasting silver wings are striking. I hope that Mckenna will debut a few more recreations before this highly anticipated film.
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