By Dalal Museitef & Bree Reyes |Asst. Features Editor & Staff Writer|
The 23rd Annual “Art of Motion Picture Costume Design” costume exhibition delivered exceptional wardrobe on Feb. 7 from the winners and nominees of the 2014 Academy Awards film like “Maleficent”, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, “Selma”, “Into the Woods”, “Birdman”, and “The Fault in Our Stars”.
The room flooded with the elite people of fashion at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) and according to the museum staff, about 800 to 1,000 people attend the event every year.
All five costume collections nominated for the Academy Award for Costume Design were showcased to praise the films of 2014.
“No matter what time period or genre in which the movie is set. there is one underlying thread common to all of them,” stated Michael Black, the exhibition curator and museum coordinator, in a media kit guide. “Each article of clothing was carefully researched to best represent the character wearing it, and the feel of the movie in which it is seen.”
According to Black, the exhibition is sectioned into three galleries. The first section, fantasy and ancient history movies, gives a close-up on the costume designers focus on unique fabrics and techniques that create the desired looks.
The costumes from “Maleficent”, “Guardians of the Galaxy”, “X-Men: Days of Future Past”, and “Birdman” had a strong presence because of the rigorous work of the designers to create the elaborate designs.
The elegantly long black “Maleficent” costume was center stage at the entrance of the exhibit.
The look was completed with the characters extravagant horned head piece.
The character “Birdman”, played by actor Michael Keaton, had a structured, light suit using feathers and dark blue hues.
The costume constricted certain moves, but was still able to perform stunts according to costume designer Albert Wolsky.
The second section ranged from the 1920s to contemporary time periods, which are more traditional, but required research and often include specially made fabrics to re-create clothing that is no longer available.
Although the film, “The Great Gatsby” was released in 2013, it was on display to signify the exceptional classical look which featured a ruffled magenta dress and ivory-colored men’s suit, giving a 1920s vibe.
Contemporary works included “Gone Girl” and “The Fault in Our Stars”, and although the costumes were not focused on theatrics, the normal, every-day wardrobe like jeans, tennis shoes, and graphic T-shirts were carefully selected to reflect the characters’ personalities.
Also, FIDM Alumna, Mary Claire Hannan designed the wardrobe for the coming-of-age film, “The Fault in Our Stars”.
Milena Canonero who designed the costume for, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” focused on capturing the “fictional, candy-colored Eastern European Republic of Zubrowka in between World War I and World War II,” as stated by Canonero in a Vanity Fair interview.
However, there were hints of imperfections on certain costumes, such as a dress featured from the historical drama Selma.
While the featured cream-colored dress had a beautiful straight silhouette ,glimmering diamonds and pearls that dangled to catch every source of light, there were hints of stitching that seemed to be out of place on the lower section of the dress.
The final section showcased the costumes from musical and dance films.
The designers focus on creating clothes that are beautiful, while also making sure they function when the actor/actress is performing.
“Jersey Boys”, “Step Up: All In”, and “Into the Woods” all had a similar focus in terms of the functionality of the costumes.
“Jersey Boys sported crimson suits, Step Up: All In” incorporated jerseys, and jeans ensembles.
“Into the Woods” amplified the theatrics with long billowy dresses that uniquely presented each character.
The exhibit concluded with refreshment from the bar along with small finger foods such as chicken quadrilles with Mac-n-Cheese.
Be sure to relive the moment of these films from Tuesday, February 10 through Saturday, April 25, 2015. This event is located on the campus of FIDM,
Visiting hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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