London Markets in the 60s

Now anyone that knows me will know that I am a sucker for markets and a sucker for the 1960s, so I had to share these photos with you all. :-)

 

The Best Film Costumes of 2011.

So 2011 has been a pretty great year for me. I have worked on some of my most exciting film projects yet, being very rich for some months (not so much for others), found a new steady job, got promoted, met lots of great new people, stayed in touch with lots of old friends, changed my hair, designed my first show in a 'Theatre Royal', bought my first Mulberry bag, was a bridesmaid for the lovely Vicky and Ken, moved into a dreamy little flat with Tristan, for the first time ever managed to keep a plant alive and discovered how great peanut butter and jam actually is.

In honour of 2011 i have decided to compile a list of my favourite costumes from the last 12 months. There have been so many but here are what i think are the crème de la crème!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2-

2011 marks that year that Harry Potter got seriously dark. She may be as evil as they come, but Bellatrix Lestrange looks pretty amazing in her gothic inspired costumes designed by Jany Temime.

The Royal Wedding-

Ok, so i know it is not strictly speaking a costume, but Kate Middleton's dress has undisputedly been the most talked about outfit of the year. She looked stunning and absolutely timeless in this sophisticated dress designed by Sarah Burton. 

Red Riding Hood-

Surely this design by Cindy Evans is the first time a bright, red cape has ever looked relatively normal and 'everyday' on anyone?!

Midnight in Paris-
This is probably my favourite costume design of the year by Sonia Grande. She has managed to perfectly capture the essence of the flapper era. I think the costumes for Alison Pill as Zelda Fitzgerald and Marion Cotillard as Adriana deserve a particular mention.

 

My Week With Marilyn-
Jill Taylor's costume have definitely managed to capture the simple, stylish tastes of the wonderful Marilyn Monroe. I have to double take at some of the on set photos of Michelle Williams just to make sure that it's definitely not Marilyn herself!

The Inbetweeners Movie-
Not what you'd call high brow costume design, but I felt that the 'Pussay Patrol' t shirts definitely deserved a mention. These crude creations by Emma Bevan still make me laugh now!

Jane Eyre-
Now i still prefer the 1943 film adaptation of this classic novel but there is no denying that the costumes designed by Michael O'Connor are beautiful. He has an attention to detail that is incredible, from his vast choice of textured fabrics to the delicate details of lace collars.

The Three Musketeers- 
Now i haven't actually seen this film yet but no-one could dispute that this dress by Pierre- Yves Gayraud is stunning.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides-
We've seen it all before, but Captain Jack Sparrow's pirate attire by Penny Rose will continue to be one the best costumes ever designed.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows-
As much as i love the old Sherlock Holmes adaptations Jenny Beavan's reinvention of the classic deerstalker hat and pipe is actually sublime. I love this new eccentric, scruffy Holmes.

The King's Speech-
... And Jenny Beavan has done it again with these costumes for The King's Speech. Colin Firth and Helena Bonham- Carter look both regal and likeable in these designs.

The Artist-
Here's another film that i haven't actually seen yet, but i'm sure i will be blogging about within the next week. Mark Bridges looks like he has done a perfect job recreating outfits of the silent move stars of 1927.

Wow! What a year for costume 2011 has been. Here's hoping that 2012 will be even better. I for one cannot wait to see the new adaptation of The Great Gatsby, although I'm not too sure about Carey Mulligan being cast as Daisy Buchanan...

Audrey Hepburn's Dress Under The Hammer. Swoon!

Right- if anyone out there has a spare £60,000 can you please, please PLEASE give it to me. I actually need this dress.

THE iconic dress that Audrey Hepburn wore to collect her Academy Award in 1954 is going up for Auction. This dress was originally a costume designed by Edith Head for 'Roman Holiday' but Hepburn had it altered/ Givenchy-fied, to dazzling effect, to wear to the Oscars. After winning her best Actress award she called this her 'lucky dress'. It has since been stored at the bottom of a family friend's wardrobe.

Time has come though for the world to see this work of art. Kerry Taylor Auctions are expecting the dress to reach between £40,000 and £60,000; I got to say if i had the money i would definitely buy it.

This dress also won Edith Head an Oscar for Best Costume Design. There is no doubt that this dress is a gorgeous piece of film history.

Costumes in 'Water for Elephants'

I saw 'Water for Elephants' the other day. Although, it doesn't rank as one of my favourite films, i found it enjoyable and easy to watch. Reese Witherspoon became her character, the star attraction Marlena, perfectly, although i found Robert Pattinson a bit stale. (He was ok though!)

I loved Rosie the elephant, and i loved the scene where the circus workers erected the Big Top.

I thought the costumes were very nice. although i wasn't blown away by them. However, i just stumbled across the costume sketches by designer Jacqueline West. They are so beautiful, so for all the okayishness of the final film, i thought i would share these with you.

I really don't mean to sound like i hated this film, as i actually enjoyed it. It looked absolutely stunning! There was just something missing for me, although i can't quite put my finger on it.

Here are some stills shots for you to have a look at-

Costumes in 'Midnight in Paris'

Now i know i am writing about yet another Woody Allen film, but i couldn't help it. Midnight in Paris is quite possibly his most beautiful film to date and i really wanted to share it with you. This nostalgic portrayal of Allen's love affair with Paris is definitely his most stylish film yet.

There is so much about this film that made me fall in love with it. Firstly, the cast is incredible. Owen Wilson has been perfectly cast in the lead and it is so refreshing to see the usually wholesome Rachel McAdams playing a dispassionate, bland bitch. Marion Cotillard firmly became one of my favourite actresses after her performance in La Vie En Rose and once again she plays her character, this time an artists' muse, Adriana perfectly. I also feel i should give Alison Pill a special mention for her portrayal of Zelda Fitzgerald. Pill is relatively unknown to me but her, energy, passion and hearty performance have established her as an actress i will thereafter look out for. Although she had a relatively minor role, hers was definitely my favourite performance of the film. I guess though that Zelda Fitzgerald would be a dream character for any actress to get their teeth into.

Secondly, i love this film as i can really empathise with the characters of Gil and Adriana. I am definitely a person who wishes they had been born earlier; that i would have thrived during the 1920s or the 1960s for example. The film's message that every era is a golden era really struck a chord with me. We are living during a golden age now and we should make the most of it. Our descendants will look back and wish that they had lived during 2011 and dressed like us.

Thirdly, this film is so beautiful. Everything from the cinematography to the costumes, to the sets is spot on. The period costumes, designed by Sonia Grande, don't make the actors look awkward, they look comfortable and just as i imagine they would have. The 1920s costumes in particular are amazing. They are glamorously bohemian and incredibly stylish. This film would be my dream as a costume designer. You'd get to design a little bit of everything. Not only that, but the end product is bound to be incredibly stylish, as you are dressing incredibly stylish people. Characters include the Fitzgeralds, Hemmingway, Dali, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec and Adriana (a fictitious artists' muse). These people were all truly artistic icons of their time and are bound to be exciting and inspiring.

The only thing i wasn't quite sure about was some of the clothing choices that were made for McAdams' character Ines. In keeping with her character it appears that she is entirely clad in designer wear; Chanel, Dior, Hermes etc. I can see why this was done but i fear that here the large production budget may have stilted Grande's incredible flair and creativity.

Also, kudos to whoever designed the poster. It is a perfect reflection and accompaniment to the film.

Here are some photos to help show the beauty of this film. Please do try and watch it for yourselves though. You won't be disappointed.