Latest / The Art of Costume Podcast / Elvis with Costume Designer, Catherine Martin

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Elvis with Costume Designer, Catherine Martin · The Art of Costume Podcast

0:12
And The Capes are so heavy. Oh, really?
0:16
Yeah, they're really heavy and you often the end of Elvis's
0:21
career. He starts throwing them into the
0:23
audience. I think it's to get rid of them
0:25
so you don't have to use them. So ready?
0:43
Welcome to the Arctic housing. Block, a simoes with joy glass
0:47
and I'm Spencer Williams. Elizabeth.
0:50
How are you? I'm excellent.
0:53
How is your Catherine Martin March treating you?
0:56
It is treating me. Well, it is treating me.
0:59
Well going back to Great Gatsby was like, that was like such a
1:04
throwback I loved. I know I've been listening to
1:07
like Lana Del Rey music again, like every single day.
1:10
Now it's the curse. I know, I know it's crazy and
1:16
then aside from our Catherine Martin Obsession, I started
1:21
binge-watching. Lucifer on Netflix.
1:24
Okay, little different but I was like, huh, what should I watch?
1:29
And I just like turned it on and I like have not stopped watching
1:32
it, so it's like a lot of a lot of different.
1:35
Things are in my life right now and I like it.
1:38
It's keeping it interesting, right?
1:40
I have that's so cool. I have been you know, we're
1:44
about to talk about really exciting film.
1:46
So I really been living in that world for like literally a week.
1:49
I've been re watching the same movie over and over so that my
1:52
comfort is running to this cartoon on Disney plus because
1:57
the Guardians of the Galaxy is getting ready to end.
2:00
So I'm watching this really like kids version of this Guardians
2:04
of the Galaxy cartoon. I know it's very it's very
2:09
childlike but it's like a happy place right now, you know, just
2:12
have it on in the background. Just some good old.
2:15
I don't want Guardians to end its making.
2:17
I'm starting to get sad to closer.
2:19
It gets I know. I am excited for James Gunn
2:22
though going over to d.c. Oh yeah.
2:26
And being like okay we're going to fix this.
2:28
Oh man, you and I have talked about this off mic a lot of I'm
2:31
very excited. It's time to clean some things
2:34
up. I I'm confident if there's
2:36
anyone that could turn around d.c., it's James, Gunn and Peter
2:39
Safran. I mean, we've talked about James
2:42
going to love a lot on this podcast.
2:44
He is a genius. So, yeah, I don't know.
2:47
Do you see you should be very excited?
2:49
I know it doesn't feel like it now, but just remember this
2:53
moment like three years from now.
2:55
You know. You're going to be so excited.
2:57
I'm just cuz DC has so many great stories and I'm excited
3:01
for just them to just like be cohesive and like one.
3:05
Oh yeah. I mean there's so much potential
3:08
damage but enough about DC and Guardians of the Galaxy
3:15
Elizabeth. What do we watch this week?
3:18
This week, we entered an entirely different Universe.
3:22
The universe of Elvis. Oh my gosh, sure.
3:28
This film is a treat in. I've seen it quite a few times
3:33
now you know, first. I'm in theaters and now just
3:37
been watching at home and every single time I watch it, I love
3:41
it more and more. There's just so much great
3:43
storytelling and, you know, at first, I think people might get
3:46
caught off guard by, you know, the flashiness of it or, you
3:51
know, the wonkiness of Tom Hanks or whatnot.
3:55
But as you get into it I just think it's such a beautiful film
3:59
and such a great tribute and I'm excited to talk about it.
4:02
It really really was and like I'm not Huge Elvis fan.
4:09
But, you know, he's, it's just like a classic artists.
4:13
So I was interested to see, you know, kind of his story in a
4:19
this artistic way. And it just, I loved it.
4:25
And I like I wasn't expecting that, it was so good, right?
4:28
I really feel like this should be a template for any biopic
4:30
going forward. Honestly, I think that this was
4:33
just brilliant baz, luhrmann Catherine Martin.
4:36
It's okay. Awesome Butler is.
4:41
He is great in this role that. Yeah, I'll face.
4:45
She's excellent. Yeah, I was happily surprised by
4:49
everything if I'm being honest, let's just get into it.
4:52
A Lizabeth all starts off a summary Elvis, explores the life
4:56
of Elvis Presley from his childhood to becoming an
5:00
American music icon in the 1950s through the 1970s while.
5:05
Painting a complex relationship with his manager, Colonel, Tom,
5:09
Parker, and that is Elvis as Elvis.
5:13
If you don't want spoilers, stop here, let's go behind the
5:17
Wardrobe. We have director baz, luhrmann
5:22
and costume designer extraordinaire.
5:25
Catherine, Martin, who was also the production designer on
5:31
Elvis. You will know her work from
5:34
Moulin Rouge. I swear, she got her first Oscar
5:37
win, Australia for what she got her second nomination, The Great
5:42
Gatsby, which we talked about last week and for which she got
5:46
her second, Oscar win, as well as the get down Spencer.
5:52
I don't know about you, but I am so excited for this episode
5:58
because we have a little surprise.
6:01
Yeah. When we plan Catherine, Martin,
6:04
March we I think that we would actually be able to have the
6:08
Catherine Martin on our podcast. I am so excited to introduce
6:15
costume designer. Catherine Martin, welcome,
6:18
Catherine. Welcome.
6:20
Thank you so much for having me today.
6:22
We're so excited to talk to you. Well, I'm screwed and we with
6:27
modern technology we're able to be bicoastal and
6:30
transcontinental, right? I don't think we've ever Had a
6:35
guest to the Australian continent.
6:40
I love it. Well, it's such an honor to have
6:43
you here with us when we originally planned out.
6:45
Catherine, Martin March, we didn't think actual Catherine,
6:48
Martin would be on the podcast, so we're super excited.
6:52
Well, I'm screwed just through to be part of it and I'll make
6:56
sure my children know that somewhere in the world.
7:00
People are dedicating. Some interest in Shinto.
7:05
What I do. Because let us say they leveled
7:07
interested in limited. Yeah you better tell him a lot
7:13
of and I'm going to it's going to give me a lot of grad.
7:17
You better tell everybody. Yeah, hey everyone.
7:20
So we have a lot of congratulations in order first.
7:23
Before we get into it, not only were you nominated for best
7:26
achievement and costume design. Your also nominated for best
7:29
achievement, production design, and best motion picture of the
7:32
year. I mean, that is a first on the
7:33
podcast. I know This film was no small
7:36
project. What how does this feel?
7:38
It's kind of overwhelming. It feels sometimes a little bit.
7:42
Like it's happening to somebody else because of course, you
7:45
don't think of yourself in those kind of terms, you put your
7:49
shoes on one at a time and you put your legs in your pants, you
7:54
know, one at a time. But I think when I have time to
7:58
reflect, I feel incredible gratitude that the movie.
8:05
It's been recognized. And when the movie is
8:08
recognized, that means that my team as a whole is recognized.
8:12
And I am not a singular person doing everything by myself.
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I have an incredible team of hundreds of people who support
8:23
me who work tirelessly who, you know, kept the faith when the
8:29
movie was shut down because of covid and came back to work.
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Credibly hard-working people who get to be on the credit roll at
8:38
the end, but very rarely get any kind of Limelight or Accolade.
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And I just feel very happy that they can put on their seavey's,
8:49
that they worked on an academy nominated movie.
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I think it's just, it's a little tiny pay back to them.
8:57
I also feel really proud and happy that baz is being
9:03
recognized in the best picture category.
9:05
Because I think what he brings to the process really is what
9:11
enables all of his collaborators to shine.
9:15
You know, we are indebted to his vision, to his perseverance, to
9:22
his inclusivity, to his undying, passion for the work, and the
9:29
Collegiate way in which includes all of us in it.
9:32
So, that makes me very happy to write And you're known for
9:36
really, you know collaborating with Incredible team.
9:40
That's usually quite large but they're also magnificent and I'm
9:43
so happy that they're all also gained that recognition as well
9:47
and being on this project with you and all your projects
9:49
honestly. So let's get into all things
9:52
Elvis. I want to start from the
9:54
beginning which comes down to the research.
9:56
We often hear of costume designers, doing research into
10:00
eras, you know, far gone years and years away.
10:03
But we're talking about one of the most Photograph people most
10:06
recorded people in the world. So this is not a documentary
10:11
also. So I was wondering how did he
10:13
come to research this project? And is there such a thing as too
10:16
much research or too much content?
10:18
Oh my goodness. That is a really interesting
10:22
question because you know, in many parts so let me deal with a
10:28
man who's possibly the most photographed person on the
10:32
planet or one of the most photographed people on the
10:35
planet. It there isn't a day that goes
10:37
by where new photos on Earth by someone and sent to me because
10:46
we're in a night if you like I'm done.
10:48
I'm done. I got it all.
10:50
It's not even it's just incredible because what the
10:53
internet has done is allow us this enormous resource, it's an
10:59
incredible social history tool because you not only are able to
11:04
access all the all photos or well-known photos, but people
11:09
discover in their own personal archives fan photography or you
11:19
know, Super 8 that someone and took it a concert and it's
11:24
constantly being curated and uploaded on line also to me
11:29
that's fantastic because it's living and breathing that Legacy
11:34
and It's a constant detective work to kind of unpick History,
11:40
you know, and to see to forensically understand what,
11:47
Elvis War, how we wore it, when he wore it, who he was with, how
11:52
he was wearing it. What the people around him were
11:54
wearing, I mean that fundamentally understanding the
12:00
character through clothes and understanding how History and
12:06
clothes intersect in any given individual is really what drives
12:11
me as a costume designer. So I've been really lucky
12:15
working with bath, who is so exigence when it comes to
12:21
research and he basically spent 18 months on and off, in
12:28
Graceland researching and working and going through the
12:32
archives and writing the script there.
12:35
We started about five years ago, it seriously, starting to work
12:42
on the movie bath had thought about Elvis and wanting to do a
12:47
movie that was on the subject of Elvis and was interested in the
12:51
subject when I met him 30 years ago.
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So this is a, you know, with bath, it's a really slow burn
12:59
and we're lucky enough because baz is really focused on
13:04
Research. It on the visual storytelling.
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You know, he comes to the party with his own little sketches and
13:13
tear sheets and reference images.
13:16
So he always has a Clear Vision of how he wants to see things
13:22
and so what is great about that is that we often have a slow
13:27
burn at the beginning. So we don't the studio doesn't
13:30
just go. Oh, that's love and Revere.
13:32
We're going to give him as much money as he wants and he can
13:34
have as many people. Really that's how I can imagine
13:39
it. No definitely not.
13:42
You can write to them and tell them, that's how it should work.
13:46
But that we whole it's a small team that starts working way out
13:53
before we get the larger team on and so, Karen Murphy.
13:58
Who is the cocoa production designer started about a year
14:03
before we started filming And or stop started pre-production.
14:08
So it's a process of adding on collaborators as we go slowly so
14:13
that when we get to actually having the huge machine on
14:18
board, we're really really prepared, and is there too much
14:24
research, I think that you can never do too much research but
14:30
one of the problems is your brain is unable to hold all
14:35
those Images in your mind at once, but I think what extensive
14:40
research does is it Prime's your brain?
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So you kind of have this, you know, I think it's like
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fertilizing the soil and putting compost in the soil and
14:52
preparing fallow ground for something great to grow because
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it's impossible to remember everything.
15:00
But, you know, once you've done that research, you know what to
15:04
look for? Or you'll have in your brain
15:07
that there's a lead but it does become yes.
15:12
Difficult to in your brain, kind of go kind of what you call it
15:19
black. Put your arms around all the
15:20
information and sometimes force ourselves to go back to the very
15:26
beginning and look through all the images we've been collecting
15:31
because the way that the the the, the visual Youíll start is,
15:36
they'll be an injection from bars.
15:39
He'll ask us to do very various research projects to help guide
15:45
the script. So he knows what things look
15:48
like and what people wore so he can include them in the writing
15:52
process. And as the script is being
15:55
developed, we're starting to make, he'll have editorial
16:00
johno. And Matt will be starting to
16:01
make animatic reels that reflect the script and in the Department
16:06
will start making books which we actually print out my start.
16:13
Tell the visual story of the script so it starts off with
16:17
documentary images. This happens on all the movies
16:21
or not there, either photographic found images
16:26
research images, or in this case, documentary images,
16:29
telling the story, or inspiration images, and then as
16:33
it progresses This document, the documentary photography starts
16:40
to be replaced with concept, art and costume, sketches, and
16:45
pictures of costume fittings with Austin.
16:48
And we often make books that are adjunct to this sort of
16:53
Storytelling visual storytelling Bible that our book specifically
16:58
for for actors to kind of help them with their research Journey
17:03
on the character. So we'll do an Over specific
17:06
book or we'll do a kernel specific book or we'll do, you
17:11
know, a Gladys Presley specific book that has input from baz's,
17:16
researchers from the writers and from the art department and that
17:22
helps to start kind of editing down all the images and finding
17:27
all the key staff that has been signed off by bars and he sort
17:31
of agreed as the sort of visual storytelling.
17:35
Retelling map. The, the problem is that as the
17:40
process revs up and revs up and you're busier, and busier, and
17:44
busier each day, it's difficult to keep that information in your
17:48
brain. So we do occasionally force
17:51
ourselves to go back to the very beginning and look at all those
17:55
documents that were created to refresh our memories, because
18:00
sometimes you might be struggling with something only
18:04
to find you Dad. Julie done the work you know
18:07
eight months earlier couple minor you'd hand it in your
18:11
assignment. It actually done it.
18:13
You could just get it out of the drawer.
18:17
Instead of do it all over again. So to me, I think it's important
18:22
that I don't think there's ever too much research but yes, it's
18:25
a constant, the edit of the images.
18:29
The way of consuming imagery. Making sure that That it's
18:35
shared with all the collaborators so they have
18:38
access to all of that that it's all the images that bears has
18:44
created and signed off on and everybody knows how to get it.
18:48
It's a constant struggle and there's always fights about it
18:51
at the beginning, but no one can get onto the server.
18:54
No one knows how to use box. The past, never work, no one
19:01
understands the filing. And so that's theirs.
19:05
Like a period of it angst at the beginning.
19:08
Yeah, I love that. I love that.
19:09
It's such a involved process and that you really like plan it out
19:15
and it looks like you really lay it out for everybody.
19:19
Another really big collaborator for you guys.
19:23
Who I'm sure had a lot of input, was the Elvis Presley estate.
19:28
What was it like working with them?
19:30
Well, look, they were increased, you know, basically, once they
19:35
agree, Agreed, you know, and they signed on with Warner
19:39
Brothers, they agreed to make the movie.
19:43
It was really about Bowser's, telling of the story, and they
19:46
were incredibly generous and Angie mukasey who's the chief
19:51
archivist and basically, keeper really of the flame of
19:56
everything that is the history. And the kind of legacy of Elvis
20:01
that generosity just allowed us to Really dig in in a really
20:08
personal and human way to the characters that are in the movie
20:12
and to the places that are in the movie.
20:14
It's so, you know, when we went to Graceland we'd seen color
20:20
photos of Graceland just before Elvis goes to the Army and
20:27
Graceland is sort of a Wedgewood blue and a lot of Photography
20:32
online people are getting better and better at color.
20:35
Rising pictures. So you have to be really careful
20:39
that you're not just looking at a colorized picture.
20:42
So that was one of our investigations and in the
20:46
process of all of the questions and all of the visits to
20:50
Graceland Karen Murphy and I, and my longtime collaborator
20:54
Chris Tangy, we went on an extensive road trip in the South
20:58
and spent a considerable amount of time at Graceland.
21:02
And we were asking Angie about it and she said, yes, it was
21:05
blue. In that period.
21:06
And there's actually in this hall closet, she opens the coat
21:10
closet in the hallway. It great, it's that color.
21:14
Wow, and so my God, yeah, they would have Benjamin Moore, paint
21:18
chips, you know, kind of King to find to match that color.
21:24
So, the estate and Angie, just so generous and so helpful to
21:31
have such unfettered access because it It allows you, I mean
21:36
we were nervous where Australians we're not American.
21:40
It's not our cultural. We don't live in the south of
21:43
America. So you can imagine we were
21:46
really nervous about not only being true to Elvis's Legacy and
21:52
respectful. But at the same time, we wanted
21:55
to reproduce things because we knew that we were going to have
22:00
to build everything in Australia.
22:02
So we really wanted to seep ourselves.
22:05
Everything from you know, doing a survey getting a proper survey
22:11
done of how Graceland sits on the rise in Memphis.
22:18
So we could find exactly that same bit of topography in
22:22
Australia to build the facade of Graceland.
22:26
We built about a one and a half story facade of Graceland.
22:31
And the driveway outside the front.
22:35
And then, we had to build the interior, the downstairs, we
22:39
built all of it except for the kitchen.
22:41
Wow, on stage. So there were lots of calipers
22:46
getting dimensions of all of the window frames and thousands of
22:53
photos taken and a brilliant. Art directing team who basically
22:59
took on each of these sets. And then on top of all the
23:02
research we did in person they would Moreover photos, and
23:07
create these extraordinary kind of visual if you call the maps.
23:13
But basically, it's like a historical like Graceland when
23:18
it was built. This was it three days later?
23:21
And, you know, you could just see the progression place,
23:24
that's amazing. And it comes through so, well,
23:28
especially with Elvis's wardrobe, and Austin, Butler's
23:32
phenomenal. Now nominated performance,
23:35
Emmons, one thing I found incredible was how much he moves
23:40
and how were you able to translate that necessity into
23:44
the costumes? Will look when it comes to the
23:51
jumpsuits. For instance, they were
23:54
originally designed by a designer called Bill.
23:57
Balu. Who designed Elvis's costumes
24:02
for the 68 special because he was the in-house costume.
24:05
Designer at NBC, and I did an enormous.
24:10
I'd seen some reproduction costumes that I thought were
24:13
very interesting. And well done at Graceland when
24:17
I'd been there in the gift shop and I noticed where they'd been
24:20
made. So I started to look because I
24:23
thought, you know, what with jumpsuits and with all the
24:27
decoration and all of that embroidery and the specificness,
24:32
there are people that make it their life's work.
24:35
To reproduce that. I mean it's an entire industry,
24:38
you know, tribute artists. Yeah.
24:41
And I thought right? There are people in this world.
24:44
There must be why we Reinventing the wheel, I need to get into
24:49
how to do this. Also chain stitch, embroidery is
24:53
a very particular, American Western technique to yeah of
24:59
doing all that and it's chain, stitch embroidery, it's very
25:02
specific and so I did a lot of Search online and I found
25:06
finally realized and I went to visit them in Indiana became
25:11
Enterprises who made the majority of jumpsuit we did make
25:17
some in Australia because we needed to and they became our
25:21
primary collaborator on that process because they had
25:27
actually had a friendship with Bill Baloo.
25:30
They've got permission from him to reproduce the jumpsuits.
25:34
They He had given them his patterns introduced hit the
25:41
couple that rum BK Enterprises to the Elvis's, tailor the belt
25:48
maker and also to his assistant. At the time, Jean do say, who
25:53
still works with them and he embroidered one of his
25:58
embroidered chain stitched embroidered and studied started
26:02
and Bejeweled the majority of Elvis.
26:05
Is jumpsuits and he's still alive and one of the Fantastic
26:10
things in the show, that's very meaningful to me.
26:15
Is that he embroidered Elvis's Sundial outfit?
26:21
Which is the jumpsuit that he wears when he's singing
26:26
Unchained Melody at the end and also embroidered Austin's.
26:32
And to me, that was a really special Special connection.
26:37
So the process was that, we just had once we got the suits, we
26:43
altered some of the fabric choices because we wanted it to
26:46
be closer to the archival fabric.
26:50
So, we had special walls made in Italy to match Elvis's suits and
26:57
they went to BK BK, would sent the suits to Australia.
27:01
Also, we need multiples as it was, we had Somewhere between we
27:07
ramped up and ramp down. I think we started with six
27:10
people in the wardrobe department and ended up with
27:13
120. So, it was also an incredible
27:18
resource to have people that knew how to make these things
27:21
and could make identical multiples.
27:24
Because we're looking at the one of the blue suits.
27:27
Well, we have three of those and, oh, and two belts.
27:31
And so the volume in jumpsuits, we Needed an entire room just to
27:37
hold the jumpsuits alone because they're big cape and all the
27:42
belts the jewelry. So, it was like, it was a really
27:47
fantastic collaboration and we would get the jumpsuits in
27:51
Australia and then they would need to be fitted and changed
27:56
because we had Elvis changes his body shape.
28:02
And so we had a number of fat suit For want of a better word
28:06
that we needed to try all the jumpsuits on.
28:10
And so some of the measurements we given b k were approximate.
28:13
Then there were different, you know, his body's different to
28:18
the Joe, bloggs down the road. And so our tailor in Australia
28:23
would painstakingly refit all the jumpsuits when they got
28:28
there. So he could move.
28:29
And with the white jumpsuit I think we had about six of them.
28:33
And you know, there was Pristine one for close-ups, there was the
28:38
one that would just got trashed because he rolls around on the
28:41
floor a lot. Well, you know, not exactly, but
28:45
feeling on the ground and all of that sort of stuff.
28:48
And so it's about making sure and that's where your team like
28:53
his personal dresser Austin's. Personal dresser was just
28:57
fantastic at maintaining all of this and being on top of which
29:02
suit needed to be used for what purpose I love that so much and
29:07
I just love talking to you. I have so many questions, and
29:11
it's so crazy because like, I'm so glad we got help with the
29:15
jumpsuits, because as it was on top of the, I think it's like
29:19
26. Jumpsuits that Elvis?
29:21
Where's there were over 70, complete lie, tailored
29:26
fabricated outfits that were made by our Taylor in Australia.
29:30
So it just the sheer volume was kind of punishing.
29:34
Yeah. Yeah, right.
29:36
So many costumes and you know, such a recognizable person.
29:40
I mean I can't even imagine and also I wish I could live in that
29:43
jumpsuit closet. That sounds like a great place
29:46
to be raised and The Capes are so heavy.
29:52
Oh, really? Yeah, they're really heavy and
29:55
you often the end of Elvis's career.
29:58
He starts throwing them into the audience.
30:00
I think it's to get rid of them. So he doesn't have to use the So
30:06
Freddie. Okay.
30:07
So one of my favorite parts of the film was watching the
30:10
evolution of Elvis from the 50s to the 70s.
30:13
So I'd really like to go along with you just highlight some of
30:16
these, you know, specific eras of his the first stage which is
30:20
personally, my favorite is seeing the young rockabilly
30:23
Elvis. I love the color palettes the
30:26
way his clothes fit. And, you know, still felt really
30:30
Catherine, Martin baz luhrmann. But then also, at the same time,
30:33
you look at some photos They're like, wow, that they really
30:36
captured the essence to of Elvis.
30:38
So what was it? Like working on the rockabilly
30:41
phase? Especially with the Beale Street
30:42
influence? Well, it's was really
30:46
challenging because there's made the really Salient point that.
30:52
What we think of Elvis wearing in the 50s has just become part
30:56
of tasteful male Alexia and of tasteful male dressing, right?
31:03
And how We find a way of, you know, he couldn't be dressed
31:09
like an alien or like Johnny Rotten them Sex Pistols.
31:15
It needed to be in the vocabulary of the clothes that
31:18
he actually wore. It was kind of the challenge
31:21
was, how do you make sure that everyone knows what a punk he
31:26
was and how it was? Who the parental generation?
31:33
How he is? His movement was challenging how
31:39
he chose to wore his hair, how he expressed himself through
31:44
clothes, why that became, you know, a kind of a tender strike
31:50
for youth culture, right? We started just looking at those
31:56
pictures in the early 50s and trying to to find touchstones
32:03
that we could say. A oh, even today.
32:07
That would be to some degree challenging.
32:11
So, for instance, in this early 50s period, he wore a lot of
32:16
lace shirts that we do believe came from, oh my God, my brain.
32:23
Sometimes I just had these like ridiculous moments of just
32:28
blanking about the name of the school that he bought all of his
32:31
clothes from. Anyway, it will come to me.
32:35
And so Lansky's. So we believe he bought these
32:40
lace shirts. From Lansky's also Lansky's
32:44
preferred color palette one of their preferred color palettes
32:48
were black and pink and also Elvis's.
32:52
Best friend. Jerry told me that Elvis's.
32:56
Favorite colors were black and pink this period and so we kind
33:02
of thought right? Okay, that's the beginning that
33:05
Gives us a little way in, but how do we when ostensibly in
33:10
every historical photo? His?
33:12
He is wearing a jacket and pants, whatever.
33:14
The shirt is, how do we make sure that his movement the
33:20
sensuality, the sexuality of who Elvis was and the edginess of
33:26
the clothes come through and that was a process of
33:31
experimentation. So, in the late 40s and early
33:34
50s, 50s Elvis was still wearing this Hollywood jacket style
33:40
which is kind of like a shacket. It's what he wears at hayride,
33:43
the pink and black suit. And what I think both bears and
33:47
I liked about it was it had this kind of it looked like a suit
33:51
jacket but it moved like a shirt and it allowed the sensuality of
33:58
the movement to be expressed in the drape of the jacket and then
34:04
there was the pan. And send the wiggle and that was
34:06
of just a process of trying, a lot of different cuts of pants
34:12
to find the right fullness at the front, the firmness on the
34:18
seat. So it wasn't like, you know,
34:20
kind of baggy kind of diaper pants to Peg the legs bottom.
34:25
So, you know, they were held down around the ankles so, but
34:29
so that the front could still wiggle and that was a process of
34:33
experimentation. We had done a lot of it.
34:37
We were shut down just before we started shooting.
34:40
But as had already started wearing a lot of the clothes as
34:44
had Austin to try and find the movement and experiment with the
34:50
choreography and during covid, we doubled down on it.
34:54
And so, working with bears, I went and I took all the Wardrobe
35:00
and he started and we did a bunch of workshops to kind of I
35:05
asked finesse exactly the fit and movement of, you know, and
35:11
it's also about fabric to. We had a great English Mill that
35:15
we discovered on this show that makes all of these wolves and
35:18
extraordinary colors and in vintage weights and so that made
35:24
it, you know, that was part of the discovery process to just
35:28
finding the correct fabric. Hey, I love that and I am
35:32
obsessed with these color palettes.
35:34
The Ink and a black is so striking.
35:36
It's no wonder that such a favorite color scheme of his
35:39
personally the period I really liked was his kind of like
35:44
family, man. Oh yeah.
35:47
In the movies. He's just married percilla.
35:51
I think it's just like, so striking.
35:54
What did you want the costume to say about Elvis during this
35:57
period? Well, I think you actually
35:59
analyzed it perfectly but as spoke about the fact that he was
36:04
becoming the air, Remand The Family, Man.
36:07
The, you know, that he was easy to consume as a viewer, you
36:12
know. Yeah.
36:13
There was no Challenge and it was very much a reinvention by
36:16
the colonel. You were the punk rocker and now
36:20
you're the crooner and it was quite challenging because the
36:24
hairstyle is quite challenging that kind of really slicked back
36:29
style. There's nothing to hide because
36:33
you're with, you've got the Elvis up until when his hair is
36:38
cut for the Army. In our movie that's Austin's
36:41
Hair and then we go into wigs. And so that's a very exposed
36:47
hairline, you know, in a week. So it took a while to get that
36:51
look. And then of course you're not
36:54
going to have poor Elvis hanging around in a polo neck.
36:58
Yeah, morning. So we had to And he's wig was
37:06
going to be put on. How do you get a polo neck on?
37:09
Someone's head with a wig without being able to see the
37:13
zipper? We couldn't see the Zipper at
37:15
the back and there was a whole we had a whole way of putting
37:21
the zipper in through the actual seam shoulder seam and then up
37:27
through the edge of the collar. But then we had a special plier
37:31
thing to take off the little tag of the zippers that you could
37:34
never. I see it.
37:35
Wow, and the fitting. I think I was making everyone
37:41
crazy because I was actually fitting Polo necks.
37:45
Mmm. So we did by a number of
37:47
problematic because to get that finest and the way that it's
37:52
knitted, you know, sometimes they're fully fashioned garments
37:56
but then I would be going. Look, I don't like the way
37:59
there's this wrinkle here. You're going to have to reset
38:02
that nip and I was saying it's going to be impossible.
38:06
It's going to look terrible. How come we Ricard a fully
38:10
fashioned it and they did a brilliant job.
38:12
They been a brilliant. Yeah.
38:14
And just some of the most beautiful tailoring and often.
38:18
It's the things that we see for the least amount of time.
38:21
But Gloria Barber, who's worked with me and Ben worked as a
38:25
tailor with me for 30 years. When you see the suit up close
38:32
like when Lisa Marie is born, His suit.
38:36
It is So Divine. It's a beautiful iridescent.
38:42
I want to call it sharkskin. I may be wrong like Divine
38:48
beautifully, tailored and so simple.
38:52
You know, it just has the most simple Revere's no detail on the
38:56
front but this incredibly tight fit so it's all done by the
39:01
tailoring with canvas etcetera. So, These simple suits that
39:06
don't have any kind of detail to distract from them.
39:10
So if they're not perfect, they look terrible or the wedding
39:13
suit. Amazing.
39:15
Yeah. And it had stranged else like
39:19
the waistcoat doesn't have buttons down the front.
39:23
It does up with a zipper and I'm trying to remember it's either
39:26
under the arm at the side or up the back, the original one, so
39:30
that I think Elvis must have had it made so, you know, didn't get
39:34
wrinkly. At the front but they're
39:36
immaculately tail. Yeah.
39:38
The pants immaculately tailored but they're kind of not throw
39:44
away but we only see them for such short periods of time.
39:48
It's so fascinating. I feel like we need a Catherine
39:51
Martin Elvis museum to see all these costumes up close.
39:54
I just would love to see them. They'll never look as good on a
39:59
dummy as they do on him. I mean, honestly could see that
40:03
happen. My God, he's just pissed.
40:10
I think everyone's had the same reaction watching the film my
40:14
favorite scene and we'll wrap up with this question, is the 1968
40:19
Comeback Special. It's by far one of my favorite
40:22
sequences because Elvis is going through a lot right now.
40:26
This is kind of like his re-emergence as the Elvis, that
40:29
everyone fell in love with, and he has these two specific looks
40:32
that I feel like, you know, you and your Um, had so much
40:35
storytelling involved with the black leather, but then also the
40:39
white gospel suit. What were you trying to say with
40:41
these two specific costumes? Well, I think it's more what was
40:46
Elvis trying to say and working Bill Baloo.
40:49
And I think it was about the fact that he was trying to get
40:54
back to the person that he was and trying to get back closer to
41:00
his musical roots to rhythm and blues to the Nexus of rhythm and
41:06
blues, rock and roll country and western and that's sexy rawness
41:13
that he had when he was youthful.
41:14
So I think that's very much what the black leather was abound.
41:18
And also he's connecting to kind of the the rebels of the 50s
41:23
Malin Brando, but he's also by putting it shirtless, you know,
41:29
with pants and a jacket. He's connecting it to kind of,
41:33
you know, The motorcycle riders and the counterculture of the
41:39
60s. And so I think that outfit is
41:43
very much about re-establishing himself as an artistic and
41:49
cultural force. And then, I think the white suit
41:53
is very meaningful because that song is a reaction to the
41:58
terrible assassinations that were happening in the late 60s,
42:03
the difficult The time this terrible time of segregation in
42:09
America, all of these horrible political assassinations, the
42:15
racial violence, the political violence, The Changing Times.
42:20
And I think the white suit was really, you know, a plea for a
42:27
more inclusive and more peaceful solution.
42:32
I mean, he was not a politician. Isshin and we can discuss
42:37
Elvis's political views. But I, you know, and he probably
42:42
wasn't the most left-wing person on the planet.
42:44
I mean, that certainly documented, but I think that the
42:48
thing about Elvis Elvis is a humanist.
42:51
He believed in people and kindness and connection.
42:56
And I think he wanted to use music to bring people together
43:00
to build Bridges as opposed to be.
43:05
Ruling Division. And I think that's what you
43:09
know, that song that he's singing.
43:12
If I Could dream is about, he's dreaming about a better place
43:16
where people get along and things are about inclusion and,
43:23
you know, he did think a lot about walking in other people's
43:28
shoes. You know, he sang songs about it
43:30
and I really do believe that Elvis believed in the The
43:34
positive force of music. And I think it's a white
43:38
costume, because it's that link to a gospel costume to has a
43:45
religious connection, it has a connection to Peace.
43:49
So, I think in in the 68 special, there are those two
43:53
counter pointing costumes, right?
43:57
There's such a balance there and it's just so beautiful.
43:59
You could tell, you know, through two costumes, he had so
44:02
much to say at that moment, Katherine.
44:04
This is An amazing. We love talking to this film was
44:08
so powerful. Love talking to you too.
44:12
So powerful, so emotional, before we let you go.
44:16
And what did this experience mean to you?
44:18
Well, look, I am very proud that the body of work that I've been
44:25
alive enabled that I've been able to participate in with bad
44:29
have been about connection, Universal stories.
44:34
That reflect on The Human Condition and hopefully connect
44:40
people together and allow us to reflect on who we are, what
44:45
we've done wrong how we can possibly move forward.
44:49
I mean, I know this sounds very grandiose but I just feel proud
44:54
that it's a positive story about and a tale of caution and a view
45:03
of a very difficult. Time and it reflects on the time
45:07
we're in. Now I think that we really need
45:12
as humans to spend more time realizing that we have far more
45:17
in common than we do differences.
45:21
And that we have to be always looking back at the past,
45:26
analyze, who we are, and where we're going and hopefully
45:32
without analysis, make more positive choices.
45:34
And I think the movie helps to examine a really important part
45:40
of, you know, a very specific human Journey, but also a
45:43
broader. Historical American millia.
45:47
It's a beautiful way to end this.
45:49
Catherine, we are both. So honored to have you here We
45:53
join us back, nice, Catherine, Martin March, I mean, we have so
45:56
many movies to talk about. Sure.
45:59
I'm gonna get children to subscribe to your podcast so
46:03
they can, you know, really know. No show a bit of respect.
46:08
It's our new Global holiday you know.
46:13
Well thank you so much. We will let you go.
46:17
Thank you for a lovely. Thank you.
46:45
Elizabeth that was an incredible interview know, I could talk to
46:50
Katherine Martin for the rest of my life.
46:52
I love this interview. It was so insightful.
46:57
I just love how much thought they put into the production.
47:02
Auction the costumes. Like, no wonder, like their
47:07
movies are gorgeous. They just they dedicate so much
47:10
time to getting it, right? I just love.
47:14
I love that so much. There's so much dedication.
47:18
You know, they became good friends of the family and
47:21
they're working on this for what she said, five years.
47:24
I mean, I just can't imagine, that's why we only see so many
47:27
baz luhrmann films, because they put so much attention attention
47:31
into each one. Lutely, and I'm just so excited
47:35
for her, and the entire crew. Now that it's nominated.
47:40
I loved, I loved what she said about the nomination, you know,
47:45
everyone being able to put that on there, their resume and how
47:50
she's excited for everybody else.
47:53
What how it reflects on their works.
47:54
I was like, that was beautiful. Yeah, that's awesome.
47:57
I love that. She really cares about her crew
47:59
and, you know, Whitney and Adams kind tell us about that to how
48:02
she really It's an incredible team and she's a mentor to
48:06
people and she looks after her people and, you know, relies on
48:09
everyone. So this is like an example of it
48:12
takes a village. Yeah.
48:15
But with that Elizabeth, I think we should play our favorite
48:18
game. I think we should too.
48:20
Daniel hit it. The one costume to rule them
48:25
all. Spencer, what is your one
48:31
costume to rule them all? I think, I don't know that I've
48:35
struggled with one as much as I have on this film, so much great
48:40
costuming. Okay.
48:43
Even at this moment, I'm not positive, but my heart is
48:47
telling me to pick that pink look in that rockabilly era of
48:52
Elvis when we first see him. And he plays that first song
48:55
with the guitar, he has everyone freaking out with the Elvis
49:00
dance. I just felt like that pink and
49:03
black was just so striking. It's for some reason I didn't
49:06
imagine Elvis and pink but maybe that's just my own ignorance,
49:11
but it was just so beautiful against with the production
49:14
design and so much about his character and who Elvis was, and
49:18
he was like she said, he was this Punk, he know, you're
49:22
really upset like the nature of world order.
49:25
So I just love that costume. But honestly, I could pick For
49:30
other costumes for one costume to rule them all.
49:32
This was definitely a tough one. But for me, personally, it's
49:39
kind of it's a little bit of a twofer.
49:42
It is the lace shirts. Hmm, Elvis.
49:46
Where's and I found it. So fascinating that these, these
49:52
lace short sleeve button. Downs were somewhat historically
49:56
accurate, right? At least like that, really I was
50:00
like, wait, what Elvis was wearing like Lacey shirts,
50:05
right? That blew my mind.
50:07
The first time I heard that I was like, okay, yes, Elvis.
50:14
I really liked it right off the bat, just because I had like
50:19
some idea of like how controversial Elvis was at the
50:23
time and kind of doing like some preliminary Research into some
50:28
of her, you know, the other. Our interview, she's done, I
50:31
knew she kept extremely kind of comparing him to Harry Styles.
50:34
I was like okay he was like a little bit of a like not
50:38
completely like binary dressing performer and I just felt like
50:45
these shirts translated that to a modern audience in a really
50:51
striking way. Yeah, I feel like some people
50:54
when they hear to Harry Styles comparison, they tend to like
50:57
clenched up but it's not as It says we're trying to make it out
51:01
to be just like, ya know, in the 1950s.
51:04
This was what she's getting as like these lay shirts and we
51:08
didn't get to talk to her about it.
51:10
We unfortunately ran out of time but so much of his wardrobe was
51:14
like inspired by his mother to yeah.
51:16
So that really showed in his costumes as well, we could talk
51:20
about this forever. I just really have such a deeper
51:23
appreciation for this film, the costumes and Elvis honestly, I
51:28
mean like you I've always been an Elvis fan but I've never been
51:31
like a Elvis fan. And now, I feel like I'm getting
51:34
ready to Deep dive into documentaries and books until my
51:38
eyes fall out. Yeah, I know.
51:40
Now I'm like, What's Happening here?
51:43
What's going on, right? I feel like my introduction to
51:47
Elvis as like, a young person was Lilo & Stitch.
51:51
I feel like I have a lot to catch up on and I just really
51:55
appreciate her walking through the history of this.
51:58
Yeah, I'm excited. Because, I mean not Lilo and
52:02
Stitch. I forgot that wasn't Lilo and
52:04
Stitch by was like such a, like History Channel.
52:06
Kid growing up. I have seen like one or two very
52:08
random documentaries about Elvis and now I'm like, I need more
52:14
information. Yeah, we're ready to Deep dive
52:17
as the Nerds that we are. Absolutely.
52:22
If you have some thoughts, I want to tell us what your one,
52:26
costumed rule them all. Was, you can leave us a little
52:29
Voicemail at six two. Six five.
52:31
One five, one eight hundred six, our email us at the Arctic
52:36
costume blogcast at gmail.com. Spencer.
52:41
What are we watching next week? Well, unfortunately, this is the
52:44
end of Catherine, Martin March. But as he heard sounds like
52:48
we're going to make this a tradition.
52:49
So we're thinking like, Moulin Rouge, perhaps Catherine,
52:53
eyebrows eyebrows. But in our next episode we are
52:58
beginning. Our journey And to sci-fi again,
53:01
like we did last year and we're starting with a film.
53:03
I think I'm the only person who's never seen it.
53:07
It's called The Matrix. I don't know.
53:09
We all have heard of it. Yes, a lot.
53:11
Spencer, you're not the only person who has never seen this.
53:15
I have not seen it either. Oh my God, we like our
53:19
subscriber count just cut in half.
53:24
Well, I'm excited dive into the Matrix with you, I'm sure Daniel
53:28
our editor has seen it. I'm sure he's freaking out right
53:31
now. He's about when he listens to
53:33
this. We're about to get some text
53:35
messaging. So I hope you all will join us
53:39
for the beginning of our sci-fi episodes.
53:42
If you like what you heard, make sure you follow us on Instagram,
53:45
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53:48
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53:58
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54:05
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54:18
So make sure you subscribe to us on YouTube as well.
54:21
Yeah. If you need a little visual aid
54:23
to what we're saying, it's right there on YouTube.
54:27
Everybody have a fantastic two weeks and we'll see you in The
54:33
Matrix. You're out of costume.
54:41
Blogcast is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Joy, glass, and
54:46
Spencer Williams. Our audio engineering and
54:49
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