Latest / The Art of Costume Podcast / Everything Everywhere All At Once with Costume Designer, Shirley Kurata
Transcript
- 0:12I do kind of enjoy like also clothes from Asia, like,
- 0:15sometimes there's like a random word that kind of, you know,
- 0:20doesn't entirely make sense, but then it's also amazing to
- 0:24Elizabeth friend of mine of me just eat after my show.
- 0:27She's like, look at that sweater.
- 0:28If you don't ask Shirley, About that sweater.
- 0:30I'll murder you like it. Oh good.
- 0:33Like yeah, that's not good. Hello, and welcome to the art of
- 0:44costume. Blogcast, I'm Spencer Williams
- 0:47and I'm Elizabeth Dry glass. How's it going Spencer?
- 0:51Oh, it's going one of why it's going, why?
- 0:55Because we're getting a second helping of one of our all-time
- 0:59favorite movies. From the past year.
- 1:01Everything everywhere all at once.
- 1:03Yeah. Yes, I am.
- 1:06So excited to talk about this again, especially just with,
- 1:10like all the awards rolling in all.
- 1:13Press. It's such an exciting time for
- 1:16that whole cast and crew. I know I mean every word some
- 1:20tune in just to see honestly, just to see this cast from this
- 1:23movie. Michelle, yeoh is killing it,
- 1:26just like you. And I said keyway Quan is
- 1:29killing it which I'm very happy about, he deserves it, you know?
- 1:33Originally I just thought his just coming.
- 1:35Michelle, yeoh gain, all the praise.
- 1:37But, no, its everyone on this cast, I mean, they won best
- 1:40picture to Critics Choice Awards.
- 1:42So, Hmm. Yeah, I mean you and I kind of
- 1:45called it. Just going to say it again, we
- 1:49did with that. For those of you who don't
- 1:54remember, here's a quick little summary of everything
- 1:57everywhere. All at once, when an
- 1:59interdimensional rupture unravels, reality and unlikely,
- 2:03hero must Channel, her Newfound powers to fight bizarre, and
- 2:07bewildering dangers from the Multiverse, as the fate of the
- 2:10world, hangs in the balance. And that is everything
- 2:14everywhere all at once. Elizabeth one of our behind the
- 2:18words are facts. So this week.
- 2:20Well, Spencer, I think maybe this time we just need to go
- 2:24straight to the source for our behind the Wardrobe facts.
- 2:28What about you? The, you know, it, I am so
- 2:31excited, everyone. Today we have with us costume
- 2:34designers, Guild Award nominee costume designer.
- 2:38Surely karada logo Shirley Hi. Thanks so much for having me.
- 2:45It's such an honor even talking about this film forever.
- 2:50So I'm so glad we're finally making it happen.
- 2:52I can't believe you have time. Well, you know, I was supposed
- 2:55to start a movie but as with indie films, go it got pushed
- 2:59because, you know, financing and all that stuff.
- 3:01So it opened up some time for me, which is fine, though,
- 3:05because I'm working on some fun projects right now.
- 3:09Oh okay. So excited First of all, we have
- 3:12to say, though, you were just nominated for a CD GA award.
- 3:15That sounds pretty exciting. How do you feel about that?
- 3:18I know I'm so excited in the plus to be, you know, in the
- 3:22same category with, like, just the most, like, amazing costume
- 3:26designers people that I really look up to is just like, you
- 3:32know, my mind is blown right in the same category as mmm.
- 3:35It's literally the toughest category is packed to the top.
- 3:41Well, yeah, let's get started. Absolutely, so definitely an
- 3:46understatement. But everything all at once is a
- 3:49unique film and I can only imagine, like, reading that
- 3:53script for the first time, what was your initial reaction to
- 3:57exploring this story and taking the project on major
- 4:01understatement? Yeah.
- 4:02I mean it was like what did I just read?
- 4:04You know and I was like how am I going to do this?
- 4:08But you know I knew that You know, coming in that anything
- 4:13that the Daniels were going to offer is was not going to be
- 4:16conventional whatsoever. So you know I was in for that
- 4:20but I didn't you know, realize the the scope of it and all the
- 4:24different worlds and it was just really hard to sort of like take
- 4:30everything in and even just like break down the script.
- 4:33So literally had to read it like at least 20 times just to just
- 4:37like, try to like, you know, make it make sense.
- 4:41To me and as a costume designer and, you know, and just sort of
- 4:44like break up the looks because it was so nonlinear, you know,
- 4:48and there were scenes to with like Joe be where she changes
- 4:51where it doesn't, you know, say in the script that she changes,
- 4:54you know. So there was a lot of
- 4:55conversations with them about that but yeah, it was definitely
- 5:00like a script that I've never read before that so out there
- 5:06but I knew it was going to be so much fun working on, right?
- 5:10I mean, just I can't imagine reading that script.
- 5:13I would love to see it one day I think.
- 5:15I think they just released it. Oh yeah yeah I haven't checked
- 5:20it out because I'm not even sure anymore.
- 5:22Which you know, there were several versions and you know I
- 5:27am kind of curious to read it. Now I'm going to add that to
- 5:30cart right after this. So let's get into the film.
- 5:35I want to start with the beginning costumes of the film.
- 5:38I was actually fascinated to learn in a New York Times
- 5:40article. Interesting parallel between you
- 5:43and this film, your parents actually owned a laundromat and
- 5:47I correct. Yes, it's totally true.
- 5:49And so, you know, the scene with the flashbacks of little drawer
- 5:53like running in the laundromat. Is so like, I'm so like
- 5:58emotional when I see that because this is is my childhood.
- 6:01You know, I went with my parents often to the laundromat and you
- 6:07know, just sort of kind of hung out or help them in whatever.
- 6:11Our way I could, that's amazing. I had no idea and that history.
- 6:15Play a role in the process when designing a costumes.
- 6:19Well, I did study my mother and what she was wearing.
- 6:24And she was wearing a vest like the one that Evelyn was wearing.
- 6:30And so yes, like the way she dresses.
- 6:35Definitely like just like, look at my parents, my, you know, my
- 6:38dad wasn't actually, he did have a fanny pack.
- 6:45More of a short sleeve polo kind of guy, right?
- 6:49We're talking all about fanny packs a little bit.
- 6:53But yeah, I mean, I think, you know, just growing up as a, you
- 6:56know, immigrant child to Asian parents.
- 6:59You know, I definitely felt connected to to this and I felt
- 7:02connected to the character of joy, you know, and understanding
- 7:05the sort of like generational trauma.
- 7:09And, you know, this this like like search for identity and
- 7:14kind of trying to navigate through this world, you know, I
- 7:17definitely feel connected to that, right?
- 7:20So let's talk about our hero, the legendary Michelle, yeoh,
- 7:24who played Evelyn Wing. She starts to film in a costume
- 7:28that sort of plays like a home base throughout the rest of the
- 7:31story. What was kind of the process
- 7:33behind this? Look because it has to carry a
- 7:35lot of weight throughout the story.
- 7:37Yeah, I kind of felt like Like, you know, going to where her
- 7:46character would shop would be the best source which was for me
- 7:50Chinatown. Hmm.
- 7:52And there's like a lot of like stalls and like little shops,
- 7:55you know, in trying to town here in LA.
- 7:58And so like her outfit was primarily from they're doing and
- 8:05same with wayman's. You know, I think for me is like
- 8:08a costume designer, I kind of tried it.
- 8:09Like, you know, imagine like we're in You know, where would
- 8:12this character shop? You know, like I felt like Joy
- 8:15would probably be like a Urban Outfitters or like, you know,
- 8:18thrift store kind of girl, right?
- 8:22And Jamie, you know, as Deirdre would probably just want
- 8:27something comfortable. So be like, I was joking like,
- 8:31you know, one of those like, little shops that are, like,
- 8:34with the name, like comfort zone or something like that, you
- 8:36know, she would shop at those kind of places.
- 8:41So for Evelyn, you know, I think also in terms of fit, you know,
- 8:48because for both of them for both key and Michelle the, you
- 8:53know, they're they're pretty petite and the clothes in
- 8:58Chinatown fit them better to write and they have to do a lot
- 9:01movement in these costumes also. So has to be functionable.
- 9:04Yes, yes. And so at the fitting, you know,
- 9:06I always make sure like, can you do kicks?
- 9:08Can you like do your Martial Arts in this?
- 9:11Comfortable this. So that was really important and
- 9:14also had to like make sure to that I can get multiples of
- 9:17these. You know like this shells out
- 9:19there. I had to get at least like I
- 9:21think we got like maybe eight sounds good and and Waymond was
- 9:27maybe around that same number, right?
- 9:31Well let's actually talk about women played by a keyway Quan
- 9:35just have to take a moment. Say so happy for him, all the
- 9:39Press. Then, you know, praise.
- 9:41He's Right now so amazing when we meet women, he is dressed
- 9:45like the ultimate dad that left from the last podcast.
- 9:50I'm guessing that was intentional.
- 9:52Yes, yes. I know it's so funny because you
- 9:56know he's much more stylish in person you know like and so when
- 10:01he first put on these clothes is like oh my God I'm such a you
- 10:04know I look like such a dad but he knew that that was like the
- 10:08his character so he was totally fine with it.
- 10:11But But like it kind of took him a back to when he first tried on
- 10:15the glove. It's so hilarious.
- 10:19And also only imagine that fanny-pack took him a back.
- 10:23Did you what was like you're rolling?
- 10:25Like figuring that that part out for their his costume?
- 10:30Well I'm at kind of worked alongside Josh who did props and
- 10:35he you know, we kind of like discuss together because also we
- 10:40also To like, make sure that the parts to it.
- 10:44When he did his action sequences, we weren't going to
- 10:47physically hurt any of the stunt men fighting.
- 10:51So we need to get like special ones.
- 10:55Well, we need to get multiples of it but then like the the sort
- 10:58of like straps and stuff. I think I have to make get some
- 11:01like foam pieces or something to make sure that, you know really
- 11:06hurt them. So but I did help with like
- 11:09figuring out what color What kind of like fabric would be
- 11:13good? And to me, the leather just
- 11:15seemed right, you know, the face, I don't know.
- 11:17I don't even know if it's real leather.
- 11:21It's the perfect color against this really kind of drab
- 11:24background. Yeah.
- 11:26Another more relatable character.
- 11:29Joy played by Stephanie Hugh. Is she?
- 11:33So relatable and her introduction costume?
- 11:36Really speaks? Just volumes about her
- 11:39character. What were you trying to?
- 11:41A with that costume. Yeah, I mean stepping in and I
- 11:45we had conversations from the get-go but like you know we
- 11:48didn't want her to be like too much of us.
- 11:52Like stereotypical lesbian, you know.
- 11:55Like we didn't want to like push it you know too far into sort of
- 11:59like this like, you know, whatever not carrot gets her.
- 12:02Yeah. Yeah.
- 12:03And um but we also wanted to make sure that it was like, you
- 12:06know, she's angst-ridden. She's you know like dealing with
- 12:10a lot and so You know, her, you know, I don't think she was
- 12:15focusing on looking, you know, a fashion plate, right?
- 12:20So to me, I think, you know, it's like, I felt like a flannel
- 12:24and Hoodie just seemed, right? It's like, you know, you know,
- 12:27you kind of where it sort of like hide your body and not draw
- 12:31attention to yourself. So I kind of felt like that felt
- 12:35right for her. Yeah.
- 12:37It feels like she's kind of like pulling back into her costume at
- 12:40times, which is You know, really speaks a lot about her
- 12:43character. I personally loved it because
- 12:46I'm like, I feel like everybody about our age has this look and
- 12:50like, exactly when we wear this look, it's like, okay, you're
- 12:53going through a lot when you when you have that flannel.
- 12:58We never enjoy was the second. We saw her.
- 13:01It's also like, you know, I think that, you know, she's also
- 13:05rebelling against her mother, right?
- 13:07And you know there's a quick flash back to Team joy and she's
- 13:15arguing with her mother and she slams the door shut.
- 13:18And I was like, I want her to be like, in a sort of like, emo
- 13:23outfit, you know, because I think as a teenager, I mean, she
- 13:27was dressing also to sort of like rebel against from other.
- 13:30So, you know, we had our own like black ripped jeans and, you
- 13:33know, like like super emo style and, you know, I think this is
- 13:37sort of like, the sort of continuation of it, you know,
- 13:40she's She's lost that whole like emailed thing, but like I think
- 13:44there's still that like element of wearing something that her
- 13:48mother wouldn't really approve of, right.
- 13:51That's interesting. She moved from like the Hot
- 13:53Topic, phase and moved a little bit more, a little bit more
- 13:55chair but still she's still in there.
- 13:57Yeah, this will probably be the only time in my life where I
- 14:02say, I'm excited to head to an IRS office.
- 14:05Let's talk about Deirdre played by the ultimate cheerleader.
- 14:09Jamie Lee Curtis I'm just obsessed with her.
- 14:13And this costume categorically changed my life.
- 14:15Honestly, I was obsessed, Elizabeth.
- 14:18I just noticed yesterday. The cat bag.
- 14:20We got to talk about that. Yes.
- 14:22Yes. Can you talk to the
- 14:25collaboration between you and Jamie and some of the
- 14:28Inspirations? Yeah.
- 14:31I think that like initially, you know, she had mentioned, you
- 14:36know, a character, a costume that she wore on a And in that
- 14:44time she was wearing these like high-waisted like kind of
- 14:48stretch pants like leggings. Yeah.
- 14:52And she like that it just showed everything you know and and she
- 14:56wanted something in that Vibe for her character because you
- 15:01know, she's you know, her character's busy.
- 15:04She's got work to do, she's at her desk all day.
- 15:06If she wants to be comfortable, you know this is this she wanted
- 15:10to be an elf. Patricia could just sort of like
- 15:12let things out, you know, which he, you know, naturally did I
- 15:19will also wanted it to be sort of like, in colors where, you
- 15:22know, it kind of she kind of popped but like still was a part
- 15:25of that world, interesting. So that's that's kind of like
- 15:29how how a sort of started, but there are certain touches like I
- 15:33think that the hand brace was a Jamie thing.
- 15:38So interesting. To watch over it.
- 15:45It's the little details that bring me so much.
- 15:47Joy, I won't lie. This was going to be my
- 15:50Halloween costume by end up, not going anywhere.
- 15:53Some very bummed, but one day it's just so good.
- 15:56This costume is just everything to me.
- 15:59One more thing to, you know. There's that little ring that's
- 16:01around her necklace. Yeah.
- 16:03That was also intentionally placed there so she could hang
- 16:07her reading glasses on it. Oh interesting.
- 16:11Perfect. That's definitely.
- 16:15What do you do? I would do yes.
- 16:18And what about her color palette?
- 16:19I love this kind of mustardy, beige.
- 16:22I mean, is it kind of like foreshadowing to maybe mustard a
- 16:26later on, or what was its color palette and even think of that
- 16:31connection? But I just made it up just but
- 16:37you know I wanted to make sure that like each character had
- 16:40their sort of like Distinctive sort of like palette and you
- 16:43know since Evelyn was more in the sort of like you know Plum
- 16:49like Plum colors and joy wasn't more of her like, blue-gray
- 16:55world. I kind of felt like this color.
- 16:58Just seemed right, you know, for the, for this environment, it's
- 17:01Flawless. So I believe I've everyone will
- 17:07remember the first time they saw Joe booed to park his entrance.
- 17:11It's like the first time he saw the shark in Jaws Edward in
- 17:14Twilight. This Cena, left Elizabeth and I
- 17:17speechless, we text each other right.
- 17:19After we saw the movie could, just take us back to the scene
- 17:23was like, designing a costumes for this initial entrance.
- 17:26I mean, it's it's wild. It's probably the greatest
- 17:29things I've ever seen. Thank you.
- 17:31Well, I mean you know it was scripted that she entered
- 17:35wearing Elvis costume. I think it's like the dentist
- 17:39had seen a picture of like a girl, sort of like a Bill
- 17:41fitting Elvis suit and they just like the vibe of it, but like,
- 17:47added touches of her like hair and makeup, you know, I have to,
- 17:51you know, give props to, you know, these two cells aren't
- 17:54Michelle trunk for hair and makeup because I think it really
- 17:58did complete the look and, you know, made that entrance.
- 18:01So like compelling it. You know.
- 18:04I was dealing with a very limited budget on this phone.
- 18:10I'm shocked. So, you know, I just knew I
- 18:14didn't have the budget to custom make one.
- 18:16And on top of it originally, it was kind of scripted that she
- 18:22was going to get, you know, shot at in the Elvis suit.
- 18:28In which case, I would have had to get maybe at least like four
- 18:30or five of them. I was like, oh well, you know,
- 18:34and I had to like Circle back to the Daniels because like,
- 18:37telling them that I don't know if I can Do this because also
- 18:42you know my prep time is so limited really.
- 18:46Yeah. You know I only have like maybe
- 18:48like a month and a half to prep it and you know just making
- 18:52those kind of Suits. Just takes a long time
- 18:54especially if you need multiples.
- 18:56And so what I had to do is just like fine one that you know was
- 19:02of like higher quality and just tailor it down to fit her
- 19:06between. What is that does not sound fun?
- 19:11And then it was great about the the Janos is they said from the
- 19:13get-go like so they come from the music video World, they
- 19:16understand, you know, budgetary constraints.
- 19:19You know, they told me just like, you know, if there's
- 19:22something that is difficult for you that you can't find or, you
- 19:25know, you just are able to do because the budget like just,
- 19:29you know, let us know. We'll find a solution and so the
- 19:33solution was just to have her change throughout the whole like
- 19:36always seen, right? It's so great.
- 19:39I mean, In that part. So many times Evelyn has the
- 19:45movie star. That was probably one of my my
- 19:48favorite like universes and it's a really interesting costume for
- 19:56Michelle yeoh, because she is a movie star in real life.
- 20:01If anything, with this scene was foreshadowing, 2023 for her.
- 20:07How did this will come together? Well I, you know, because it was
- 20:15kind of like tied to Michelle. Yo, you know, as a person I
- 20:22reached out to the designers that she would often wear on the
- 20:25red carpet and Elie, Saab was one of them and, you know, I got
- 20:32dresses from other designers to, but this was the dress that like
- 20:36felt the most right that that Michelle felt, you know, really,
- 20:40you know, comfortable and felt like it would be perfect for the
- 20:43scene and and I agree. I think it, you know, it worked
- 20:47really well for the scene and we do we I think none of us really
- 20:52anticipated this film being as As big as it as it is like, you
- 20:59know, that wood and end up in, you know, award ceremonies as,
- 21:03you know, like rescued her and all this stuff like we, you
- 21:05know, we just thought, okay, this is, you know, this is a
- 21:08movie. Let's do the best that we could
- 21:11and hope that people will watch it and enjoy it.
- 21:15We never like envisioned that it would, you know, just be so
- 21:21loved and respected, well, received from, you know, just
- 21:25like Everyone in like all the critics and stuff like that.
- 21:28So I don't think that, you know, when shooting this scene that
- 21:32you know, this would foreshadow award ceremonies but I'm glad it
- 21:38did. Just all of us watching it real
- 21:41like wow, like she should wear this at the Oscars, you know.
- 21:45Like it was that good. I love that quality do that
- 21:48where everyone was just kind of, you know, they were not there
- 21:50for the ward. So to say this was just a real
- 21:53authentic project that think that speaks to likewise.
- 21:56Such a beautiful film and why everyone enjoys it so much.
- 21:58It's just real. Yeah, I mean it was like, I
- 22:01think we all now put our heart and soul in it and you know with
- 22:05given what we were given in terms of like, you know, the
- 22:10limited resources and budget, we still made it.
- 22:12You know, it look as expensive and the, you know, as real as
- 22:19possible. So it was definitely a labor of
- 22:23love and heart and soul with With even more foreshadowing, is
- 22:28this incredible, incredible suit Wayman?
- 22:34Where's in the Hollywood Universe was the goal to draw a
- 22:39contrast to the Wayman. We started with in the film.
- 22:43Yes, absolutely. You know, also, we were
- 22:47definitely influenced by Wong kar-wai in the mood for love
- 22:52and, you know, I definitely wanted him to look have that
- 22:55sort of like, You know, 50 sort of like, Chic suit looks good.
- 23:06And so it was kind of tricky at the time to find a suit that
- 23:11fits him well because, you know, he's he's he's a smaller guy.
- 23:15So I actually went to a store in Koreatown that's old like, you
- 23:22know, suits from Korea. And I think it just like Fit him
- 23:26so perfectly because he, a lot of the brands that were like,
- 23:30you know, like American brands or whatever or european, they
- 23:33were still kind of big on him and just bit him so well, well,
- 23:38worked out, fall asleep. And we love a short King.
- 23:43Yes. On top of this film just being
- 23:46absolutely hilarious. It was still extremely intimate
- 23:51emotional powerful, which I imagine Imagine was a rather
- 23:58complicated and probably required a lot of collaboration
- 24:02with the cast of the directors. Like you know your other
- 24:05department heads. How did that collaborative
- 24:08process work for you? Well, I think that, you know,
- 24:15we, we had a lot of meetings together, right?
- 24:19And all the department heads, especially speaking with Larkin,
- 24:26disciple, or DP. There was initial talk of like,
- 24:30the sort of color palette, and the tone of how it was going to
- 24:35be shot. Because, you know, some things
- 24:36were going to be shot more like, you know, more of a film.
- 24:40Mm film like quality, so like the hot dog Universe.
- 24:44You know. It was going to be shot, like I
- 24:46didn't lose by Carol and then like, you know, the movie star
- 24:51Universe, of course like you know kind of earring more
- 24:54towards the one car, why world? So like having that initial sort
- 24:59of discussion from there where, you know, we all then kind of
- 25:04work together to discuss, then, like, like how the color palette
- 25:09and like All the different aspects of it would make sense
- 25:13in each world, so that we could definitely see the distinctive
- 25:17qualities of each world. So that the viewer would
- 25:19understand, you know, which world we were in.
- 25:22So a lot of conversations, a lot of questions, Daniels and yeah,
- 25:30it was the ongoing process to throughout the, you know, the
- 25:34filming of it. Did you find that?
- 25:36I mean, you've kind of made this clear, but sounds like you're
- 25:38working with the cast pretty Italy throughout the entire
- 25:42thing. Yes.
- 25:43Yeah. You know I also because our prep
- 25:47time was a little bit limited and we also shot almost of the
- 25:52IRS stuff in the beginning that also gave me time to work on the
- 25:56other universes because like we didn't shoot the like the bagel
- 26:02Universe. The movie star Universe, the all
- 26:04the Kung Fu Universe world. That was we shot that at this
- 26:09sort of like end Of of the filming schedule was like the
- 26:15last two weeks. So I kind of had time to also
- 26:19prepare for those when we do the big finale.
- 26:22Yes. You know why we're shooting?
- 26:26I, you know, had like multiple fittings, you know, and was like
- 26:28able to sort of like, you know, really work on and fine-tune
- 26:33some of the costumes for those things.
- 26:36I want to talk about two of my favorite costumes and this green
- 26:40In look and the punk sweater. I feel like The Stylist side of
- 26:44Shirley kurata, really jumped out with these two and I know
- 26:49they're kind of uniquely different from each other, but
- 26:51can you kind of walk us through both of these super fun looks
- 26:54because they are you only get a few seconds of each of them and
- 26:58I savor every second. Well, I mean, you know,
- 27:03initially, when I spoke with the Daniels, they had set, you know,
- 27:07they had also sent me a like a sort of like mood board.
- 27:10Like you know, Pinterest board that they made and there's some
- 27:14like really crazy looks in there and they were just like
- 27:19basically like, you know, just go go wild, you know, like be
- 27:23creative with, you know, the costumes that you can get and
- 27:28you know, this is sort of like my, you know, experience as a
- 27:33stylist for like music videos and working with musicians, this
- 27:38this is one designer that I've worked with in the past.
- 27:40Last week goes by be kala. And I had just reached out to
- 27:46him and said, hey, you know, do you have that I can borrow for
- 27:51for this movie? And he had this look, which I
- 27:55was like, oh yeah. This one's fun.
- 27:56Let's do this one. That's perfect.
- 28:01And then the punk sweater, I'm guessing it's it looks thrifted
- 28:04to me. It's not.
- 28:06It's actually in my purchase in Chinatown.
- 28:09Okay. and fortunately, when we were shooting, which is kind of
- 28:15around This time of year around Chinese New Year and you know,
- 28:23every most like people celebrating it either wear gold
- 28:27or red. So there were a lot of like, you
- 28:31know, red items and I wanted to make sure that like, you know,
- 28:34Michelle was in that that color and I just found this sweater as
- 28:39is there? No, that's amazing.
- 28:43I imagine your prize super stoked when he saw that, I was
- 28:46very stoked. Because I also, you know, I do
- 28:49kind of enjoy like also, you know, like dip clothes from
- 28:52Asia, like sometimes there's like a random word or like, you
- 28:57know, some phrasing that kind of, you know, doesn't entirely
- 29:01make sense, but then it's also amazing to, you know, because he
- 29:06loved them the combination of that.
- 29:08I actually just noticed that I've seen a film, you know, of
- 29:10quite a few times. Now I watched it the other
- 29:12weekend and she turned around and I saw it and I was like, I
- 29:15might Friend of mine, a Visa seat after my show.
- 29:19She's like, look at that sweater.
- 29:20If you don't ask Shirley about that sweater, I'll murder you
- 29:23like it so good. Like, yeah, it's like good.
- 29:29So the bagel Universe, which was kind of one of the big finales
- 29:33and was just extraordinary to look at.
- 29:37Can you like walk us through the process of your inspiration and
- 29:41how you came to the look of the bagel Universe?
- 29:44Because it's probably one of the most unique.
- 29:47Meek of the film and we've heard about your your reference to, to
- 29:52a co co co who we talked about on this podcast, basically,
- 29:56every episode salvation. One of my favorite costume
- 30:00designers and actually have a funny story about trying to meet
- 30:06her. Because so, I studied fashion in
- 30:09Paris and when I was living there, my neighbor who is like a
- 30:13photographer was friends with a CO, you know, Damn, I really
- 30:17want to meet her. And this is before we even, you
- 30:20know, got into like costume designing, you know, because I
- 30:24was sitting fashion at the time, but I still just like, you know,
- 30:27really wanted to meet her. And apparently they tried to
- 30:30come by, and I wasn't home. So, I never got to meet her, but
- 30:34I got her address and I wrote her a letter.
- 30:37So, once I was finished with, you know, with my schooling
- 30:41there and I decided I'm going to get into like, you know, costume
- 30:45design instead of fashion. And I wrote her a letter saying,
- 30:49you know, I would really love to work with her.
- 30:51And this is like, you know, like pre email days, right?
- 30:57And, you know, I never heard from her but like, you know, I
- 31:01totally get it too because it's like, I'm in La.
- 31:04I don't even know where she was working at that time, you know.
- 31:07It was probably one of those like logistically, like, you
- 31:09know, probably very difficult things to actually make happen.
- 31:14But I've always been a huge fan of her and You know, definitely
- 31:19was like, you know, Revisited the book that I have of her and
- 31:22like, was looking at her costumes and so that that did
- 31:27play it. You know, that did influence me
- 31:29with this. But I also just wanted to sort
- 31:33of mix a little bit of the Sci-Fi world with the historical
- 31:37world, you know? And I love rough.
- 31:39So, I just love the way it looks, you know, and I wanted to
- 31:43incorporate that but then also use like materials that were
- 31:47were like a little bit more like, you know, connected to, to
- 31:51the Sci-Fi world, right? So like vinyls and and sort of
- 31:56like and X. Yeah.
- 32:01And so, it was kind of a little bit of getting stuff
- 32:07custom-made, but then also piecing together things.
- 32:11So like the skirt, you know, I worked with a designer Claudia
- 32:16lie. Before working on, like, you
- 32:20know, photo shoots and like, music videos.
- 32:23And I had reached out to her during my prep to see if she
- 32:26would help, she would want to collaborate and, you know, she
- 32:29said that she would. And so she made all the sort of
- 32:32bagel follower robes for me. And then made the Plaid look
- 32:38that Joby wears when she first enters.
- 32:41Mmm. Love that look.
- 32:43Yeah. And it's a there was a skirt
- 32:45that she had and I was like, I know I We love a skirt.
- 32:48I think this will be really cool for the scene.
- 32:49So I kind of basically like, started with that and like kind
- 32:53of built a costume around it and just like found these amazing
- 32:58gloves by Mana wrath, which was in this shop called La rocks.
- 33:08Well, they Ella rocks. They like I've worked with them
- 33:11in the past where they, you know, build costumes for so many
- 33:15like musicians and they do. A lot of great custom work.
- 33:19So, you know, with these gloves, you know, I wanted to make a
- 33:24bodysuit that sort of like, you know, worked well with it.
- 33:29And then from there, I just sort of like, you know, added you
- 33:33know, the pearls and them abolishment, it's it's sort of
- 33:38completed, but it was sort of a lot of trial and error.
- 33:41I have I think like three or four fittings with Stephanie
- 33:44tutorial. Wow, figure out what would be
- 33:46best. Cuz I had different capes, you
- 33:48know, and some were just like, would just swallow her up too
- 33:51much. You know, I wanted something
- 33:53that seemed Regal, but that like, also worked well with
- 33:57like, the movement and yeah, just like take away too much
- 34:01from the scene. But also just like felt like,
- 34:04you know, it contributed to this sort of like weird sci-fi,
- 34:09Celestial world, It's such a beautiful costume.
- 34:16I love the rough actually kind of does remind me of like the
- 34:18Lucy westenra character from Dracula when I said yes.
- 34:24So beautiful. And I love the white.
- 34:26I think about the hot dog finger Universe, quite often.
- 34:30Actually, some of the most emotional moments in the film,
- 34:32takes place, and this universe. But I love the costumes are so
- 34:37much subtle storytelling happening between a costumes to
- 34:40plot that cat paintings. Even Blinds are giving me hot
- 34:44dog. I was never big on the color of
- 34:48hot dogs but now it's like, I love this color.
- 34:50So what's going on here? Yeah, I wanted.
- 34:54I wanted their wardrobe to be the colors of like hot dogs and
- 34:58then with accents of you know like maybe yellow like mustard
- 35:05and red which ended up not you know, not really being seen in
- 35:11the wardrobe but there was a scene.
- 35:13That was cut where they're having a dinner party and the
- 35:19Daniels were like the sort of like the dinner party friends,
- 35:25but we only see their feet basically holding glasses of
- 35:29wine and stuff. So I had actually been put them
- 35:33in like, you know, mustard and red.
- 35:38Unfortunately, yes, they cut themselves out of a scene if
- 35:42anyone's going to do it at least See ya.
- 35:46Bye love these look stirs. So Chic love the colors.
- 35:51It's just uh it's beautiful. Thank you.
- 35:55Another really stunning costume is the Evelyn singer look.
- 36:02It was so striking what sort of influences were you trying to
- 36:05channel through her costume? Yeah, but when I really just
- 36:10went, you know, and just wanted to stick with the sort of like
- 36:13historical or, you know, like accurate try to be as accurate
- 36:17as possible and what, you know, people wore a Chinese operas.
- 36:22And so this was, you know, something that I was able to
- 36:28source that I felt, you know, was, you know, perfect because I
- 36:33loved the sort of color combinations in it and You know,
- 36:38was colors that we didn't really use and other parts of the film
- 36:41so, but it worked. Well, there are so many costumes
- 36:45in the film. We really don't get time to see
- 36:48them all, but choubu save some of her best looks for last this
- 36:54Scene. It was just, it felt like just
- 36:57costume after costume after costume, like, what kind of time
- 37:01and effort of that. Take I know.
- 37:05I mean the that was probably Only like, like the bulk of my
- 37:10work. And in this film was just, like,
- 37:12trying to, like, get all these costumes together and there were
- 37:18scenes to that were cut to or like answer.
- 37:21Yeah. So we're confident that we're
- 37:23like scripted that we did that end up shooting but you know you
- 37:28could definitely see my influence of like sort of
- 37:29Japanese fashion. You know, in my love for all
- 37:33things, come to Garson. You know my love for like sort
- 37:36of I heard you Goose or you know anime manga style so that's sort
- 37:45of like all all these three represent, you know, that that
- 37:49that sort of obsession that I have.
- 37:52Yeah, definitely. Like the the gospel you know,
- 37:55the goth look that was that was so much fun.
- 37:58She's wearing like a Tata come to Garcon top.
- 38:02Actually and I just you know just piled on The sort of like
- 38:08spiky the spikes and studs and and I had so much fun with that
- 38:14outfit. And then, of course, then I'm
- 38:19also obsessed with that book fruits and the magazine fruits
- 38:23and all the, all the sort of like amazing.
- 38:25How hard, you know, looks that you see in Harajuku.
- 38:27And so the sort of Kpop look was definitely inspired by that and
- 38:34you know, I actually Just in order to save money because, you
- 38:39know, my budget was, I kind of I had this that Jeremy Scott
- 38:45jacket just in my kit to use one day.
- 38:50I was like this is so cool. You know, one day I'll just,
- 38:52I'll just keep it and I'll find a home for, you know.
- 38:55Yeah. And so, you know, when I was
- 38:58trying to come up with different looks for for jobu, I had
- 39:03mentioned to the Daniels that I had this jacket.
- 39:06Jacket. And maybe we can, you know,
- 39:08build a look around that and they loved it.
- 39:10Because you know, like especially from like the side
- 39:12angle, you could just see the Bears and everything and yeah,
- 39:15the colors were so fun, it's so fantastic.
- 39:18I just love how like everything, you know, as everything starts
- 39:21to kind of fall apart at the end her costume, is Gala been were
- 39:24jumbled to, we have all these different Fabrics working
- 39:27together because this costume, kind of represents where our
- 39:30heads were at this point and the film me.
- 39:33Yeah, exactly. And and that one Just sort of
- 39:37like a natural sort of like, freeform draping on my end, you
- 39:41know, I got like a black jumpsuit and I was like, I'm
- 39:43just gonna, like drape different, like fabrics and like
- 39:47kind of throwing different elements from our past costumes,
- 39:50you know? So like the glove, the silver
- 39:52gloves and she's wearing his from her like, you know,
- 39:55Luchador outfit. Mmm.
- 39:58And she's wearing the sneakers. The Converse that Joy.
- 40:04Where's there's like the golf socks?
- 40:06There's, I think her polo shirts, somewhere mixed in there
- 40:11and I wanted to put a blue plaid shirt and in that outfit, but
- 40:18then I found out that it was going to be shot in front of a
- 40:22blue screen and that who's been looks like almost like identical
- 40:26to it. So I had to change it to the red
- 40:27plaid, but we do see her in a red plaid suit later.
- 40:30So, you know, it kind of and I think the red plaid actually
- 40:34works pretty well against that orange and yellow.
- 40:36So I think it worked out. We are at the end here.
- 40:41Surely this film was really one of our favorites.
- 40:44I mean, we've been talking about this, you know, for months now.
- 40:47And I'm so excited to see all the public love for this film.
- 40:49They cast and directors, all the Departments, including the
- 40:52costume, designing, I'm sure this has been a profound
- 40:55experience for you. So I just want to know, you
- 40:57know, what does this film mean to you personally
- 40:59professionally. It's, it's been an incredible
- 41:02experience. I imagine.
- 41:03Yeah, it's been so amazing and I'm just so happy that you know
- 41:08people you know people were like really emotionally moved by it
- 41:14and it's also like just hearing stories of people who you know,
- 41:19might have been like going through a rough time seeing it
- 41:23and then just you know sort of changing and being you know like
- 41:28just just sort of really thinking about life and what's
- 41:35important to you. It and hearing.
- 41:38Those kind of stories really makes me feel like what I'm
- 41:41doing is really important. And gives me sort of like
- 41:47meaning and motivation to continue to work on projects
- 41:51like this. I just like, I'm honestly Blown
- 41:56Away by the fact that I even got nominated, you know, against
- 42:01like customers eyes, like Ruth Carter.
- 42:03And like, you know, these are just like people, I admire so
- 42:06much, so So to me like it's really is just so magical and
- 42:16special to me to be a part of this film and have all the all
- 42:21these things happening. You know, I'm still kind of
- 42:24reeling from it, you know. And you know this I been working
- 42:29a long time in working in costumes and you know styling
- 42:34and all that stuff, you know. I don't have a ton.
- 42:37Of films under my belt. But I've been working in the
- 42:39business, you know, working on commercials and short films and
- 42:44music videos and you know, also print work.
- 42:47So it's kind of nice to finally get, you know, a little bit of
- 42:51attention for that. And hopefully this will allow me
- 42:57to get, you know, more jobs and films coming my way that or you
- 43:04know, special and unique. Like this film was, you know,
- 43:08and I just really just want to continue to work with, you know,
- 43:12creative people and work on projects that like do something,
- 43:16you know, good for the world whether it's like, you know,
- 43:19telling a story that people, you know, relate to or respond to or
- 43:25move by or just working with, you know, amazing storytellers
- 43:33actors. Creatives.
- 43:36That's, that's what you know, is what I care about more than
- 43:40anything, you know, more than like any award or whatever.
- 43:44It's a sort of like, having that that ability to sort of like
- 43:48work. With really amazing people that
- 43:54kind of contribute to just life art, you know, storytelling.
- 44:05And You know, I hope that more projects like this come my way.
- 44:12Shirley is been such an honor having you with us.
- 44:16I'm so endlessly. Happy for you.
- 44:18We both are that's fans and I just wish you the best of luck,
- 44:22you know? Not just in this award season,
- 44:24but just going forward because I really think that your voice and
- 44:27costume is so important. And I'm just so excited to see
- 44:29what you do next. Yes, I know.
- 44:32I feel like I, you know, I still have a lot more to show so I
- 44:35can't wait to, you know, No be able to do that.
- 44:38So stay tuned and we'll be right there alongside here along the
- 44:43way and let us know when you want to talk.
- 44:46Thank you, thank you. You're out of costume.
- 44:53Blogcast is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Joy, glass, and
- 44:58Spencer Williams. Our audio engineering and
- 45:01editing is done by Dan White. Follow us on Instagram, at the
- 45:06art of costume pod or visit the art of costume blogcast.com.
- 45:11For all blogcast updates, if you want to support the show, go to
- 45:15the art of costume.com /. Pause store.
- 45:19For more costume reviews deep, Dives and interviews, head over
- 45:24to the art of costume.com a Blog dedicated to highlighting the
- 45:28best in costume design. For more costume reviews deep,
- 45:21Dives and interviews, head over to the art of costume.com a Blog
- 45:26dedicated to highlighting the best in costume design.