Latest / The Art of Costume Podcast / The Crown with Costume Designer, Amy Roberts

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The Crown with Costume Designer, Amy Roberts · The Art of Costume Podcast

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Hey costume nerds, this is Spencer Williams, cohost and
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producer of the Art of Costume Podcast.
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This episode was recorded prior to the WGA and SAGGAFTA strikes
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and is being released on part of previous set agreements.
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The Art of Costume and The Art of Costume podcast team,
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including Elizabeth, Daniel and myself, wholeheartedly stand in
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solidarity with the WGA and SAG AFTRA as they fight for the
0:24
future of Fair labor practices in the entertainment industry
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and work to ensure a sustainable and flourishing entertainment
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landscape. It is crucial to acknowledge the
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indispensable contributions of the hard working individuals
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both behind and in from the camera whose dedication and
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creativity are the driving force behind the films and shows
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discussed on this podcast. Without them and their tireless
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efforts, none of these productions would be possible.
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That is why we support the WGA and SAG AFTRA in their fight for
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a fair and equitable deal. For further information and
1:00
resources regarding how you can better support and even
1:03
volunteer, please check to show description for links.
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Also, please consider donating to the Entertainment Community
1:10
Fund, an organization that directly benefits workers
1:13
affected by the strikes, as well as provide a safety net for
1:17
performing arts and entertainment professionals.
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Now please enjoy. The show
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probably doesn't help that so much of fashion today is
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inspired by the 90s, so don't want it to feel like a
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contemporary show. No, exactly.
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Exactly. So hopefully we've succeeded,
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but I don't think we ever saw the Queen wearing any fun, hip
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90s clothes though. Hello and welcome to The Art of
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Costume. I'm Olive Joy Glass and I am
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Lord Spencer, Duke of Pasadena Spencer Williams.
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How are you? Oh, I'm doing great.
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Thanks for asking, Elizabeth. I don't think they're good.
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You know, by the time this comes out, I would have just did a
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panel at Comic Con, so, you know, it hasn't happened yet in
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the present time. But I'm assuming it went really
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well and I'm excited to talk about it on the other side.
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I know, I was so excited for you.
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I was so Jelly when I heard. I was like, I like straight up
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try to get tickets to Comic Con, but they were already sold out
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because our ticketing system is insane, I know, but I hope it
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went well. I'm sure that, yeah, it's pretty
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awesome. Your interviews always go great,
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your panels go great. It's going to be great.
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Well, thank you. I have some one costume to rule
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them all updates to share before we get started.
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Let's see, we have some updates from Rocky Horror Picture Show.
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That was a fun episode. I really loved reliving the
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episode, watching the film for like the hundred millionth time.
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But it was exciting to see how much everyone who was listening
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enjoyed it too, and sharing in the beauty of these legendary
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costumes. So let's see see here.
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Well, of course not shocking to anyone.
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The favorite character from our audience was of course Dr.
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Frankenfurter, played by Tim Curry.
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That was easy. Easy peasy while Columbia was in
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second place. So good for you, Columbia.
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Yeah. And then we got some messages
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sent in. So let's see here Jade the
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Great, which that's a pretty cool name.
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That's. A very cool name.
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Good for you, Jay, Jay said. Frank's costume from I'm Going
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Home is their favorite costume, so that's a good one.
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Oh, I like that. And then Meredith Ammons said
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the Rocky shorts were their favorite costumes and said that
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they just saw them at Hard Rock in Orlando, so that'd be really
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cool. I can't believe that these
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costumes exist somewhere, and they're not in like someone's
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storage bin in a rotting garage somewhere.
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I'll have to go to the Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando.
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Yeah, well, if someone could go on a trip, sure.
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No, no Disney trip. So this Hard Rock is for sure by
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Disneyland, right? I don't want to end up in
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Orlando for no reason. It's in Orlando.
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Yeah, it's all in Orlando for the travel suggestions.
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Well, Elizabeth, we must continue on with our adventure
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into a royal costuming. And this week we have a pretty
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special treat because we're watching a show that you and I
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love a lot. Like a lot.
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A lot. Everybody this week we watched
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the crown, specifically Season 5, but honestly we just it all
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blurs together so we are pulling from every season left and right
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so. Sometimes forget Claire.
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Foy isn't playing the Queen anymore.
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So, you know, I always got to remind Elizabeth which actor
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we're talking about right now. They're all so good, though.
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Like, I think, I think that's part, like part of what's great
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about it is like all the actors and actresses who play these
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roles over the seasons, It's like their performances are so
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like consistent and they build off of each other so well.
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You're like it feels like 1. Actor is doing the whole thing,
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yeah. The transition is very seamless
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and the casting is just top tier.
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I mean, I cannot get over Elizabeth de Vicki, who plays
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Princess Diana, I mean. Oh, she's so good.
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Can it be anymore close? You know?
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It's so good. Yeah.
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So I just love this show. And the costumes are brilliant.
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And the costume designer is brilliant.
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So I'm just gonna get right into it with a little When I say
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little, this kind of a big summary, but a little big
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summary, yeah. With the new decade in its
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stride, the royal family is presented with possibly their
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biggest challenge to date. As a public openly questions
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their role in 90s Britain. Queen Elizabeth approaches the
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40th anniversary of her of her assession.
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Ascension. Accession.
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No, that's not right. Ascension to the Throne.
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Queen Elizabeth approaches the 40th anniversary of her access.
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I can't do it, Elizabeth. I can't say that word.
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Just leave it in, Daniel. People know what I'm trying to
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say. Prince Charles pressures his
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mother to allow him to divorce Diana, presenting A
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constitutional crisis of the monarchy.
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Diana decides to take control of her own narrative, breaking a
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family protocol to publish a book and finally tensions to
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rise further as Mohammed Al Fayed arrives on the scene.
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And that is the crown season five, wrapped up in a pretty
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small nutshell for the amount of history they cover.
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Yes. Oh my gosh.
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Season five is so dramatic. I love it.
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Me too. People are always like, oh, the
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crown's not realistic. I don't care.
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Just keep giving it to me. I don't.
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It's, yeah. It's not like history can be
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boring. We've got to spice it up.
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Yeah, a little spicy. And also, if they did it
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historically accurate, like Claire Foy would definitely
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still be playing the Queen. This series would be going so
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slowly, like and like, let's not all, let's not pretend like you
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all of a sudden, you all are so fascinated by royal history.
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You know, if we went really by historical facts, that's like
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the biggest complaint is how vanilla they are, you know, so.
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Anyway, let's go behind the costumes.
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The crown was created by Peter Morgan with costume designer Amy
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Roberts. You will know her.
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Or from the Virgin Queen, for which she won a BAFTA award
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called The Midwife. She did.
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I believe she did one season of that.
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Oliver Twist, for which she received a BAFTA award Upstairs
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Downstairs, for which she received an Emmy nomination, and
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she designed some of Doctor Who between 1978 and 1983, Fourth
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and 5th Doctors. She was there creating Doctor
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Who history with costumes. You you 2 need to get in the
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room together. I imagine you have a lot of
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questions. I have so many.
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Any questions? So many questions that.
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Would be amazing. Oh my gosh, I would like, I
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like. I'm so happy you've done all
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these interviews. But I'm like, I wish my schedule
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didn't like conflict so much. I know.
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I know I be. There, in a heartbeat I need to
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like, somehow figure out a way to teleport over to you and
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like, kidnap you for just like a few hours every few days.
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We just need to live in the Star Trek future already.
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And I could like. Be myself over.
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Yeah, yeah, that works. And she also has been designing
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the crown since Season 3. Yes.
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And I am so excited to say that I was able to hop on a phone
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call with Amy Roberts. And when I tell you that I
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started panicking when I got this e-mail, e-mail to talk of
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Amy Roberts, I there's some interviews.
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We just feel like that's just not possible, You know?
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Like, for example, I always thought calling out would not
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possible. And Amy Roberts is up there with
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me. You know, you just think, like,
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there's no way this person who designs costumes for The Crown
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would ever have time for you. Yeah.
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And this is the most whirlwind 30 minutes of my life.
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So I'm so excited to share this interview with you.
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She is so charming and so lovely and just has so much great
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insight and such a great storyteller.
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And I can listen to her talk forever.
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So sit back and enjoy this interview.
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But after interview, don't go anywhere because then Elizabeth
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and I are going to play our favorite game.
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Amy, it's such an honor to talk with you about the costume
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design for the Crown. I've been watching the show
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since the very beginning. I've been quite a support of
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your work since the third season, so this is a real honor.
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Thank you so much. Thank you.
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That's really nice of you. I first would like to begin with
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the scope of the project. You know, we never talked
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before, but obviously The Crown is a rather massive project at
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this point. You've been on show for a little
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while, but I imagine it probably doesn't get easier.
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So to set the stage, what does the preparation look like for
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the Crown? How much time do you usually
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even have? What goes into the research?
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We do. We do get a good amount of time.
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I mean that it's a job that you can do properly and they're very
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respectful of every department's work.
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Which is a lovely thing and the very supportive, the production,
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you know Netflix and Left Bank. And so it's so it you never feel
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that pressure of oh, I haven't got time I haven't got time to
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do it properly. So, so I do we do get a good
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preparation time to kind of seep yourself in the research.
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I mean I do obviously read the scripts.
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The whole point of this job is your storytelling, aren't you?
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So the script is the thing, those brilliant scripts that
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we're given and then that springboards you into obviously
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events that you know, real events like weddings and
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funerals and so on that have to be researched.
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And we start off when you come into the studio, we start off
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with a huge board of every character.
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The Queen. Well, not every character.
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The lead characters, the Queen are great, Queen Mother, Philip
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and so on. And they each have a little
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visual journey on this massive wall of the real people, the
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real people. And for me that's it's always
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there to the point where you don't notice it anymore, which I
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think is a great thing, I think with research.
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You do it and then you've got to forget about it and you have to
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put your stamp on it. I think it is about the Royal
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Family, but I still maintain it's like a lot of dysfunctional
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families, isn't it? Which we all come from.
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And I've always said to me, doing The Crown is like doing
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this huge opera. You're right in ways.
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It's very relatable to everyone. Even in the most unrelatable
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family, it can be relatable in ways.
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I mean, you look at the. I really watched the other
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months, The Godfather, you know, the whole three seasons of The
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Godfather. Of course it's not like The
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Crown, but you can reference that saga, can't you?
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In a way, And which I found fascinating and the breadth of
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it and the vision of the designers, the set designers,
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the. Props, the decorators of the
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rooms, the hair and makeup it and the clothes and the uniforms
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and the crowd scenes, and it's a a terrific project and all of
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that coming together, I think. I think that's what's been very
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important and special about doing this job, really.
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So this might be a hard question, but it's even possible
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to say how many costumes do you think move through your
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workshop? I don't because every.
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I mean each season, say one season, 10 episodes, there's
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probably 300 speaking parts, 280 to 300 ish, you know, and
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everyone is fitted or made for. And the same applies to every
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member of the crowd. They are all fitted.
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So it is a mammoth undertaking, but.
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If you don't do that, or we're lucky enough to be able to do
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that, I think it shows, doesn't it?
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So there's as much, I hope there's as much care in the
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Queen as there is in the dustbin man in the street, Do you know
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what I mean? I think, I I think that's
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important, yes. Because sometimes, you know,
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good costume design is the costume design that you know
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disappears into the crowd to really help the audience immerse
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themselves in that time period. Thank you, Spencer.
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You're absolutely spot on. I always think you might not
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even see that, but it's there, isn't it?
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It's it's there also we have the I have the most brilliant team
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who are so enthusiastic and love the job and just want to do it.
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Brilliantly. Each person it's.
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It's wonderful for that. Oh yes, Major, shout out to the
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team. I can't.
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There must be a huge team, I imagine.
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Major shout I you know, I'm the. I don't know why I was called
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myself like the captain of the ship really.
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And I kind of kick started and say this is how I'd like it to
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look. This is the color palette.
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This is my vision. And then, you know, all these
16:27
brilliant people get to achieve that for you.
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And so, yeah, I'm just to start it off, really.
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So you kind of talked about this a little bit, but there's
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obviously a lot of historical context to the Crown.
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But there's also moments where you get to take some creative
16:45
liberties. As a costume designer, could you
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talk about the balance between understanding when you and your
16:50
team are creating a look that is to be historically accurate
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versus when you know you get to create an original design?
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Does that guidance come from the scripts or you just kind of
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know? I think it it is the
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storytelling, you know, moments where you know you've got to be
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forensically accurate about a situation, an event, whether
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it's a uniform, often the uniform and we, I don't do the
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uniforms. We have a brilliant.
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Team run by Max who who does deals with uniform that you know
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is complete fanatic about it. But they're they're they're in
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the scripts you'll have like Prince Charles's you know when
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he was made Prince of Wales. You've got those moments.
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You've got weddings and funerals, particular speeches,
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possibly where the Queen is giving a speech that.
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People know about. I think we have to be fairly
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spot on with those maybe slightly interpreted ourselves
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but there's huge swathes between those scenes on there as as
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you've already said, where it's more imagining what those people
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might wear. But also Spencer, to be honest,
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I want to give it a look and a style.
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I always have to forget it's the royal family a little bit but I
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mean I don't forget it, you know you it's it's knowing a bit
18:24
about their style. Like Margaret's sort of boulder
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isn't she? And and has a a different energy
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to the Queen, a different a different part in life.
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And you can it's my job in a way to maybe push that a little bit.
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With those two sisters are quite a good example, I think, right?
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Because at the end of the day it's still television, you know,
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and you have to ended up for the storytelling.
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It's. Storytelling.
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Like I say, it's a story about this big dysfunctional operatic
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family, isn't it? The fact that we think we know
19:01
them. Of course we don't.
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So it's a it's a fine balance I think, where you have to be
19:06
forensically accurate then you have to be cinematic.
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And glamorous, say, with situations with Margaret when it
19:14
was Helena Bonham Carter and when she visits the American
19:20
president, you know that dress was nothing she wore.
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We just wanted something startling and glamorous, you
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know? It's one of my favorites.
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Do you like that one? Also, you're dressing Helena
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Bonham Carter, however brilliant the actors are at taking on
19:39
board their characters. You're still dealing with a a
19:43
flavor of that person, aren't you?
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And Helena was just, you know, Helena's a unique kind of force
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of nature really. And it somehow your ideas spring
19:54
from that to how to dress her, if that makes sense.
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Absolutely. So now let's kind of turn our
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attention toward the current season in comparison the
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previous seasons. The 5th season takes place in
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the slightly more. Contemporary period, I would
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say, compared to what we've seen before.
20:13
Pink set in 91 to 97. Yeah, tell me about this
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evolution across the show. Because previously your work
20:20
really spanned the 60s to the 90s.
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So how did your team grapple with this evolution?
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And does that shift in fashion affect the Palace the same way
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it does the rest of the world? I think a little bit less.
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You know, the queen is the queen.
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I think if anything the. Remember, we have new actors.
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So we we've got we've got new actors.
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We're five, aren't we? I believe.
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Sorry, because I've just finished.
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I've just finished six. So my head, these are things I
20:53
didn't want. So we have, we have Imelda,
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Jonathan, yes, Elizabeth, Dominic, yes and Leslie.
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Yes. So that helps us, that helps us
21:07
move along because we've got new bodies.
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I think the Queen, you know, it's like the Queen Mother, she
21:14
never changes, does she's always looks like she did, you know,
21:18
from the 1930s almost, yeah. But I think having new actors
21:25
physically helps you visually or the audience will believe that
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and I think. The Queen is older now and
21:34
grayer, stick around the middle. So those those adjustments.
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And yes, her style does change a bit, hence this the mood boards
21:44
we have up. You realize her dresses actually
21:47
become more simple, more accommodating to her slightly
21:53
more ample figure. So they don't, I don't think
21:57
they necessarily. But she doesn't say, hey, we're
22:00
in the 90s now, whereas something like Diana will, it's
22:04
always the younger I remember sitting.
22:07
I am the code designer now, said It's the younger ones that pull
22:12
us into the ear and the fashion, like Diana and Anne.
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Anne was much more sixties, 70s, you know, with her mini skirts
22:21
and all that. And then we've got Diana now.
22:24
Really. Leading the way in casual work
22:28
because we don't see, we only see her in a couple of public
22:32
events so that we are dealing with her again, almost being
22:37
like a prisoner in her flat. What does she wear?
22:40
You know just puffers and jeans. And I mean, it was interesting
22:45
how the younger people in the in the team and the production
22:51
absolutely loved her clothes are quite relevant again.
22:55
So I think she leads us in and actually the crowd do the the
23:00
the crowd scenes are very careful with their research
23:04
because it is different. The 90s is different, isn't it?
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It's it's more subtle than the 80s.
23:09
The 80s was you know what the 80s is like.
23:14
I think just being aware it's it's harder now.
23:18
I think it's harder because the 90s.
23:21
It's it's subtler, isn't it? Those little changes, right?
23:25
It's more subtle. And then it probably doesn't
23:27
help that, you know, so much of fashion today is inspired by the
23:31
90s, so you don't want it to feel like a contemporary show.
23:35
No, exactly. Exactly.
23:38
So hopefully we've succeeded, but I don't think we ever saw
23:43
the Queen wearing any fun, hip 90s clothes, though that would
23:48
be a fun cut though. Well, you actually mentioned
23:54
Diana, so maybe this is a good time to bring up Diana, Princess
23:57
of Wales, played by Elizabeth Debicki, as this must have been
24:03
such a daunting task. Because when people think of
24:05
Diana, I really think they think to this time period in
24:08
particular. So I mean, as much fun as this
24:12
is what what were the challenges?
24:16
I think it's it's Remember, it's also a gentle lead into it
24:21
because we've worked with Emma Corin and Four and and that's
24:27
it's not Wham. Here's Elizabeth now Wham we
24:30
It's been a journey or it's a different actor of course.
24:34
But that, you know, we've gone from that shy, awkward girl in
24:39
those puff sleeves and liberty prints and whatever.
24:43
Into She's most streamlined, isn't she?
24:46
I guess now it I think if you think about it, Spencer, it's
24:51
daunting. I think if you thought about
24:54
doing this job, you just wouldn't.
24:56
You just got to jump in in a way it just don't think about it.
25:00
No, don't think about it. She's just this gorgeous woman
25:03
and we're gonna do her proud, hopefully.
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And Elizabeth, of course, is gorgeous, so that's helpful.
25:09
I'm just thinking 5 and and again, it's storytelling.
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I remember we were thinking it's very Cloak and dagger, isn't it?
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She's really paranoid. So the fact she's wearing those
25:22
big 90s coats, polo necks and sunglasses and baseball caps,
25:27
it's like hiding all the time, isn't she?
25:30
She's in disguise almost when she leaves the house and.
25:33
Goes to visit her brother and you know, and then she does the
25:37
famous interview and they all come hidden in the car.
25:41
It's all, it's a bit like a thriller in a way.
25:46
So the does that make sense? The clothes helped in a way.
25:52
Yeah. It makes a lot of sense and I
25:54
feel like there's a lot more. She's a lot more conscious about
25:59
what she's wearing. But also she's not as much as
26:02
afraid. I would say she's not as
26:03
awkward. So she's, you know, she pulls
26:05
out the quote, UN quote, revenge dress at one point.
26:09
And she's a mother now, and she's larking about at home with
26:12
the boys eating hamburgers, and she's Jean the barefooted.
26:17
And you know, she's like a. She's slightly more, I don't
26:22
know, real. And I think, again, we've had
26:24
very few scenes with her in the public eye.
26:27
We rarely see her out and about in a glamorous dress, do we?
26:31
There's a couple of ones in suits, you know, those blocky,
26:35
strong colors, red apple greens less, you know, the big,
26:41
stronger shoulders, big buttons. I think those were like visiting
26:46
the hospital, but most of her scenes are.
26:50
Private So that I think was the challenge is to and what does
26:56
she weigh. You know that amazing scene when
26:59
they're divorced and Charles comes to the house the flat and
27:03
she omelette and that was where you just make her very simple
27:08
don't you with bare arms. And I think we put her in little
27:12
flat shoes. I can't remember jeans.
27:15
Just this domestic scene and in that story, that scene.
27:20
You think that, well, that's why their marriage didn't work.
27:23
It's all told in that one scene. And he's in his suit, you know,
27:27
kind of English tailoring, shirt, tie and hanky.
27:31
And I don't know. Sure, I think you've answered it
27:35
brilliantly. So when you have these new
27:39
actors come on set, I'm wondering, does it feel like
27:43
you're starting fresh? Do you exchange notes?
27:46
Is there? I imagine there's an intimate
27:48
collaboration between you and the actors.
27:50
Yeah, yeah, you're starting again.
27:53
So it's interesting how they do two seasons each and the first
28:00
season always. I think it's new and slightly
28:06
needs. The wheels need oiling a bit.
28:08
For all of us. The second season, I don't think
28:13
it's noticeable, but to me, I always think it's we've all
28:17
settled in. They, the actors have settled in
28:20
to playing their roles. We as a team have got used to
28:24
them, their body shapes, what works, what we can push, what.
28:28
And then you start again. You know we see five and six.
28:32
You're going to do it again, which is good.
28:34
It's a good to have a kick up the butt to.
28:37
You know, not get lazy about things, but yes, to talk and it
28:42
is collaborative. I'm there to help get it right.
28:48
But they're playing them. They've got to wear it.
28:50
Whatever job you're doing. I think it's important to be
28:53
collaborative and hopefully it works better then.
28:57
And their input is as valuable as mine, I think, as I kept
29:01
saying to Dominic W when we'd argue about what tie he was
29:04
going to wear. So yeah, yeah, I think that's
29:12
and and it's it's a massive part of the job.
29:16
I think any costume designer you must have talked to will say it.
29:19
It's it's very intimate relationship with an actor.
29:25
It's being intrigued by them as people, how they're going to
29:31
portray it, how they feel and. And you're dressing them.
29:35
It's quite odd sometimes, especially the first meeting,
29:39
when you don't know each other and you've got to talk about
29:43
your vision, what they might feel right and they're still
29:46
trying to find their own character at the same time.
29:49
Yeah, and that's nerve wracking I think and then some the next
29:53
maybe the next time they've got to come in as down there in
29:55
their underwear and have their measurements taken.
29:58
It's it's a it's a very curious journey.
30:04
And it is a journey. Very rewarding, infuriating and
30:08
irritating and funny and lovely. All those things, really.
30:14
All those feelings feel quite normal based on the
30:16
conversations I've had. Yeah, yeah.
30:20
So Jonathan Pryce plays Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
30:25
This is a character who I'd say is rather discontent at this
30:28
point in a series where he is in life but recently found a new
30:32
friend giving him a bit of drive to keep active new
30:35
companionship. How would you say this journey
30:38
inspires his costumes or vice versa?
30:42
Well, I don't think he suddenly, you know, slips into loafers and
30:46
slacks to impress, impress the his.
30:50
No short shorts or anything. So I don't think it does.
31:01
It's very simple. And I don't think a man like
30:57
that would really. I think he has a.
31:02
It's very plain, always quite elegant I think and I mean we
31:07
see this carriage racing. I know that's kind of, but
31:11
that's nothing to do with their well, I don't now I don't think
31:16
it does actually spent so I don't.
31:18
I don't think it does. I don't think he's that sort of
31:20
guy. He's he's always confident.
31:24
Why is he want to impress her? Yeah, he would laugh at this
31:27
interview right now. I think so.
31:31
And if and we're to assume that they are just friends, you know,
31:36
you know, cerebral friends, they just love to talk.
31:40
And you know, as he says in that scene with Elizabeth.
31:46
Is it episode six or something when they go to Russia?
31:49
He he says you're you're not enough for me.
31:52
I think he says that, but that's what he's implying.
31:56
And she has this kind of really cope with that.
32:00
I think that's so brilliantly written.
32:04
That's a brilliant episode. It's so good, isn't it?
32:08
Six. It's so good that whole.
32:11
Epicness of the Russian Revolution and the assassination
32:16
of the Royal family. And the link to pulling it to
32:20
now. It's just so clever.
32:23
So clever. Well, my favorite character in
32:26
terms of the scope of just the entire series has always been
32:29
Princess Margaret and the season she's played by Leslie Manville.
32:34
In terms of her costumes, I would say Margaret never feels
32:36
afraid to play around with her look and pushes the envelope in
32:40
terms of, you know, the subtlety of the royal family as much as
32:45
much as you can. How would you describe her
32:47
style? Well, I think you're right and
32:50
in a way, yeah, you look at her reference pictures, but we do
32:56
push it a bit more and make it a bit more fashion.
33:00
I think Spencer, we also try. To give it a bit of a of a style
33:07
that's maybe a bit us. And I think we can do that a lot
33:11
with her. You know, there's I've said this
33:15
earlier actually on somebody else, you know, where she meets
33:19
Peter Townsend and she hasn't seen him for years and they
33:24
thought, I'm Leslie and I thought, well she's not she's
33:28
going to go for it. She's not going to go in a nice
33:31
little Navy number. She's.
33:33
Charlie, we're going to go for it and put on some armor and get
33:37
out there. So I said let's do the brightest
33:41
pink we can find with she looked like like praying mantis didn't
33:47
she? Would those sleep?
33:49
And because it's Leslie Manville, honestly, Spencer, you
33:54
could put her in a black bin liner and she owns it.
33:59
I've never worked with an actress quite like that, where
34:04
she just comes in, gets her body padding on because we needed to
34:10
make her a little bit more curvy, give her a Princess
34:14
Margaret bottom and she just welcomes it, you know what I
34:18
mean? And owns what you give her.
34:21
She's so exciting. So she puts this pink dress on
34:25
and that's it. She does it.
34:27
She gets on with it. And she goes into that wood
34:30
paneled room with all those naval uniforms and old guys in
34:36
Blazers and she's Wham, isn't she?
34:40
And the crowd, we made sure they just had soft colors, the women.
34:43
So she's really, you know, stands out.
34:47
She just pops at all times. She pops.
34:51
Absolutely. Wait till you see the final
34:53
episode since it will break on it.
34:56
Will break. Your heart.
34:59
Oh, I don't like the sound of that.
35:01
I mean, I know, kind of had an idea, but still.
35:05
It pops no more, anyway. But maybe next year.
35:09
Well, next time we'll talk about that.
35:11
I'd love to talk to you about her journey, The last one that
35:14
will be probably the top of my list.
35:17
You put me in your diary, Spencer.
35:20
Well, final question. The Crown has now been on for
35:23
five seasons, 50 episodes with more on the way as you just
35:27
mentioned. Yeah, you have been with The
35:29
Crown now for a little while. So, looking back, what is this
35:33
experience meant to you and your team?
35:37
It's meant huge amounts of stress and.
35:43
In season three, when I started it, I didn't know what I'd let
35:47
myself in for and I remember I shouldn't say this, but I'm
35:53
going to. I remember ringing my agent
35:54
saying how, how could you Get Me Out of this?
35:58
Because it was so overwhelming and huge and what they do, they
36:03
do double banking, so you might have one team in Scotland doing.
36:08
You know, Balmoral stuff and shooting and whatever.
36:11
And one team in Spain doing Diana and Charles pretending to
36:17
be in Greece, do you know what I mean?
36:19
All at the same time. And it kind of messes with your
36:23
head anyway. We kind of got the hang of it.
36:26
So that's, that's, I mean that is the truth.
36:30
But of course, why do I come back?
36:33
Because. The way you can duck and dive
36:36
from 1953 to 1911 to all this era all held together by this,
36:44
It's incredible storytelling and you're nothing without a decent
36:48
script. And it's it's been so rewarding
36:53
and you know the final product is going to be excellent because
36:58
everybody on the team in costume.
37:02
Design, hair and makeup props are phenomenal.
37:06
They're like at the top of their game and it's exciting.
37:10
It's exciting Spencer I think that's what I loved.
37:13
It's thrilling and scary. And you can be brave and bold,
37:19
and that's a lovely thing in this job, I think.
37:23
Well, well, your work has been incredibly inspiring and I just
37:27
am so appreciative of you for spending your time with me to
37:30
talk about this. Thank you so much, Amy Roberts.
37:33
You have been fantastic. Thank you so much.
37:36
Been lovely talking to you and I'm gonna take you up on this.
37:38
We're gonna be talking about the next season, too.
37:41
OK, so ring me. Ring me before Christmas when
37:43
you've watched it. Yes, definitely.
37:46
Thank you so much for joining. It's been such a joy.
37:49
I spent. So bye, bye.
37:50
Thank you. Hello Blogcast listeners, it's
38:09
Elizabeth Joy Glass, cohost and producer of the Art of Costume
38:12
Blogcast. If you're like me, you love to
38:15
show your support with a comfy tea or tote bag.
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Well now you're in luck and can show your support for the show
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38:44
great merch. Ohh Spencer that was so good.
39:05
Ohh my gosh she really knows. Like that was incredible.
39:10
Isn't she so lovely? I could so.
39:12
Lovely. Honestly, when she said like at
39:15
one point, like, you're so right, Spencer, something like
39:19
that. Like honestly, it like put me
39:21
down. I was like, Oh my gosh, I can't
39:23
even talk anymore. She's like, put me in your
39:25
diary. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
39:28
That part was. That was adorable.
39:29
So wild. I couldn't believe.
39:33
Yeah, I love her. She is so brilliant.
39:35
And I just love what she has to say about the costumes of the
39:39
Crown. It's just such a intense
39:41
process, you know, fitting costumes for every single of
39:45
these background actors. There's so many people in The
39:49
Crown I just the limit does not exist on costumes.
39:52
Yeah, and it's such a huge project.
39:54
And like, for the main characters, she could completely
39:57
rely on history and be like, yeah, yeah, yeah, just like get
40:01
them this. But no, she like she really
40:04
thinks about it and thinks what's best for the story and
40:08
like how? I like she really thinks about
40:11
how people are going to feel and how it's going to make the
40:14
audience connect with the story. Yeah, and she has basically a
40:21
new cast every two seasons, right?
40:25
Which is insane. And then you're trying to, like,
40:28
figure out the characters that they're becoming, You get
40:31
comfortable with them, and then they're gone, just like that.
40:34
So I just feel like this must be such like a exhausting mental.
40:38
You know, mental project. But yeah, I mean, I I love it.
40:43
I love, I loved what she said about, you know, how the world
40:46
starts to adapt into like this 90s fashion.
40:50
But Buckingham Palace is just like a little bit behind and but
40:54
it's the younger people like Princess Diana who are kind of
40:57
pushing it forward. I just thought that was.
41:00
It's kind of obvious, but still fascinating to hear and talk
41:04
about. Yeah, no, it really is.
41:06
And I love that she said that because I also feel like that's
41:09
something we see, like in other historical TV shows, notably
41:13
like just going back to even like Bridgerton.
41:17
It's like the youngest people and it have like the most
41:20
current fashions. While like the older, especially
41:24
like Mrs. Danbury and like the Viscountess.
41:28
Like, yeah, like they're up to date, but they're still like
41:31
more reserved. And then of course, Queen
41:33
Charlotte is still I'm very much wearing the clothes of her
41:37
youth, so it's like, OK, like, I love that.
41:41
Yeah, and you know, the Queen's all of a sudden not gonna start
41:44
wearing, you know, like cool, hip little short shorts.
41:50
Yeah, and A and a flannel. That would be crazy.
41:55
With that, Elizabeth. I think it's time to play our
41:58
favorite game. Are you ready?
42:00
I'm ready. Censor.
42:01
Let's do it. Hit it the one costume to rule
42:06
them all, Spencer. Yes.
42:15
What's your one costume to rule them all?
42:18
So I wasn't sure until I talked to Amy and she reminded me of a
42:23
moment that I loved so much. My favorite character from The
42:27
Crown has always been Princess Margaret.
42:30
I just think that every actor, Vanessa Kirby, Hanna Bonam
42:33
Carter, Leslie Manville, I feel like they've all consistently
42:37
killed it. And the story of Princess
42:40
Margaret through the crown to me is just so tragic and
42:43
heartbreaking. But then she's also still
42:45
somehow the fun, cool one, the fashion one, stylish one who's
42:49
likes to party. So that scene when Princess
42:53
Margaret has that heartwarming reunion of Peter Townsend?
42:57
And she decides to spice it up with that pink dress that Amy
43:00
was talking about that they just both felt like she would
43:03
definitely spice it up. I love that moment and I love
43:06
that dress because it's just says everything you need to know
43:09
about Princess Margaret. And just to me like if that was
43:12
her last episode that would have been the best last episode.
43:16
It was just such a great moment for this character and such a
43:19
great costume too. And it's it's not like a crazy
43:23
dress or anything, but that color against.
43:26
You know what 1990s Britain high society just says so much.
43:32
It definitely says everything about her character, and I love
43:35
it. I also loved the the dance at
43:40
Balmoral everyone's wearing just like these fabulous ballgowns at
43:46
the Tartan. But I especially loved Diana's
43:50
look, the white short sleeve dress with that like simple red
43:56
tartan. It's the peak of her trying to
44:00
fit in and not succeeding because she's just like she she
44:07
looks fantastic a but it's like, you know she's driving the more
44:12
current fashion and she just in the white she stands out like in
44:17
just the cut of the dress, the short sleeves.
44:19
Like, yes, she's trying, but she's like, this is not who I
44:24
am, dancing around in circles like in full length gowns with
44:30
this tartan around me. She's like, this is just not who
44:33
I am. Yeah, it's so just like
44:36
different for her. But she looks beautiful and I
44:38
just love the use of the tartan too throughout those scenes.
44:41
It's just like such a strong, you know, fabric textile.
44:45
That's definitely a good one, Elizabeth.
44:46
I love it. And I mean, honestly, you could
44:48
probably pick any of Princess Diana's looks from the season to
44:51
be A1 costume to rule them all. Yeah, absolutely.
44:55
But I think everyone was expecting us to pick the revenge
44:58
dress. But we're more, I don't know,
45:01
sophisticated than that. Yeah, I mean, the revenge dress
45:04
was incredible. But that was again, like that
45:07
was one of those moments where she, like knew where to, like
45:10
replicate history. And they like, that was a
45:12
beautiful replica of that dress. But like, I don't.
45:18
I don't know. I didn't have the same, like,
45:19
energy that I felt like that one did.
45:23
Well, Elizabeth, this has been such a fun episode.
45:26
I'm so glad we finally got to talk about The Crown.
45:28
It was actually kind of unexpected.
45:30
We were never meant to talk about The Crown this season, but
45:33
with this opportunity, we just had to.
45:35
Because yeah, honestly, we've always wanted to do it, but
45:38
there's just so many great costumes.
45:39
How we're we going to do it? And we we found our way, We did.
45:46
Let us all know what your one costume ruled them all was.
45:49
Leave us a voicemail at 626-515-1826 or e-mail us at
45:53
theartofcostume@gmail.com. Feel free to put in a subject
45:57
line, The crown. Or maybe you're still stuck on
46:01
Queen Charlotte. Or, I don't know, maybe you're
46:04
like, hey, I just listened to Captain America and I just
46:06
really need to talk to you about Wanda's costume.
46:09
Just put in a subject line so we know what you want to talk to us
46:12
about and we'll read it on the podcast.
46:15
Elizabeth, what are we watching next week?
46:18
Spencer, I am so excited. Next week we are watching Poker
46:24
Face. Yes, one of the best new shows
46:28
this year. Oh my gosh.
46:30
I don't think there's a show on TV right now that I love more
46:33
than poker face at this very moment.
46:35
It is so good, like it's up there with Queen Charlotte, but
46:39
Poker Face Face may have just like a little like it's so fresh
46:43
and new and interesting. I'm like.
46:45
Right. I've I, it's fair to say I've
46:48
watched it at least three times already.
46:50
It's just so good. And we'll be joined by friend of
46:54
the podcast, my good pal, costume designer Tracy Gigi
46:59
Field, who will be here to talk all about the costumes of poker
47:02
face. And if you came out and saw us
47:04
at the Beverly Center a few weeks ago talking about the
47:07
costumes, you know how fun she is, how cool Tracy is.
47:10
So it's going to be a good time and.
47:12
Elizabeth, I'm excited for you to hear from her.
47:14
It's gonna be fun. I am so excited.
47:18
If you would like some content from us in between episodes, you
47:23
can follow us at the Arctic Costume Pod on Instagram at the
47:27
Arctic Costume on TikTok. If you would like to support us
47:30
with a little merch, you can head to the Arctic costume.com
47:34
Podstore and if you really liked what you heard, we would greatly
47:39
appreciate it if you left us a little five star text review on
47:42
Apple podcast and or Spotify. Elizabeth, this has been a
47:47
incredible political American history, UK history, patriotic,
47:57
examining both sides of the pond.
47:59
And America's ass, Captain America?
48:02
Don't don't forget that. Yeah, until next week.
48:07
I hope everyone has an incredible week.
48:11
Goodbye. The Art of Costume Blogcast is
48:17
hosted and produced by Elizabeth Joy Glass and Spencer Williams.
48:23
Our audio engineering and editing is done by Dan White.
48:27
Follow us on Instagram at the Art of Costume Pod or visit the
48:31
Art of Costume blogcast.com for all Blogcast updates.
48:36
If you want to support the show, go to theartofcostume.com/pod
48:41
store. For more costume reviews, deep
48:44
dives and interviews, head over to The Art of costume.com, A
48:49
blog dedicated to highlighting the best in costume design.
48:53
Sign.