ARTISTRY
74. Attitude Adjustment
Clothes do make the man, or the woman, when
they are part of the storytelling process on stage
or on-screen. Wardrobing successfully for film
or the theater requires that each character is
profiled accurately. For a costumer, understand
ing the character's history, psychology, circum
stances, and environment is as important as a
fashion designer's gr asp of a client's lifestyle.
Both rely on excellent powers of observation.
Fashion tells a story as well. That tale is a hybrid
of the designer's vision and the wearer's interests
and eccentricities.
Many high-profile models build a career by
establishing a distinct look that designers want
to align themselves with, but models that are
able to be chameleons will be valued for their
ability to transform into the ideal of any client.
Uber-versatile supermodels of the 1980s, such
as Linda Evangelista, were known as chameleons.
They made good use of cosmetics, hairstyles,
and clothes to transform their appearance in any
fashion fantasy.
Fashion designers often cite films and actors as
sources of their inspiration. Why not weave a
story, based on a film or motivated by characters,
into the fabric of a collection? Who is the muse
du jour? What is she doing? Where is she going?
How will she express herself? Getting into her
head allo ws the designer to adjust and adapt the
details of his work so that it hints at the source,
but to avoid cliches, the designer must be able to
pull the illusion into the context of reality.
154 Fashion Design Essentials
Above: Model Linda
Eva ngelista in Chanel haute
couture, 2003
Right: Costume designs from
the show United States of
Ta ra are a part of an exhibit
of nom i nees for a 2009
Emmy Award in the category
of Outstanding Te levision
Costume Design at the
Fashion Institute of Design
and Merchandising (FIDM)
Museum & Galleries. The
title character suffers from
dissociative identity disorder � "
and each costume represents �
one of her personalities. � �
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