It’s been a great year in film for fashion enthusiasts. With fashion-focused documentaries like Frédéric’s Tscheng’s Dior & I, late Albert Maysles’ Iris, Sacha Jenkins’ Fresh Dressed and Bertrand Bonello’s unconventional biopic feature Saint Laurent, 2015 gifted us plenty of artful beauty to be in awe of. But the real bonus was what was hidden beneath these films’ gorgeous and dazzling surfaces: stories of artists, rebels and radicals that disrupted the status quo by producing and/or living in clothes that either expressed personal identity or challenged pre-conceived cultural norms at large. Cinematically speaking, this was a year to recognize fashion’s subjective role in society and that it needn’t just be about the devils who wear Prada.
But there is, as per usual, a lot more to consider in costume design; not only with this crop of fashion-focused films, but also with others outside of the fashion world that incisively used clothing items –in period and contemporary stories- as key parts of the narrative and character development. Indeed, costume design is/can be as crucial for a film’s overall attributes as its musical score or visual effects. I have read at least two reviews of Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight that wisely mentioned the accuracy and the function of the reporters’ khaki trousers; a seemingly insignificant detail that was noticed and welcome by those who lead a similar life to the characters portrayed in the film.
In the below list, I picked my personal most memorable fashion and costume moments and/or clothing items of 2015 and what I think they mean for their respective films and characters. I tried to reach for reasons beyond just beauty and personal taste, but I admit those played a significant role too. I regret I haven’t been able to check out Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq yet (I suspect my list would have gone up to 11 if I had.) And I considered/decided against many other films and moments –including Clouds of Sils Maria, Crimson Peak, Maps to the Stars and Youth– to keep the below as focused as possible. I know it is mostly lacking men’s fashion/costumes, so feel free to add your comments below with your personal picks, for men or women.
Without further ado:
10. Duff
Costume Designer: Eric Daman
Memorable Fashion: Bianca’s homemade prom dress.
After finding out she is deemed as the DUFF (designated ugly fat friend) of her two good-looking best friends, Bianca teams up with one of the school’s most popular guys to turn the tables on her tormenters. But her self-discovery doesn’t happen in a chic, form-fitting, black sweater dress that she excitedly puts on for a doomed date. She learns to accept and love herself exactly the way she is, and lets her freak flag fly in a custom-made dress with a halter top and mini ballerina-esque skirt made by her loving girlfriends, using nothing but her favorite clothing items. This sweet yet clear-eyed film champions an anti-bullying message by encouraging kids to grow comfortable in their own skin. And Bianca’s final prom look –a cinematic Project Runway moment- serves as the perfect middle finger to all the clique-driven, unified norms.
9. Focus
Costume Designer: Dayna Pink
Memorable Fashion: Jess’ red dress in Buenos Aires.
Not that one can dispute any of the ultra sophisticated costumes Will Smith and Margo Robbie put on in Focus as two resourceful con artists, but if I had to pick a favorite, I’d go with the red dress Robbie wears as she ascends a staircase in one of the early Buenos Aires scenes. The dress turns her character’s reappearance with a new identity into an event and loudly announces Jess (Robbie) as a femme fatale in a hot instant. With its sharp, geometric lines around the bust and shoulders (that Robbie’s hairdo also symmetrically imitates,) the red sheath not only sizzles the screen but loudly pronounces the arrival of a renewed person ready to twist the plot as well as her old flame’s arm.
8. Dope
Costume Designer: Patrik Milani
Memorable Fashion: Malcolm’s entire wardrobe.
It’s tough to single out a specific moment in Dope that makes a lone fashion statement. The entire film is founded on a loving nostalgia of the 90s that not only manifests itself visually and through its electrifying soundtrack, but also in the clothes of its lead character Malcolm (and even of his sidekicks Diggy and Jib.) There are plenty of high-waist pants, plaid shirts and flat tops to go around, complete with Nike Airs and Jordans. In one interview, costume designer Milani said some of the vintage items were so tough to source that he found himself bidding on eBay. That said, Malcolm’s dope look might not be completely out of reach.
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