Costume: Actresses Jane Fonda & Minka Kelly Transform Into American Icons for ‘The Butler’

©ourtesy of Meriah Doty

From sketch to real life, Jane Fonda evokes former first lady Nancy Reagan (The Weinstein Company)

“Lee Daniels’ The Butler” spans eight decades and depicts a spectrum of characters that could make any costume designer’s head spin: from a rural African-American field worker (portrayed by Mariah Carey) to a boozy-yet-stylish ’50s lady (Oprah Winfrey — whose character traverses all of the film’s decades as the wife of longtime White House butler Cecil Gaines) to iconic first ladies including Nancy Reagan (Jane Fonda) and Jacqueline Kennedy (Minka Kelly).

From Fonda to Reagan
In the film, 75-year-old Fonda is in close replicas to the real clothing of ’80s-era Nancy Reagan. “She loved red,” Ruth Carter, costume designer for “The Butler,” told Yahoo! Movies of Reagan. “A very vibrant tomato red — coined as ‘Reagan Red,’” said Carter, who mimicked the designs of Reagan’s favorite designers, including Bill Blass. Carter even replicated a gown Reagan wore to a state dinner.

It’s not only the clothes, but Fonda’s hair — which was coincidentally already in the right cut to play Reagan — and her makeup transformed the Oscar winner into a convincing facsimile of the former first lady.
But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any drama in assuming the role. Fonda managed to avoid a wardrobe catastrophe, Carter recalled, on her first day of filming: one of Fonda’s costumes went missing — and she was only scheduled to shoot for a few short days. “I was walking on pins and needles.” But Fonda made it work, swapping a costume intended for another scene while she waited for the missing outfit to arrive (and it did, as a frantic Carter actually flew it in). Close call.

[Related: Oprah and Cast Serve Up 'Butler' Scoop]

Minka Kelly brings a Jackie Kennedy outfit to life in ‘The Butler’ (The Weinstein Company)

For Minka Kelly to pull it off as the stylish Mrs. Kennedy, Carter knew she had to pay attention to detail. “My main focus was to make sure the pink Chanel suit she wears when the [JFK] assassination happens is perfect,” said the costume designer. “Of course we want Jackie Kennedy’s look to be as iconic as it was in real life.” -- >

 Read more: Costume: Actresses Jane Fonda & Minka Kelly Transform Into American Icons for ‘The Butler’

Fashion museums Worldwide

©ourtesy of Maureen Jenkins, Special to CNN

Here’s a glimpse of the sartorial style you’ll find at 10 of the world’s top fashion museums. Click through examples of the Fashion Museum Galleries that follow from all over the Globe.

Museo Salvatore Ferragamo
Florence, Italy
Housed just downstairs from the company’s flagship boutique on Florence’s ultra-chic Via dei Tornabuoni, the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo pays tribute to this legendary Italian fashion company’s products — and the global celebrities who helped make them famous. Naples-born Salvatore Ferragamo became “shoemaker to the stars” in the 1920s after opening a shop in Hollywood. With rotating exhibitions like “Marilyn” and an impressively displayed permanent collection of Ferragamo’s iconic footwear, this museum is a must-see for the casual and footwear-obsessed fashion follower.
Museo de la Moda
Santiago, Chile
Founded in 1999 by Jorge Yarur Bascuñán, a descendant of wealthy Chilean-Palestinian textile merchants, the privately funded Museo de la Continue reading →

Fall Fashion LA’s Presentations

©ourtesy of  Karen Ostlund

Paul Redmond Design

“Concept fashion – it’s when music, art & fashion come together as one”
It takes place twice a year, at Ace Gallery in Hollywood.
Concept fashion week, Hollywood’s bi-annual event, was as last season located at Ace Gallery (5414 Wilshire) and welcomed 16 designers, two nights of runway shows,  and creative installations. This March fashion- presentations featured fall 2012 season’s runway collections and installations by: MIKE VENSEL, HENRY DUARTE, BRYAN HEARNS, PAUL REDMOND, MEMENIC, NUVULA, S&G, CHAMBERS, THAI NUYGEN, CURLY V, BELLE N. MATISSE, ELAINE ALLEN, ZuBAUEN, GYPSY JUNKIES, LAILI LAU, NAMI and JEN AWAD.

Edgy, Dark & Spanish style for S & G by Sequoia and Gita

Concept fashion week was founded by fashion designer Mike Vensel and downtown Los Angeles visionary Brady Westwater in 2010. The concept was seen as a new alternative for designers wanting to showcase their latest collections under their own terms.
Vensel and Westwater had produced fashion shows in Los Angeles since 2004, and also worked together to launch many shows over the years. Continue reading →

Fall Fashion LA's Presentation

©ourtesy of  Karen Ostlund

Paul Redmond Design

“Concept fashion – it’s when music, art & fashion come together as one” It takes place twice a year, at Ace Gallery in Hollywood.
Concept fashion week, Hollywood’s bi-annual event, was as last season located at Ace Gallery (5414 Wilshire) and welcomed 16 designers, two nights of runway shows,  and creative installations. This March fashion- presentations featured fall 2012 season’s runway collections and installations by: MIKE VENSEL, HENRY DUARTE, BRYAN HEARNS, PAUL REDMOND, MEMENIC, NUVULA, S&G, CHAMBERS, THAI NUYGEN, CURLY V, BELLE N. MATISSE, ELAINE ALLEN, ZuBAUEN, GYPSY JUNKIES, LAILI LAU, NAMI and JEN AWAD.

Edgy, Dark & Spanish style for S & G by Sequoia and Gita

Concept fashion week was founded by fashion designer Mike Vensel and downtown Los Angeles visionary Brady Westwater in 2010. The concept was seen as a new alternative for designers wanting to showcase their latest collections under their own terms.
Vensel and Westwater had produced fashion shows in Los Angeles since 2004, and also worked together to launch many shows over the years.

Bryan Hearns Design

Concept Los Angeles at ACE Gallery has become the creative platform born out of the modern Mecca of marketing, which is Los Angeles today. The aim of Concept is to merge entertainment with some of the
most upcoming  fashion designers, artists and musicians of the moment.
How Concept Fashion Week all started: 
Doug Christmas, owner of ACE Gallery, had an interest to get more involved in the fashion industry, and approached fashion designer Henry Duarte. Duarte introduced Concept to Doug, and the rest is history – a month later they announced their newly formed partnership. right, Henry Duarte wearing his design

Doug Christmas and Duarte explained in an earlier interview:

“Many designers are looking for a new way to showcase their collection . Having a beautiful raw space as a blank canvas in which designers can push their creative boundaries and expand the idea of what a fall fashion show can be, from a traditional runway show to video projections, to live performance art, there are no boundaries restricting the way a designer can communicate their vision”.
Ace Gallery on 5514 Wilshire blvd is an enormous labyrinth, which has space for everybody with interest in fashion & art. The only drawback with this venue is that the main floor has only one unisex bathroom, and you had to walk three floors up for additional.

Nuvula :: Columbian designers Rebeca and Vanessa Victoria of Nuvula, kicked off opening night with theatrics and colors.

Los Angeles  Fall Winter 2012 collection titled, “In the airs of La Belle Époque,” was a tribute in colors and textures to Gustav Klimt and Toulouse Lautrec and the imaginary wardrobes of their muses. Nuvula’s fashion show started off with a live performance of ‘El Tango De Roxanne” from the movie Moulin Rouge. The singer was accompanied by a violinist and a cellist, so the music set an more operatic tone. The eco-line consisted of pieces inspired by 20’s, 30’s and Art Deco – in geometric shapes, patterns and silhouettes. Inspiration was also drawn from Asian luxury – Chinese and Japanese hybrids and Samurai armors. The fabrics were made with hemp and bamboo and low impact H20 dyes. In addition, Nuvula uses no animal products, choosing to use only vegan leathers, and is strictly anti-fur. nuvula.com

Fall 2012 London Fashion Week stand-out couture line

©ourtesy of eclipsemagazine.co.uk

Spijkers en Spijkers womens fall fashion collection looks back at the eccentric but sheltered Edie Bovier Beale. The twin fashion designers chose ‘Birds of Paradise’ as their title and inspiration: a phrase the Dutch use to describe eccentric and colorful people. They used socialite Edie Bovier Beale, a true bird of paradise, as their London muse.

Colorful fall embroidered exotic fashion birds adorned (or should I say perched upon) jackets, fashion dresses and shirts. The color palette featured: Ceylon yellow, Bordeaux, lime green, mulberry purple and burnt orange with flashes of black and night shadow blue.

London fashion style was the early 1940s, haute couture luxurious fabrics of silk dupion, silk satin, crepe de chine, silk wool blends and printed silk wool maple. Although the Read more…

Style at Fashion Week L.A. Glam

©ourtesy of April MacIntyre @ MonstersandCritics.com

Ina Soltani brings the Gleam and Glamour

 

 L.A. Style Fashion Week has returned to the former St. Vibiana’s Cathedral downtown March 12-16 with a schedule that to date includes runway shows by Stop Staring!, Ina Soltani, XCVI, Skingraft and L’une Collection by Anh Volcek. (Open to industry buyers, media and invitees only.) For the third season in a row, Style Fashion Week dazzles in the Vibiana cathedral at 214 S. Main Street in downtown Los Angeles. The six day elite production kicked off Sunday at a private party in Bel Air. Soltani couture Style Fashion week the L.A. based vintage dress line Stop Staring! rolled out a new collection inspired by The Golden Age of Mexican Cinema (Epoca de Oro). Sarajevo native Ina Soltani revealed her glamorous, passionate collections full of high drama and mystique, all enhanced by the makeup design by Emmy Award-winning L.A. makeup artist Melanie Mills, the creator of Gleam by Melanie Mills, a show sponsor. - - Read more…

Blockbuster exhibition Displays Costumes

©ourtesy dailymail.co.uk By Sadie Whitelocks

Women still hanker after the simple black dress worn by Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. And, millions of other ensembles seen on the big screen continue to influence fashion. Now recognizing the power of the Hollywood costume, a major exhibition will showcase more than a hundred of the most memorable wares for the first time. Items such as Dorothy’s blue and white gingham pinafore dress from The Wizard of Oz, and Scarlett O’Hara’s green ‘curtain’ gown worn in Gone with the Wind will be displayed alongside items from more recent releases including Consolata Boyle’s costumes for Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady. The exhibition, launching at the V&A this October, has taken more than five years to pull together. Clothing was sourced from across the world and has been borrowed  from costume houses, museums, film studios and private collectors. A Footnote: Hollywood studios focus on the designers interpretation of the natural history of scripts. Los Angeles County has long been a haven for film production in California. Studios like Warner Bros have long featured the work of the Costume Designer in many film production movies and previews. Edith Head always stands out as a pioneer in breaking down the costume plot with emphasis on historical costumes for the hollywood film. It was pure genius what she accomplished. Fashion design schools more and more are introducing Costume Design as a major. The American Film Industry by far is a part of a staple of good film making, Internationally. The costume designer jobs have been celebrated by the Academy Awards since its inception. Even Independent film makers relish the Costume Designer in the movie business as well as Major Film Studios. Oscar nominations doesn’t necessarily mean an Award but it’s close. Sandy Powell a seasoned Costume Designer has brought the art of Costume Design to a level of greatness. This years oscar nominees for films like War Horse Steven Spielberg’s epic, The Descendants with George Clooney, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Hugo directed by Martin Scorsesse, are all a shoe for the Academy Awards. Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre has been playing host for the presentations in the past few years where winners like SOCIAL NETWORK, THE KING’S SPEECH and THE SOCIAL NETWORK were all costume design contenders. Just think, back when it all started the Hollywood Roosevelt was host. Now it’s a great part of Oscar History. Don’t forget the many other categories: Art Direction, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actress Oscar and so on. Film Schools in LA are now very prevalent and talent from all over the globe go there waiting for their day in the sun. French actors, British actors and of course our American actors all await being an Oscar Winner whether they admit or not. Period costumes for The Silent Film “The Artist” inspired great artistry and performance by a great assortment of Talent from various parts of the World. Wow…good Old Hollywood! – - Read more

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Past ‘Golden Globes’ Fiasco’s

Outrageous Golden Globe Fashion Through the Years (PHOTOS)

 

The fashion industry has long played host to many fashion designers faux pas  which many a Stylist have put together for dozens of Hollywood celebs. From tight jeans to parachute pants back to corduroy. There’s been lots and lots of fashion faux pas in the past and we got pictures to prove it. Some of Hollywood’s biggest Stars, with little or no fashion sense have put their faith in the hands of many a Stylist. Well! A fashion star looking for a fashion fix cannot be guaranteed much even if they hire a Fashion Stylist. This is proven over and over again at these Annual Award’s, Red Carpet sweeps. So, we continue to move just waiting for the next bundle of laughs. Celebs who play it safe on the red carpet may get a pass from appearing on critics’ Worst Dressed lists but they aren’t the ones who make watching award show red carpet coverage fun.  Check out Celebuzz’s complete gallery and play fashion critic. – - see More

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Kanye West & his team of ..

FASHION THUGS :: story by URBAN JUNGLE

 

What can even be said about this group? This photo was caught after Paris Fashion Week and boy oh boy, were there Ni**as in Paris!With the exception of the leopard man-leggings, this whole click clearly belongs very close to Kanye…… Young, Fly and Flashy! – more on Kanye

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Divine Design [Project Angel Food, L.A.] to honor Viola Davis, Patricia Field, Thomas Keller

It’s hard to believe that this year marks the 20th anniversary of Divine Design, the annual gala fundraiser and six-day shopping extravaganza with proceeds benefiting Project Angel Food. Serving all of Los Angeles County, Project Angel Food is dedicated to delivering nutritious meals to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. In 2010, Project Angel Food cooked and delivered more than 735,000 meals. Left photo: Viola Davis at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Awards on Nov. 12. Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Center photo: Patricia Field at King of Joseon in New York — A Night of Celebrity, Korean Couture and Cuisine at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Oct. 3. Credit: Andy Kropa / Getty Images Right photo: Thomas Keller. Credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

For information and tickets, go to the Divine Design website – story by Booth Moore

The Fabric of the Cosmos

 

Pixeldust Studios produced over 1,000 animations and visual effects that will be featured in the upcoming, four-part NOVA television series, The Fabric of the Cosmos. Based on the best-selling book by author Brian Greene (The Elegant Universe), The Fabric of the Cosmos will air on PBS for four consecutive Wednesdays, beginning Nov. 2. For Ricardo Andrade, Pixeldust Studios’ founder/executive creative director, The Fabric of the Cosmos presented a unique opportunity to imagine the mysteries of the universe in visually engaging and accessible ways. – – follow more Read

Hollywood Hacker Faces 121 Years in Prison

Hollywood Hacker Faces 121 Years in Prison / Infopackets.com.

'Debbie Reynolds' Sells Private Collection

Spotlight on actress Debbie Reynolds Auction of her Hollywood Costume Collection

On June 18, thousands of the most iconic costumes and props in Hollywood history will come to the auction block, a singular assemblage of art, fashion and nostalgia. Steeped in historical and cultural significance, it is perhaps one of the most emotion-laden collections of all time. Judy Garland's ruby-red slippers and cotton dress from "The Wizard of Oz," Charlie Chaplin's signature bowler, and the "drapery" hat Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) donned to woo Rhett Butler are just a handful of the pieces selectively and methodically acquired over four decades by Debbie Reynolds, who has finally given up trying to find her vast collection a home.

...Read more: Click Here

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“Black Swan” Cinematographer Libatique

By Mark London Williams

 A few lucky folk in Hollywood get to work on both summer blockbusters and critically lauded dramas, but few get to do that in films released just a few months apart. But it’s been that kind of year for cinematographer Matthew Libatique. He served as DP on Iron Man 2, for director Jon Favreau – providing a sequel to his own work for the director in the first installment – and then re-teamed with director Darren Aronofsky, with whom he’d last worked on The Fountain, for this fall’s Black Swan.

Get more at Below The Line

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Costume Designer on the Move…!

Costume Design Professor, Deborah Landis talks about

experiences while teaching in Cuba.

 

 

Last May, when costume design Professor Deborah Landis was invited to conduct a workshop at a film school in Cuba, she had no idea what to expect. She certainly didn’t think that she would be designing costumes for 18th century merchants, pirates and the new American Republic, French Royal, French Republican and British navies.

The founding director of UCLA’s Copley Center for the Study of Costume Design, Landis is an experienced costume designer who has worked in Hollywood and Europe for many decades. Her work includes “Animal House,” “Blues Brothers” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video.

Get more on this story: DAILY BRUIN (UCLA)

Story By ELISA MOSLER | Published January 23, 2011 in A&E, Lifestyle

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