I grew up in the age of polyester. When I got to touch real silk, cotton and velvet, the feel of nonsynthetic fabrics blew me away. I know it's important how clothing looks, but it's equally important how it feels on your skin.
It's true that I'm not cozy. I'm more reserved.
Inspiration comes from everywhere: books, art, people on the street. It is an interior process for me.
I like the architecture of lingerie.
I think a lot of young girls go through that period in their life of finding who they are, and at that point, looking good matters the most.
Costumes are the first impression that you have of the character before they open their mouth-it really does establish who they are.
I get more distracted by hair or a really bad wig than I do costumes any day of the week.
It actually is as fun to make men's costumes, especially if they are as good-looking as Chris Hemsworth.
Knowing who the actors were as you were designing them helped, with Catherine's beauty and Renee's frailty, they directed me visually just by who they were.
I can create clothes for so many different time periods. I've always tried to avoid being pigeonholed. Plus, everything I learn about design and costume from one movie somehow works its way into something else.
I'd seen the current stage production and the 1975 production of Chicago. I liked them both very much, but I didn't use them necessarily as inspiration.
Some of the kimonos took as long as four to five months to make, with all the layers that go into it.
The reward is that you can actually create a world separate from reality with a story, actors, music, and camera design. When it works it can entertain, move people and teach us all.
The designs were based on quite a lot of research of what a movie musical is, filtered through the eyes of today. If we'd gone strictly with the '20s, the movement would have been impaired.
The costumes had to serve the choreography.
Sleepy Hollow had a lot of action in it, even though it was a fairy-tale movie.
Planet of the Apes was a gigantic challenge, making the clothes work so people could do stunts and action in the clothes. I really learned a lot about that in that movie.
On Planet of the Apes, I had a very knowledgeable team who knew good materials, but I had one main source person who worked online and on the street continually looking for the proper materials.
In real life, a lot of people at that level will have their kimonos made especially for them.
In Chicago, I walked in knowing what the dancers were going to need.
