Hollywood Costume exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum

Yesterday I had a day trip to London to the V&A Museum.  I intended to do some serious reading at the National Art Library, but I forgot it is closed on Mondays!

So instead I saw the Hollywood Costume exhibition.  One of the good things about my student membership at the V&A is that I can see any exhibition, free, at any time, without having to book in advance or wait until the next viewing slot is available.  Great!

Although I am not a costume designer (or even interested in film) I found some very pertinent points made by the quotes of designers at the exhibition.

MGM Costume Designer Adrian (1903-1959) said

"Few people in an audience, watching a great screen production realise the importance of any gown worn by the female star.  They may notice that it is attractive, that they would like to have it copied, that it is becoming.  But the fact that it was definitely planned to mirror some definite mood, to be as much a part of the play as the lines or the scenery, seldom occurs to them.  But that, most assuredly, is true".

Costumes have to fit with weather, date location and genre of the film.  They have to fit the scene and the story.  Costumes exist within narrative and visual context.

Details function as clues for social and emotional signposts for the audience.  Costume designers create stories for each film character.

Ellen Morojnick (b 1949) said "Contemporary costume is very difficult to design.  Modern costume design is successful if the audience do not notice them but connect to characters nonetheless.  Contemporary costume means you have to work twice as hard to make them disappear."

When it is well designed, costume embodies the psychological, social and emotional condition of the character at a particular moment in the story. 

Costumes ... channel ... new people.  The actor's gait, posture, gesture, and their entire physicality are informed by what they wear.

All the above gives a lot of food for thought, albeit slightly adapted for my use in textile print for domestic interiors.  But the principles are the same.  Basic reflections on what is important have been given to me by the designers of the Hollywood Costume exhibition.  Now I just need to apply the principles to my own work!