Showing posts with label Sean Connery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sean Connery. Show all posts

Friday 6 January 2023

The Avengers (1998)

Costume Design by: Anthony Powell ( notable efforts: The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1969), Travels with My Aunt (1972), Papillon (1973), Sorcerer (1977), Death on the Nile (1978), Tess (1979), Evil Under the Sun (1982), Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom (1984), Pirates (1986), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Hook (1991), 101 Dalmatians (1996), 102 Dalmatians (2000) )

This sad and bloated attempt to translate the cult TV favorite to the big screen wasn't anywhere as camp or fun as the original series, and is still renowned as being one of the 'worst films of all time' - though let's be real, it's still got more life to it than that other movie titled 'The Avengers' penned by a certain Joss Whedon, but that's not saying much. The fashion of the film isn't quite as wild as the original series' either, perhaps Powell just was on autopilot knowing how dross the script was. There's the usual catsuits that were made famous by the original series, with the more notable one being the bright red version worn with black pants over it, as well as a long leather jacket with an asymmetrical lapel.
As for Peel's fashions, the first she sport is this patterned red dress vaguely inspired by mandarin gowns.
Peel then sports this grey waistcoat and jacket, the waistcoat being worn over no vest, as well as with a blue patterned scarf.
There is also this golden mandarin dress that sadly is never seen properly in full view.
Another striking outfit that is a very clear tribute to 1960s fashion is this brown jacket with a large lapel and a skirt section that has been slightly cut.
She follows this with a lovely pink dress with its flower buttons and collar sticking out.
Surprisingly, one of the tributes to 1960s fashion comes in the form of a straitjacket, which has brown leather strips over the front in a manner similar to jackets and shirts of the 60s.

Friday 16 December 2022

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Costume Design by:

- Anthony Powell ( notable efforts: The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1969), Travels with My Aunt (1972), Papillon (1973), Sorcerer (1977), Death on the Nile (1978), Tess (1979), Evil Under the Sun (1982), Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom (1984), Pirates (1986), Hook (1991), 101 Dalmatians (1996), 102 Dalmatians (2000) )

- Joanna Johnston ( notable efforts: Hellraiser (1987), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Back to the Future Part III (1990), Far and Away (1992), Death Becomes Her (1992), Love Actually (2003), The Boat That Rocked (2009) )

The third entry of the Indiana Jones series is a bit less lavish (and also, less racist) than Temple of Doom before it, though once again had Powell designing - he shared the credit with then-new costume designer Joanna Johnston. Certainly, interviews with the cast mostly bring up Powell, and it was thanks to him that co-star Sean Connery didn't sweat tons in the heat, as his supposedly tweed jacket was actually an imitation print!

In the script there was no point at which he could change clothes, but the suit was made of a rather thick Harris tweed, and Sean has a thing about heat and he sweats like a pig. Steven came up and said “I’ve just rewritten the script and after Venice we’re going to be shooting in Petra.” Incredibly hot. And Sean said, “There’s no way I’m going to wear this Harris tweed suit in Petra.” So what we had to do was photograph a length of the Harris tweed and then screen-print it onto a thin cotton voile. It cost a king’s ransom!

Most of the standout costumes of the film are worn by the film's Nazi villainess Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody), though she is first seen wearing a formal grey suit over a striped shirt with grey gloves and worn with a grey skirt - honestly, a lot of the outfits worn by Elsa are a bit on the masculine side, as she wears figure-concealing crisp suits and very little in the way of traditional dresses. Then following this is this bishop sleeved silvery shirt and zip-up green waistcoat deal, the large collars of the shirt going over the waistcoat - briefly seen worn with a beret and overcoat (mostly worn by Harrison Ford when his caricature does a ludicrous impression of a Scottish lord), she then wears it with Indiana's fedora which honestly is a look on its own.

Worn next is this black suit and hat worn over a striped shirt, and under a black leather jacket - again one of her looks giving her a slightly butch look, as well as that old cliche of Nazi villains in leather trenchcoats.
Perhaps her most classy outfit in the picture is this white buttoned jacket with triangular dark blue strips on each side, as well as blue strips around the collar, worn with a brimmed hat.
Doody's last notable dress is this vaguely militaristic outfit consisting of a buttoned white jacket with a deep collar and bishop sleeves, worn with high-waisted black trousers a dn boots - the militaristic (and thus, kind of butch) vibe is heightened by being worn with a ski cap, which was part of the uniform of the German military during the Nazi regime.