Return to Oz (1985)

Costume Design by:

- Raymond Hughes ( notable efforts: Countess Dracula (1971), The Pallisers (1974), The Merchant of Venice (1980), Othello (1981), The Far Pavilions (1984), Young Sherlock Holmes (1985), Space Precinct (1994) )

Costume Design Genre: Fantastical, Period (Nineteenth Century - 1890s)

A more faithful adaptation of Frank L Baum's Oz books compared to the more famous 1930s film, Return to Oz had several aspects that have let it remain as well, not least its reputation for scaring a lot of children - like a lot of 80s childrens fantasy films! Most of the film is set in the magical land of Oz, the first costumed residents of which we see are the infamous 'Wheelers', infamous partly for their cackling demeanor but also their amazingly 1980s fashion sense, with make-up on their faces and clad in garish suits, made with glossy materials and threaded piping, which also connects to the rather demonic helmets they wear - designed like bike helmets but molded to have nightmarish expressions on them, with the thin wiring coming out of them like hair.

The Wheelers are under the control of the evil head-swapping witch Mombi (Jean Marsh - in most scenes), who sports the most ornate outfit of the movie, and an absolutely stunning one at that - a complex, patterned dress consisting of several different parts, each all beautifully threaded with coloured fabrics, with golden metallic pieces around the collar and wrists, and that 'plume' going around the collar - also of not is just how large the gown part of the dress is!

Mombi does have another outfit, a more simple pink nightdress what still has some embroidered coloured pieces around one side of the chest, and in one scene she is wearing a long red gown with it.

The majority of the film's 'fantasy' costumes are sadly only glimpsed mostly in the background in the film's epilogue in Emerald City, where we see a variety of colourful dresses, suits and uniforms worn by the denizens of the cheering crowds, with a lot of very large and colourful headwear on display.

Lastly is the dress and crown worn by Princess Ozma (Emma Ridley), with the dress coloured a light green (fitting in with the theme of emeralds) and with feathery pieces around the neck line, and worn with a crown consisting of green flowers on each side and the 'Oz' symbol in gold.