Month Archive for November 2007
COSTUME DESIGN IN THE GOLDEN COMPASS.
I fell head over heels for Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. [Merci Ronan pour le recommendation!] The Golden Compass (the first book in his trilogy and our favorite) takes place in a steampunk society where Victorian fashions and ultramodern technologies coincide.
On December 7, New Line will release the film adaptation of The Golden Compass, starring Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, and Eva Green. How I envy costume designer Ruth Myers! She tells the LA Times that her work was “the most incredible fun […] We really pushed all the boundaries to create a world that looks familiar, but unfamiliar.” Like Gothic Lolitas and Aristocrats, she takes cues from past eras: Victorian, Edwardian, the Roaring Twenties, the New Look ’40s. Her team created over 600 outfits in-house, opting for inexpensive and unusual materials, such as faux fur and burnt/painted velvet.
When Myers first showed her drawings to Pullman, the author was silent… and then told her, “You have created my world.” From what I’ve seen, she certainly has (take a look at photos here and here.) Myers makes astute choices; a less imaginative designer might have put Lord Asriel in sweeping robes and capes, but she styles him as a professor with three-piece suits, which makes his character more compelling. Lyra, the rambunctious 11-year-old heroine, “makes a complete journey and it was a question of where to start her and where to finish her.” In the first film, she is still very much a little girl. Myers outfits her in Lolita-esque dresses and winter coats with shirred sleeves, high lace collars, and empire waistlines. The images above show the evolution from sketch and fabric swatch to final costume.
The costume design in The Golden Compass is true to Pullman’s sensibility. What a shame that much of the film is not! (The critical final scene is cut, religious references have been watered down to non-existence…) His Dark Materials, however, belong on every Goth Loli bookshelf. Pick up a used copy from Amazon for $4 – you won’t regret it.
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THEN & NOW: SAILOR AND MILITARY LOLITAS.
Two of my favorite Lolita looks are Military and Sailor, which are inspired by Victorian styles. Have you ever wondered why military buttons and sailor collars become popular during that era? The book Nineteenth Century Fashion has surprising answers.
Today’s Kodona gals may think they’re pushing the envelope by cross-dressing in Victorian boys’ clothing. In fact, women were doing exactly that over a hundred years ago! For much of the 19th century, fashionable women wore dark woolen tailored jackets inspired by men’s coats. Alexandra, the Princess of Wales, liked to wear masculine styles accessorized with bowlers, top hats, cravats, waistcoats, and trousers under skirts (P16).
During the Napoleonic War (1793-1815), soldiers wore uniforms adorned with buttons, braids, and tassels. “It is hardly surprising that some of these attractive trimmings should have infiltrated fashion, particularly when nationalistic feelings ran high.” (P14) This 1885-6 riding jacket (above right) is one such example, with parallel rows of applied braid across the breast. The style is not far removed from that of Gothic Lolita brand Atelier Boz, although their coats are made of denim and cotton.
Sailor dresses are popular among Lolitas for obvious reasons: they are absolutely darling (like Milky Ange’s version on the left). Victorian women were similarly enamored with the nautical look. In Britain, the expansion of the railways and rising middle-class prosperity meant that coastal towns became increasingly popular getaway spots. (P28 ) The ladies went wild for “jaunty summer wear”: light, charming cotton and chintz dresses with deep cuffs and blue/white stripes. This 1872 dress (above right) is inspired by the sailor suit popularized by Edward, the Prince of Wales in 1846. His outfit was based on that of the royal yacht’s crew, with its large sailor collar, bell-bottom trousers, and knotted neckerchief.
19th century ladies had much in common with 21st century Lolitas – especially a love of all things cute and dainty. The rise of Gothic & Lolita clothing means we can wear antiquated looks made from modern, comfortable fabrics. Don’t forget, the Victorian ladies had tightly-boned corsets and steel-frame crinolines under ten layers of fabric!
LA CARMINA
