Written by Kudzai Chinembiri
Costume design is a focal point in the TV and Film industry, it plays a huge role in developing and defining a character’s storyline and personality.
A costume designer’s role is to help communicate/convey a character’s feelings through the screen to an audience. When you are watching a tv show or film, it’s important to know that every piece of clothing or accessory the character is sporting is intentional to their story.
Top Boy:
The gritty, London based crime drama does an excellent job at displaying the strong themes of the show through their characters’ wardrobe. Race, representation, crime and gentrification are all nuanced themes that are showcased accurately through Top Boy’s costume design.
In the latest season of Top Boy, the Costume Designer Natalie Humphries introduced quiet luxury into the main cast’s wardrobe.
As expected streetwear is the backbone of the shows style as it is prominent in the borough the show is set in (East London), although the shows costume designer has changed with each season the continuity in the show has not faltered once.
If you pay close attention you’ll notice the slight changes in each of the main characters style due to their positing in the gang, increased wealth and stand out storylines. Fans noticed certain characters style progression more than others including Jaq (played by Jasmine Jobson), Shelly (played by Little Simz), Sully (played by ‘Kano’ Robinson) and Dushane (played by Ashley Walters).
Top Boy Costume Designer, Natalie Humphries told Esquire: ‘The social realism of the scripts demands clothes that are true to the culture and the lived experience of those communities.’
Bridgerton:
This period drama has become a phenomenon across the globe for its diverse casting and steamy storylines, however it is widely praised for its sensational, flamboyant and impressive costume design.
Season 1 costume designer, Ellen Mirojnick told British Vogue she used the regency period as inspiration, paired with a 50s and ‘60s colour palette. In Season 1 Ellen Mirojnick and her team made 7,500 pieces of costume including “all of the period specific” underwear.
In Season 2 viewers were even more captivated with the lavish Regency style, as Costume Designer Sophie Canale, who assisted on season 1 took the lead role for the second season. Sophie collaborated with her team to combine European and Indian Styles to craft intricate costumes for the characters.
In order to craft the perfect costumes for an eight episode season, Sophie Canale chose to focus on colour coding, style cues, fabrics and detailing.
For colour coding Sophie Canale details in The Hollywood Reporter:
‘We used different colours for the different families: a lot of bright, citrus colours for the Featheringtons: differing from the Sharma sisters who are also quite distinctive. Kate (played by Simone Ashley) is a strong character, portrayed in jewel tones of India, teals and purples to reflect where she is from. Edwina (played by Charithra Chandran) was styled in pinks, mauves and lilacs to give her a softer look.’
Interestingly enough, the costumes aren’t just pretty to look at, they include hidden meanings to some of the characters wardrobe’s. For example, the shows leading family The Bridgerton’s frequently sport pale colours to symbolise the family’s class and standing.
Pale blue strengthens the notion of class as at the time it was commonly found in fine China.
In contrast, the Featheringtons are seen wearing the brightest colours, (particularly noticeable in season 1) each one of the daughters wearing bright shades of pink, green and yellow. This decision was made to represent the family’s new money and further suggests they’re outsiders of the upper class.
How to become a Costume Designer:
The journey to become a costume designer begins where most careers in TV and Film start, this is usually working your way up by starting out as a costume trainee or runner. However almost any entry level experience in TV can eventually lead you to your dream role in costume design, this is through networking and building connections with talent in the industry.
To be a costume designer there are a few key attributes you will need, in order to build a fruitful career in this sector.
- Creativity: all costume designers should have a visual eye and possess strong creative instincts. such as being detail oriented, organised and artistic.
- Organisation: It is vital that a costume designer has the ability to manage their workload by actively using tools to help manage their duties in a pressurised environment. In the world of costume design you can encounter various tasks, deadlines and urgent duties at any time, if you have the right tools and organisational skills already available this makes the job a lot easier.
- Research: Every costume designer must dedicate their time to researching and learning about the costumes they’ll by styling on a character, this allows them to build a substantial amount of knowledge on the character and what pieces of clothing is needed to support their actor or actresses role/storyline. This is especially important for TV and Films that are set in a specific time period.
- Communication: In your role as a costume designer for television, you’ll be required to work closely with multiple departments and engage in creative discussions with production teams. Additionally, you’ll need to have productive dialogues with actors to establish a strong, professional relationship. Ultimately, filmmaking is a massive collaborative effort, where each department plays a crucial role in ensuring effective communication and a successful end result.
In conclusion, costume design is an essential and intricate aspect of filmmaking and television production. It is an art form that brings characters to life, enhances storytelling, and adds layers of meaning to the visual and emotional experience of the audience. Whether it’s conveying historical accuracy, cultural diversity, or character development, costume design is a critical element in the success of any film or TV project.
Sources:
https://www.esquire.com/uk/style/fashion/a45022733/top-boy-season-five-costume-designer/
https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/how-to-get-started-in-costume-design-70464/
https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/bridgerton-costume-designer