What is my favorite color?

People often ask me what my favorite color is. That’s a tough one. It reminds me of when I asked my mother, who was the favorite of her children, my brother, my sister or me? Of course, I was hoping it would be me! But she said, “I love you all very much, but I love you each differently.” And so it is with color.

If I’m in the Caribbean looking out at the crystal clear water, I am sure my favorite color is aqua. But then in the spring, when I look at my Palo Verde tree covered in bright yellow blossoms, I think it must be yellow.

But I must say I am partial to a red dress!

There are a couple of iconic red dresses that are burned vividly and indelibly into my brain, never to fade. One was designed by the wonderful Aggie Guerard Rodgers for “The Color Purple” (for which she was nominated for an Oscar Award). It was worn by Whoopi Goldberg as “Celie,” and in the scene, she was running along the road towards her house. An ominous gray sky was behind her, which made the dark red dress become so much more intense as it swirled around her, and the whole mood felt intense and slightly dangerous.

The very first costume I designed for a major client was red and was for Ann-Margret. It was for a disco number (yes, disco..... this was a while back!) for her big nightclub act at Caesars Palace, and later the number was used on a TV special. I had already designed the outfits for the male dancers, and now I got to create a dress for the star. The first time she emerged on stage wearing my red dress was a moment I will never forget!

But if I am to define red, in a perfect world, it would be a beaded gown by Giorgio Armani on exhibit in Rome at a retrospective of the fashion designer’s work. I was in Rome on holiday and read about the Armani exhibit mounted at the ancient Roman Baths of Diocletian.

We entered the exhibit, and the first cavernous room was exceedingly dark. I wondered who would be so perverse as to not light an exhibit so one could see it! But as our eyes gradually adjusted, we could begin to see display cases of the designer’s subtly colored and understated daywear emerging from the shadows. The shapes were uncluttered, slightly androgynous, and executed in his “greige” palette. But then we entered the next room, also dark. A single spotlight mounted up high shone onto a red beaded gown, and I gasped. The way our eyes had adjusted to the dim light in the previous room must have accentuated the brilliance of this dress. To me, it was the essence of red. The ultimate red. I shall never forget it.

Las Vegas, my kind of town!

It's hard to believe that when I first stayed at Caesar's Palace (working with Ann-Margret), it looked pretty much like this! Well, in 1974, there had been one extension of the original tower, but I stayed in the round building in the center.

My connection with Las Vegas started in 1961, with a 30-minute stopover in the downtown train station on Main Street at 2 am. I was a very young dancer with the "My Fair Lady" National Company, and we were traveling from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. The 1970s, when I frequently visited for work with Ann-Margret, Raquel Welch, and Diana Ross, introduced me to the then-small town of Las Vegas in a proper fashion, and in 1980 and 1981, I spent a great deal of time here preparing the costumes for "Jubilee."

At that time, Las Vegas was still small. You could cross Las Vegas Boulevard directly; there were no overpasses. There was no 10 lane freeway running by it. The desert was a few blocks away. The airport was small. I don't even remember noticing the mountains all around...the focus was all on The Strip.

I wasn't prepared for the change when I returned in the late '80s. The airport had exploded! By this time, I was working full time as a costume designer for TV series and films in Hollywood and occasionally came up to Las Vegas to shoot on location. Las Vegas already felt somewhat like home.

And now it is home! As I was driving to the airport early this morning to drop off some friends, I admired the clear blue skies and the mountains on all four sides again. Do I pine for the old days? Absolutely not! So, there may be more cars. Still, my city is continually re-inventing itself with new hotels, stadiums, entertainment venues, and university buildings. And as I chronicle in my upcoming book, I too have had to re-invent myself several times….from ballet dancer to Broadway dancer to actress to costume designer. And now, author. Please watch for my book, coming out in the spring.

THE COSTUMES OF DOWNTON ABBEY

A few weeks ago I was asked to give a presentation on the costumes of the hit British TV series, “Downton Abbey” to a group of about 100 guests. This was for a PBS fundraiser at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Las Vegas.

I immediately said yes, and then realized that I had not been watching the entire series and that I needed to do some quick catching up. And what a pleasure that turned out to be! The Season 1 and 2 episodes told such a wonderful story, and are set in the magnificent Highclere Castle, which stands in for Downton Abbey. It is really a visual treat, with lavish and richly saturated colors in both sets and costumes. A sumptuous feast for the eyes!

The story starts in 1912 with news of the sinking of The Titanic  and continues through World War One. We see the last vestiges of the aristocratic country life in England, then the dramatic cultural changes that the war created. Men went to war, women had to fill in and do things they had never done before, such as nursing or helping on the farms. Their clothing became looser, hems shorter, and  the War Office asked them not to buy corsets, as the steel in the eyelets was needed to build battleships.  Season three is about to start, and takes us through the 1920’s. Clothing becomes shorter yet, and once released from the bondage of corseting, the waists disappear, busts are flattened, and the emphasis is on the hip, a totally different silhouette.

While doing research for my presentation, I read a lot about the Downton Abbey designers (there have been several throughout the 3 seasons) and their approach, which I found fascinating. 

I always thought the British would be  sticklers for period accuracy, and was pleasantly surprised to find that they had no qualms about making adjustments in palette or detail to suit a viewing audience in the 21st century. Hardly one to diss my fellow American costume designers, however, I must say I find that the Brits seem to be able to make period clothes look like “real clothes”, not just “costumes”. There is a subtlety and ease about the look of the wardrobe that impresses me.

The designers have gathered the costumes, of which many are needed for the large cast, both upstairs and downstairs, from several sources. They rent, of course, though they call it “hiring” the costumes. There are many fine costume houses in Europe with an abundance of wonderful pieces, and Carolyn McCall, the current designer, readily admitted that one of the three dresses worn by the sisters had been worn before in the Merchant Ivory film “A Room with a View”. A few costumes are actual vintage pieces that she was able to find, though finding something that old is hard to find in good enough condition to hold up during filming. And lastly of course, costumes are made from scratch, in this case often incorporating some pieces salvaged from original vintage garments.

That must have been the most fun! Scouring the vintage stores, private collections, even flea markets for bits and pieces of lace, silk flowers, or trim that could be removed from a fading hat and given new life, or some antique beading that could be cut from is original dress and sewn onto or into a new gown - that’s such a pleasure for a costume designer. I’m jealous!

So hat’s off to you, British television, and British costume designers. I can’t wait for Season Three. I hate to admit it, but you really do good work!

REMEMBERING LARRY HAGMAN

I had the pleasure of designing costumes about 20 years ago for Larry Hagman in a TV movie called “Staying Afloat”, produced for NBC.

I first met Larry at the Culver Studios in Culver City, Ca, when I went for my interview. He was sitting in his office which he had draped all sorts of exotic middle eastern fabrics to cover every inch and ceiling, creating a tent like environment. I had never interviewed in quite such a place! I was eager to please, as this might be my very first TV Movie ( previously I had designed nothing by series), and it was to be filmed in Fort Lauderdale. I had dressed up in a smart suit, worn high heels,  and carried my large portfolio. Apparently Larry thought that the way I was dressed indicated that I might not be the kind of person who would get in there and work hard, so initially I did not get the job. However, I was lucky enough to have a producer who was rooting for me, so I went in again dressed more casually (I never was a jeans kind of girl), and he liked me better and I was hired!

My next meeting with him was at our first fitting, He was playing a rich man whose father had disowned him and who only possession of note was a 1930’s designer yacht, so I had brought in lots of beautiful clothing, nautically inspired. He liked some of the things, but rejected anything that had any brown/tan/beige in it (which was half of my selection), apologizing for not telling me he only liked blue!

Anyway, after that it was all “smooth sailing”, and I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. He was very funny, and enjoyed “holding court” and telling stories,  many of which were about his days on Dallas. He said he was so famous during that time that the extras would steal the powder puffs that had been used to mop his sweat, and that if he fell asleep on set or traveling on a train, people would snap his photo with his mouth open during a snore!

He had a mischievous side, a stubborn side, an eccentric side. One time I had placed some pastel plaid shirts in his trailed to be worn with his navy blazer and he told me point blank he didn’t like plaid. I sweetly said I didn’t have any other choice handy, and would he reconsider? About thirty minutes later he emerged completely dressed in the outfit, plaid shirt and all, winked at me and said “I like plaid now”. 

One custom he had established for himself which he would NOT under any circumstance break, was that he would not speak at all one day a week, on a Saturday I believe. No matter what. We could not shoot any scenes he was in that day. One day a reporter had been scheduled for an interview for a story on his silent day (by mistake) and though he didn’t cancel the interview, he only answered questions with facial expressions, hand gestures, and occasionally a note on a pad. It seems ironic now, as his death last week came from complications from throat cancer.

When we returned to Los Angeles, there was one last day of filming to be done, and he offered his gorgeous home in Ojai as a shooting location. He had told me that he was tired, after Dallas, of having all his money in the hands of agents, managers, and lawyers, and he wanted to put it instead into something he could physically see and enjoy. So after a big search, he found the perfect plot of land on top of a mountain above Ojai, with a view to the Pacific. The house was designed by him and his talented wife Maj and decorated to perfection. There was a pool in the central courtyard, streams flowing out of it into an infinity pool  off the cliff, as well as an indoor lap pool and deep jacuzzi. Hammocks were strung across the porch of the house that overlooked the valley and the ocean. Everything was in the most immaculate taste.

Larry gave me the gift of a book on needlecraft that his mother, Mary Martin, had written, since he knew I loved quilting and embroidery. 

I always smile when I think of him.

THE VALUE OF HAVING A MENTOR

When I was starting my costume design career many years ago, I was very grateful for the guidance and encouragement I received from several “mentors”. Back then, the word “mentor” was not in common use as it is now, but I realize in retrospect that several key people played a very important role in my life.

Bob Mackie is obviously one of THE most important mentors in my life. When I met him, I had already transitioned from my career as a dancer and actress and started my costume career  co-ordinating the dancers and singers wardrobe for Ann-Margret’s big Las Vegas nightclub act in Las Vegas. For you younger readers, she was a huge star at the time, and had all the best musicians, writers, set designers, and of course, famed costume designer Bob Mackie to do all her fabulous costumes and beaded gowns. 

I remember the first time I met Ann-Margret and Roger Smith, her husband and manager. I had been taken to their house in Beverly Hills, up a dirt road off Benedict Canyon where once Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart lived. It was about ten am, but Ann-Margret had slept late. Eventually she came out of her bedroom, hair tousled, no make-up, but warm and gracious. She hugged me and I was astonished at how petite she was. She asked me if I would put a heavy metal zipper in the back of one of her stage beaded gowns so it would be easier in a quick change. Imagine me, replacing the exquisitely hand sewn zipper in a $10,000 Bob Mackie beaded gown with a big metal zipper! What would he Bob Mackie think?

It wasn’t long after that I met him and I guess something about me struck him as, a year or two later he asked me to be his assistant for the Oscar Awards Show 1980, and then Jubilee, opening at the MGM Grand in 1980. This started a life-long connection with one of the best designers in the business, and with a kind and generous man. I did not call him a mentor, I was just his assistant, but I had the opportunity to watch him work at every level of the process - greeting a star when they arrived for a meeting, sketching, designing, choosing fabrics, choosing the best pattern-maker and team of sewers and tailors to execute the design, and most importantly, fitting it on the performer, usually many times. I watched perfectionism at its best.

There simply was no better training ground for me. I watched everything, asked many many questions, and for many years during my career, called for guidance and advice when I got stuck. Even last year, when I requested an hour out of his busy schedule for an interview for a book I am writing, he willingly gave me his time.

I would be remiss not to mention my other mentors, two designers who worked in Bob Mackie’s company, Peter Menefee, whom I assisted for several years, and Ret Turner, who is known and loved by every designing and costumer in Hollywood. 

So why would someone like me be willing to mentor someone at the beginning of their career? Well, one of the obvious answers is that others helped me so much along the way, and it is my turn to help others. 

I had started this blog with the intention of discussing how to find a good mentor and why it is important, and why I like to mentor talented young designers and costumers, but this is running on too long, and I will have to save it for my next post.

In the meantime, you can find out more about my mentoring and training course at my website www.hollywoodmentors.co

ROBERT FLETCHER, famed Costume Designer

For those of you interested in costume design and costume designers, please enjoy this  article I wrote, for the website of the Costume Designers Guild, my "union", local 892, for most of my designing career in Hollywood.

http://costumedesignersguild.com/articles-videos/news-events/

MEMORIES OF OLYMPIC COSTUMES!

Back in 1984, I was one of a number of costumers who got to work on the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Los Angeles Olympics!

And while the experience of being there for the that opening, and of seeing the lighting of the Olympic torch, are all among the highlights of my life, the two months leading up to them were anything but.

Bob Mackie and Pete Menefee were the costume designers for every element of the Opening Ceremonies, and each and every outfit worn had to be designed, made, and then fit on the participants, of which there were literally thousands! Our workspace was a huge warehouse in downtown Los Angeles, which had a tin roof, no windows, and was unbearably hot in July. The performers were all assigned a day to come and get their costume and were told to expect to spend at least 3 to 4 hours. When they arrived, their name was checked off against a list, their measurements taken, which were  then sent on to the next "station" while they tried on shoes. Imagine over a thousand pair of shoes in one spot! Once they got to the fitting area, they were handed their costume and sent to a cubicle to try it on. Then they came to me, one of 6 "fitters", where we took in, let out, marked hems, and tried to make each individual look perfect. The costume then went to the alteration department, who tried to complete the alterations quickly for the performer who sat in the waiting area.

The hours were incredibly long, and the work very repetitive, and we were paid a small salary as we had been told we were part "volunteers" and were privileged to be "a part of history".

Some of the tasks were quite amusing, in a weird way. It took two full days to remove the pins from the band members' white dress shirts, which arrived fully folded, pinned, and wrapped in plastic. There were 850 members in the marching band, so.....that meant 850 + shirts to unwrap.

Sometimes I was sent out to shop, which I liked, as it got me out and broke up the day. It also pleased the shop owners that I visited, as I was usually buying in great quantity. One task was to go out and find 300 pairs of legwarmers for the dancers! I bought out every dance shop's supply!

As we got closer and closer to the event, we spent more time at the Coliseum, to set up dress rehearsals, and found that the distances between "stage right" and "stage left" were immense and heaven forbid you forgot an item, as it would take 20 minutes to get back to home base and then back again.

One day as we entered the park, our ID badges around our necks, we spotted one of the European swimming teams getting ready for a training session at one of the pools. Without any self consciousness, they stripped off their shorts, and, as we discovered, many did not wear underwear. They casually pulled on their swim trunks while we tripped over each other taking a look!

The last 4 days before the Opening, we worked 18 hours a day. It was grim. I thought I might literally die from fatique. One night I fell into bed, and it seemed like minutes later when the alarm went off. My husband said I burst into tears as I couldn't believe it was morning already!

But the day of the Opening itself was magic. From the moment we passed through security, we could feel the excitement in the air. Organizers, bigwigs,  coaches, volunteers, assistants, guides, stage crew, all were scurrying around, working feverishly toward the 3 o'clock hour when it all started on the button. One moment sticks out in my mind. Every person in the stands had a colored card on their seat and was told that it was going to be used for a special moment later in the ceremony. At about half way through, they all were told to hold up the card with the silver side facing out. On the count of three they were to turn it over. One! Two! Three! And the whole stadium turned into color, with the cards creating the flags of every country participating! It took my breath away, and once more tears flowed from my eyes, this time from joy!

So watching these Olympics in London, 2012, brings back all the memories, intense, difficult, and exalted, that that opportunity bought me. I  was a lucky girl to be "a part of history"!

Costume Training! Dance! Olympics!

My attention has been split recently between a lot of exciting things happening!

1.) My www.HollywoodMentors.co online costume training website is finally getting out there! Yesterday I heard from a potential student in Nigeria, as well as getting a number of emails and enquiries. I do hope I will have time enough to help all the interesting and talented people who contact me for help with entering a costume career in TV and film.

2) I was in Los Angeles over the weekend, enjoying a fabulous visit with my former intern from Belarus, who spent a summer with me on "Passions", and who now is a very successful costumer and pattern-maker, working on the TV series "Dexter". We went together to see the Dizzyfeet Celebration of Dance Gala at the Music Center in LA, where we met a number of our favorite choreographers and dancers from my favorite TV show "So You Think You Can Dance", and witnessed some amazing performances from many talented dance professionals in all types of dance. Even though I have been a costume designer for many many years, I started my working life as a dancer, and, you know what they say, "once a dancer, always a dancer"! We came away totally psyched by the positive energy of the wonderful evening, and it took several days to come down from the natural high!

3) Yes, I've been watching the Olympics every night on TV. It's wonderful to see the young athletes pushing themselves to be their very best, physically, emotionally, and mentally. All achievements come with dedication, commitment, occasional heartache, discipline, consistency, some sacrifice, and lots and lots of passion. Be it sport, costume design, or dance.

4.) We have six more days of filming on the Gregory Popovich movie during the month of August! I have two costumes yet to "establish", that of the "Voice of the American West", an iconic cowboy-for-al-times look, and one for "Johnny Fantastic", a mix between a ringmaster and an old Western medecine man.

Talk again soon. Got to get back to the Olympics.

START OF A NEW YEAR - onward and upward!

Its been a few weeks since I've posted a blog. I've not thought much about costumes over the last few weeks as my days have been occupied with the usual holiday activities of parties, family, and friends. All of which have been great.

But here it is January, and I am feeling eager to get started working again in my chosen profession of costume design. The pursuit of work and its rewards never ends, no matter what stage you are at.

I heard recently from a young art director /costumer whom I had recommended for a possible job with a film  coming to Las Vegas from Los Angeles. She was discouraged as she did not get the job, and wondered what she might have done better. It reminded me of how difficult this career can be when you love the work but feel powerless when others hold the strings.

There are a number of reasons why you DON'T get the job, and a lot of the time you don't even know why. Perhaps the producer decided to cut the budget and not hire anyone in that position, or perhaps it was between you and one other person and they just edged you out. Perhaps the hiring person had a friend, or owed a favor to someone who requested their candidate be considered.  Or (and this is not the case of the young woman I refer to in the paragraph above), maybe you did not give a good interview or appear prepared.

Practicing you interview style is as important as knowing your craft,  having a good resume and portfolio. Its all part of the package. Having been the one in the position of hiring, I do know that I usually hire the costumers that impress me with how they can make MY job easier! I know that may sound selfish, but, after all, when  you are looking for a job on any rung of the ladder, you are looking to make the person directly above you look good! As a costume designer, my employers want to make sure that I can stay within the budget, keep the actors happy, get everyone dressed and to the set on time, as well as make the right artistic choices.

I in turn want assistants who love the work, show up on time, work well with other crew members, deliver what they say they can deliver, and in general help make my department run smoothly.

Believe me, having spent many years earning my living as a costumer and costume designer, I had my heart broken more than a few times. I did not get all the jobs I wanted or thought I deserved. Its a tough competitive world out there, and if you don't have drive, persistence, and a love for the work, you'll lose heart and become discouraged.

But don't be.  Stay true to what you believe about your abilities, strive continually to improve your knowledge, your talents, and your presentation, and next time it will be someone else feeling sad because you got the job instead of them!

CELEBRITIES BEHAVING BADLY

So, this past week actor Alec Baldwin was in the headlines again for “behaving badly” on an airplane, and in general making an ass of himself. Actors and celebrities are just as likely to act like idiots as any other group of people, but regular folk don’t make it into the headlines. It really bothered me that Alec felt so entitled to be exempt from both courtesy and FAA rules.

I have worked with a LOT of celebrities (if you doubt me, check out my celebrity page on my website at http://hollywoodmentors.co/HM/celebrities.html,) and I have come to the conclusion that if someone is by nature and upbringing kind, considerate, appreciative, and well balanced, they will remain so if they become famous. If they are basically shallow, insecure, self involved, with a strong sense of entitlement, these traits will only be exacerbated with the addition of fame.

Stars do not have the right to think the rules do not apply to them, that common manners are not necessary, that respecting one’s assistants, co-workers, and colleagues is of no importance. What they DO have the right to, in my humble opinion, is enough “space” to prepare for a big performance. When I worked with Diana Ross, she needed a quiet dressing room for at least an hour before going out and singing for 30,000 people, and it was not a time to engage her in petty conversation. She had her diva moments, but she was respectful and generous to her cast and crew. The one time she snapped at me about some minor thing, she later apologized.

Stars also deserve to be left alone in restaurants while enjoying a night out. I was out with Larry Hagman (in a group!) when filming “Staying Afloat”, and he could barely finish his dinner without fans coming up and expecting him to lay down his knife and fork and have their photo taken with him. He also told me that he used to wear a huge baseball cap when flying as people would sneak up and take photos of him sleeping!

Some of the really wonderful actors I have worked with are:

Ann-Margret; if you work in her company, you are “family” for life. The dancers and singers that traveled with her when she had her nightclub act were definitely her family and she would do ANYTHING for them . After she heard that I was in the MGM fire with other members of the Bob Mackie group, she called all over town to trying to find me and see what she could do to help and if I was OK.

Betty White: she NEVER expects any special treatment, NO concessions to her age or celebrity. 

Tony Danza: on the first day of filming he would go around the set with his assistant memorizing his crew’s names. He would point to a gaffer or grip or prop master, and his assistant would whisper their name in his ear. He does have a hot temper, but also has an Italian heart of gold. 

The late Gregory Hines would not only greet every cast and crew member, but would go up and say hello to the stand-ins and background actors, often treated like “outsiders” and considered invisible until needed.

George Clooney was an unknown when I worked with him back in the 1980’s, but I cannot imagine in my wildest dreams him putting on airs.

Tom Hanks, who directed an episode of the TV series “A League of Their Own” that I costumed, said that sometimes the yes-men unwittingly encourage the bad behavior. They try and satisfy every demand, not wanting to be the first to say no, and so the scope of the requests gets more and more extreme, until you tempted, Hanks said, to ask for the impossible and unreasonable, just to see at what point someone would say no.

Its always a tough place to be, especially for a young designer or film-maker, to know at what point one can draw the line and not go along with unreasonable requests. The producers just want their stars to be happy and don’t want any of the crew standing up to an unruly actor and making waves. So there are times when you have to suck it up and go along, but there are also times an experienced designer will know that a star is testing you, pushing you, and sometimes it seems they relish being told, sorry, I can’t do that.

One star I worked with recently wanted a particular kind of socks. I searched and searched and bought every possibly variation of what he was looking for. None of them were right. On the first day of shooting I presented him with 6 different pairs of socks. He said these aren’t the ones. So I said, I’m sorry, but these are the choices, pick one. And he was fine with it!

I love working with actors - their needs, their peculiarities, their insecurities, their creative instincts. So as long as they respect me as their equal in all things except perhaps income and notoriety,  I’m in. 

UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATERS AND FOUR PAIR OF GREEN SNEAKERS

Hello everyone. Holiday time is a busy time and I haven’t been thinking much about costumes.......except 

I was invited to a holiday party the other day where there will be an “Ugly Christmas Sweater” competition, and that reminded me once again about darling Betty White (whom I did blog about recently, but there are no end of funny stories about working with her). We were filming a Christmas movie called “Stealing Christmas” with Tony Danza, Lea Thompson, and Betty, but, as is often the case with Christmas movies, it was being shot in spring for the following year. Betty was playing the owner of a store that sold model trains, but was all decorated for Christmas, so I wanted to dress her in nothing but Christmas sweaters. But it was March, and there were no more in the stores! Nothing but spring merchandise!

Thank goodness for the internet - what did we do before it! I was able to find three great sweaters, covered with all sorts of sequinned trees, snowmen, reindeer, and gifts, from various sources, including Ebay. She looked quite adorable in the sweaters and it perfectly matched her character, the decor of her little store, and her personality!

Often costume designers have to find things that are out of season. In retail stores, try finding slippers except at Christmas - why should that be the only time to buy slippers?  Even the thrift stores are now getting so sophistocated and well organized that they put away their summer clothes in winter, and vica versa in summer!

Shopping online is a relatively new thing for costume designers, and of course is not always possible when things are needed immediately. But it is quite amazing what you can find. I was costuming the wonderful BB King, and we needed a pair of green sneakers for him for his video “One Shoe Blues”. I needed at least 4 choices, as the shoe would be prominently featured, and he wears a size 12, so where on earth was I going to purchase those? Thank goodness for Zappos.com (I am not affiliated in any way) because, believe it or not, they had 4 different styles of GREEN sneakers in the right size! In the end we kept all 4 pairs.

Sometimes costume designing requires a treasure hunt, and it is quite fun. One time for “Passions” the script called for one character to give another character a “Partridge in a Pear Tree” pin, and I thought, where on earth am I going to find that? Again, thanks Ebay!

Have I been stumped? I’m sure I have. Anything can be made in Hollywood, given enough time and money. One jewelry designer said, you can only have 2 out of 3: fast, cheap, or well-made.  Fast, well-made, but not cheap. Cheap, fast, but not well made. Etc. 

But producers don’t want to hear us whine, so somehow, we find what we need!

TUTUS OR CAMOUFLAGE: ALL THINGS CAN BE COSTUMES

You wouldn’t think that a girl like me who loves silks, satins, sequins and rhinestones as much as I do would be able to find a connection between the military and costumes! 

But last weekend I went to the Nellis Air Force Base Air Show in Las Vegas, and was once again reminded about the many things I admire about the military, and the kind of training it offers. There is a discipline and team spirit that is wonderful to behold, and can be a valuable asset in film-making!

I have had in my past career two costumers work for me who were ex-military. One was Michael Russell, a tall handsome guy from Texas, who got into the business unexpectedly. Following his service in Somalia and Iraq, he was hired on a film as the military consultant. It is not unusual to hire consultants to help assure accuracy when doing a military film, or a medical film, or any time of film where the average film-maker will not know the inside things that make for realism. 

Michael was a fabulous costumer. I loved that he was always punctual, efficient, kept his opinions to himself, and understood the chain of command. My crew and I used to marvel when Michael would set up a fitting room for an actor coming in. All the hangers were not only facing the same direction, but were perfectly spaced exactly 1“ apart from each other! He even used to open the safety pins and line them up in a perfect formation!

Another ex-military woman called April Kreuger came in to interview with me for a costumer position on “Passions”. She came in organized for her interview with a list of questions to ask me about what I expected of her, and a notebook to right down the answers. She got the job. 

But back to costumes. The first military project I ever designed was a stage play called “Streamers” with an all-male all-star cast. I was at the very early stages of my career and feeling very female and very insecure. It was a tough job because no matter how much research I did to get everything right, the all male cast, many of them having served at some point, were very vocal in telling me when I didn’t get something right!

You can’t wing it. Besides the basics of the uniform itself, you have to consider the era, location, rank, division, patches, insignia, medals, what they all mean, and exactly how and where they are placed on the uniform. Then there’s the gear, tactical belts, helmets, vests, holsters, backpacks, goggles, etc.

I did a short film a year or so ago about helicopter pilots in Vietnam. I found, via the internet, a man who had been a actual helicopter pilot from that era, and we had several phone conversations. He sent me a number of photos of him and his buddies from that time. It was a fascinating experience talking to him, and great research.

So I guess not all costumes have to have sequins on them! They just need to tell the story, and tell it right.

ADORABLE FUNNY FABULOUS BETTY WHITE!

What you see is what you get with Betty White. She is every bit as funny, adorable, and (dare I say it) nice as she appears to be. A year or so ago, the entertainment news kept talking about the “come back” of Betty White, but if you look at her IMDB, you will see that she has NEVER stopped working, and working a lot at that.

I had the excellent fortune of working with her on a TV sitcom called “Ladies Man”, which ran for two years on CBS. How can you not love Betty? She was and is the most professional, competent, and delightful actress you could ever have the good fortune to work with. On “Ladies Man” we had two “young people”, Alexa Vega, age 11 at the time, and Kaley Cuoco, age 15 at the time. cast as family members. (Sharon Lawrence and Alfred Molina played the parents of the family in this sitcom.) It was wonderful to see how the younger actresses instinctively learned from a true pro - how to be on time, know their lines, be appreciative to the crew, and thoughtful to all those around them.

I learned quickly what Betty’s “look” was. Her color favorites were all the sherbet colors - blue, turquoise, aqua, green, sometimes pink, and very occasionally yellow. She liked turtleneck tops and long sleeves, and pants, not skirts. Because of the quick changes on “tape night” I always changed any jewelry clasp to a small magnetic clasp that didn’t require putting on glasses to fasten it.

But what impressed me about Betty was that she was game for anything and never complained if she were in an uncomfortable scene or costume. One time she was dressed as Joan of Arc in full metal armor, a very heavy costume, and yet, not a peep out of her. Another time she was in an angels wings, the harness of which was cutting into her skin. She never used her age (then 78) as an excuse for special treatment.

A few years later I was thrilled to find out that she had been cast in a TV movie I was designing in Vancouver, Canada. She arrived the day before filming, but I already had the advantage of knowing her sizes, preferences, and taste. 

One Friday night I was at the Vancouver airport taking a flight back to LA (where I was starting to design “Passions” on the weekends) and she went whizzing by on an escorted VIP cart. When I saw her again she was so embarrassed that she had a ride to the gate and I had to walk, dragging my suitcase. She apologized over and over, despite my protests. I asked her why she was flying back to LA for such a quick trip when she had lots of big scenes again on Monday and she said, “Oh Diana, I can’t  leave my dogs that long, I miss them too much.” Her love of animals is legendary, and her stamina, talent, and humility are also legendary.