Cleopatra, 1963: Some Many Outfits, So Many WigsI suspect this film is what gave us lots of blue and
Cleopatra, 1963: Some Many Outfits, So Many WigsI suspect this film is what gave us lots of blue and green eye shadow in the 1960s as well as the rage for wigs which even suburban women indulged in. But what this film really shows off are the elegant floor-length gowns. Irene Sharaff designed Elizabeth Taylor’s costumes and Renie did the women’s costumes as Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt has lots of female servants running around in this move and they have to look chic too. The film won a Best Costume Design from the Academy Awards, and you can easily see why. Sharaff made the most of Taylor’s hourglass figure by drawing the gowns in at the waist, and both designers had many opportunities as no one seems to wear the same thing twice. The film is overly long, somewhat fictional, and not always coherent, but I found myself admiring many of the gowns. For example, Jean Marsh (yes, that Jean Marsh from the 1970s Upstairs Downstairs) as Octavia has rotten luck as a widow who is married off to Marc Antony played by Richard Burton. Antony loves Cleopatra, not her, but she wears a white draped gown so beautiful that I stopped worrying about her marital problems and start thinking about how it was done. Similarly, Cleopatra is worried by fires, wars, affairs of the heart and of state, but I was waiting for the next outfit to appear. You will too. Vittorio Nino Novarese did the men’s costumes which involves togas and uniforms for war, but also the draped gowns of the Roman senators. You can find it on TCM.com and they have clips to watch too: https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/71069/cleopatra#overview -- source link
Tumblr Blog : professorpski.tumblr.com
#cleopatra#vintage fashion#elizabeth taylor#jeremie renier#irene sharaff#academy awards#1960s fashion#richard burton#jean marsh#draped design#draping#costume design#upstairs downstairs#octavia#marc antony#roman history#egyptian history