Phantom Thread’s costumes are a thing of beauty
You’ve heard about this movie I presume. Some of you may even have seen it. Yup, I’m talking about Paul Thomas Anderson’s, latest period piece Phantom Thread.
Now, Phantom Thread is one of the few Oscar nominated movies I haven’t had a chance to see just yet (and I’m really looking forward to it actually) but based on the earlier posts about this movie (on my blog) you can pretty much guess that I’m obsessed with:
1. All things Phantom Thread
2. All things Paul Thomas Anderson
And so today I’d like to present one aspect of the movie that I think it’s not getting the attention it deserves. The costumes. Yes, Johnny Greenwood got his first Academy award nomination (for best score), Paul Thomas Anderson was nominated for best direction and Daniel Day Lewis for best leading actor (again). Oh, and the movie received 6 Oscar nominations in total. Not too shabby.
That’s all nice and swell. But I’d like to talk about one particular nomination out of those 6. The one for best costume design and Mark Bridges. Oh yes, Bridges is nominated for his third Academy award and a second for a PTA movie. He’s also an Academy award winner (he won for the costume design in The Artist) and this is his 8th feature film collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson. Yup, they have been working together for more than 2 decades, starting with Hard Eight, PTA’s feature film debut.
Set in the glamour of 1950’s post-war London, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) are at the center of British fashion, dressing royalty, movie stars, heiresses, socialites, debutants and dames with the distinct style of The House of Woodcock. Women come and go through Woodcock’s life, providing the confirmed bachelor with inspiration and companionship, until he comes across a young, strong-willed woman, Alma (Vicky Krieps), who soon becomes a fixture in his life as his muse and lover. Once controlled and planned, he finds his carefully tailored life disrupted by love.
But how about I let you see it for yourself. The beautiful sartorial creations that are featured in the movie, and with introduction (and explanation) from the man himself. Mark Bridges.
*Video courtesy of Focus Features
