Unit 1 (C & D) Arts Events: Hollywood Costumes

A couple of weeks ago I finally got around to going to the Hollywood costume exhibition at the V&A museum. Costume is a massive passion of mine that I intend to turn into a career so when I found out about this exhibition back in the summer I got insanely excited and have been itching to go ever since.

The exhibition starts with a video projected upon a huge wall containing lots of dynamic clips from movies new and old. Scarlet O'Hara to Captain Jack Sparrow. It's a really brilliant way to begin actually, in reminds you of lots of hugely famous movies and some costumes you may have forgotten or overlooked. On your left (and at the entrance to each of the three rooms) is an introduction to costume for movies, these introductions emphasize the importance of costume for setting the mood, helping the actors get into character and enhancing the atmosphere. Along with these introductions we're treated to tiny insights along the way on boards at the corners of some of the pedestals. Next to each costume are the details; when it was made, what and who it was made for, the materials and some comments from the people involved or the actor who wore it. Some even had lovely little bits about certain things the actors had appropriated because they loved them so much.

I think the presentation of the costumes was excellent but could have been better, it was very dim inside the exhibition and I understand that part of that was to preserve the costumes, but this made it very hard to see. Even with my glasses on I struggled to see some of the details which was a shame. Besides that there were a few things that they could have done in the last room, the two main ones being placing the famous white Marylin dress above a vent so that it would fly upwards just like in the original footage and putting the Batsuit on a grate high up on the wall. Such as one you'd see on a fire escape (which would also be very in keeping with the style of the movies), instead of on a solid wedge shaped pedestal, it made it incredibly hard to see. Though in retrospect I think that may have been the aim with all the superhero costumes in there. Catwoman, Spiderman and Superman where all hidden in similar ways, high up and at awkward angles. Discussing it with my mother we decided that this may have been in an attempt to preserve some of the awe and mystery that surrounds the characters and to distance them from the costumes of the more normal or human characters bellow.

It was really amazing to get a look at the costumes that are so ingrained into our culture we see them on an almost daily basis, such as Indiana Jones' adventuring outfit and Harry's Hogwarts robes, Darth Vader was also incredibly imposing and threatening. The litter of historical costumes at the end of the first room were also beautiful and impressive, Guinevere through many years or Elizabeth 1st to Kirsten Dunst's portrayal of Marie Antoinette in the 2006 movie all posed in corresponding positions as if to illustrate a strange hybrid court scene.

If I was asked to pick a favorite costume from the exhibition I wouldn't be able to, I loved so many of them. But if forced I think it would have to be the costumes for the Addamses from The Addams Family movies made in the early 90's. I adore those movies and it was brilliant to finally be able to see all the beaded and embroidered detail on Morticia's dresses and the pattern on Wednesday's.  I really wish this exhibition was a permanent exhibit and that you were allowed to at least sketch the costumes, but nevertheless I loved it!