When a piece of cinema truly dazzles, its one-of-a-kind world wouldn’t be complete without costumes. Some of the most stunning film costumes of the last 40 years were created by British designer Sandy Powell in a prolific career working closely with directors like Martin Scorsese and Todd Haynes and dressing characters from “The Favourite,” “Shakespeare in Love,” “Wolf of Wall Street,” “Gangs of New York” and many, many more.
SCAD FASH Museum is hosting the first U.S. exhibition dedicated to Sandy Powell’s work; “Dressing the Part: Costume Design for Film” is a collection of over 90 significant character costumes from her biggest films, all on display now through March 16. Curator Rafael Gomes recently joined “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes to share about the spectacular designs of Powell.
The exhibition showcases the designer’s extraordinary ability to shape character and narrative through costume.
“Costume design tells the story of a person,” said Gomes about the pieces displayed.
One highlight is the crystal glass slipper from “Cinderella,” crafted in collaboration with Swarovski. “It was carved from a single piece of crystal with laser precision,” Gomes noted, calling it one of the exhibit’s most breathtaking pieces.
