Behind the “Dark Shadows” Costumes
Get an inside look at the groovy costumes created for Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer for the upcoming "Dark Shadows". The film is out in theaters on May 11th .
When it comes to collaborating with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, designer Colleen Atwood has found her calling. Atwood, who has worked with Burton since "Edward Scissorhands" and has won three Academy Awards for her designs in "Alice in Wonderland", "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Chicago". She has reunited once again with her favorite creative pair for the upcoming "Dark Shadows", starring Depp as a 200-year-old vampire who is freed in 1972. Atwood shared her inspirations for creating the '70s themed wardrobe for the film's main characters.
SLIDESHOW: The "Dark Shadows" costumes
It's not just about finding the right kind of orange and gold polyester: Atwood had to integrate the characters with Burton's unique sense of irony and comedy. Not to mention the signature quirky fashion the director gives to all his characters and films.
We asked this award-winning designer to take us behind the scenes of her creative process in costuming "Dark Shadow's" stars:
Johnny Depp: "The script plays with the years 1970 and 1790, so I loved combining the ideas of the '70s and the 18 th century in his collars. He wanted to do a nod to both eras. The suit he wears at the beginning of the movie is very 18 th century, but [by the time] he arrives at the house his clothes resemble the 1970s more."
Michelle Pfeiffer: "Michelle's character [Elizabeth Collins Stoddard] may be a woman of the seventies, but she's still very lady-like. Her clothes have a feeling of elegance that reminds us of the time when the family had money. She also has a craft room where she makes macramé, a very popular craft at the time. So, you get an elegantly dress woman with gothic undertones in her attire, wearing macramé earrings and copper jewelry."
Helena Bonham-Carter: "She plays a very eccentric "doctor", a pseudo-psychologist. The idea with her wardrobe was to dress her in a lot of color to emphasize the color choices of the '70s and to highlight the redness of her hair. I put her in odd shapes, high necks and straight jacket-like clothes with dresses that are too young for her age."
Check out the "Dark Shadows" trailer here:
