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Major Textiles Project
The Aviator
Activity 1 answers
- Who was the costume designer for The Aviator, and what was her budget?
Sandy Powell was the costume designer and she had a budget of $2 million.
- The costume designs in The Aviator have received many awards, including an Oscar. What was the key to its success?
They key to the success of the costume design was that Sandy Powell "... succeeds in making the costumes look contemporary whilst giving them a look that transports us to another era as they become believable characters. The clothes are quite historically accurate and where possible 1940s vintage fabrics, such as rayon, were sourced from old warehouse stock."]
- Describe the features of the male costume designs from the movie.
The male costumes featured flying gear, for example, fair isle V-neck sleeveless knitted tank top worn with a flying jacket and jodhpur flying pants; wide shoulder suits with wide 1 to 2 cm pinstripes or check suits. Close fitting cable knit sweaters, argyle socks, plus fours, coloured shirts and herringbone tweed were also worn.
- A number of actresses, famous for their influences on fashion and heralded as style icons, were featured in the movie, who were they?
The fashion style icons of this period were Jean Harlow, Louise Brooks, Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner.
- Describe the features of the female costume designs from the movie.
The female costume designs featured slick, fast and loose dresses for dancing in the nightclub; art deco touches, silver satin cowl back dress, with a satin wrap, orchids, pearls, fur wraps; well cut cream blazer over rich brown trousers, rich brown blouse with pinhead spots and mother of pearl contrast buttons, well cut trousers - Oxford bags; rusty colours, clutch envelope bags, blouson jackets and tree bark crepe satin fabrics, diagonal striped or diamond checked ties, V-neck sleeveless sweaters, Donegal tweed suits, lush wrap coat with oyster peach lining & embroidered panel coat, spotted blouses.
Activity 3 answers
- In what ways did women's clothing in particular change during the 1930s?
Return to more genteel, ladylike appearance, busts and waistline curves, feminine, sweet and tidy by day, glamour at night.
- Why did women's day wear become more practical in the 1930s?
Women became more productive with busier lives which required simpler clothes that provided freedom of movement. Previously it hadn't mattered if the day wear had been impractical as the maids did the chores.
- A number of fashion designers became famous during this period, name two and outline their contributions to the fashions of the period.
- Madeleine Vionnet: bias cross cutting - halter neck and cowl neck (as featured in The Aviator movie), soft pastels, chiffon.
- Elsa Schiaparelli: rich fabric and feminine fantasy clothes with a surreal twist, classic styles, short fitted suits or jackets teamed with black dresses, turquoise, shocking pink, hyacinth blue, humorous accessories, wide shouldered masculine suits, tailored suits.
- A number of major developments occurred in the fibre industry during this period. Name two and outline their uses at this time.
- Rayon: dyed well and looked similar to and felt like silk. Often it was used to make lingerie for the cheaper end of the market.
- Nylon: hosiery, no more bagging and sagging of stocking and a sheer allure which enhanced the legs.
- Another technological development, which later became universally used, gained recognition in the fashion world in the 1930s, what was it and how did it become popular?
The zip. Schiaparelli liked new ideas and promoted its use with new plastic coloured zips in fashion clothes for decorative, functional and novel value.
- How did the rumblings of war in the late 1930s influence fashions at the close of the decade?
Designers produced military inspired square shouldered clothing teamed with low heels, as if sensing a need for more functional wear. Simple clothes, trousers and sweaters and classic shirt waisters designed to stay in fashion.
- Why is this time considered pivotal in fashion industry history?
Lessons were learnt from the mass production of uniforms which were able to be carried over into the ready-to-wear industry, thus enabling manufacturers to produce quality clothing goods speedily, moderately priced and within acceptable profit margins.
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