Costume Styling For Dorian Grey Adaptation
After my final year project I wanted to pursue more costume based projects, this led me to contact the Film Production Masters course at my university. I got in contact with a film maker named Emma Bramman who was creating an adaptation of the final chapter of Dorian Grey. She had many ideas about the costuming and wanted to use it as another avenue to add visual symbolism to the piece and wanted to collaborate on the project.
when discussing the overall ideas that the director had for the costuming she wanted to include a lot of links between the three characters as Basil and Henry where supposed to represent the good and temptation that Dorian had fallen prey to by the end of the novel. I suggested we used colour and styling as a subtle way to do this. by having Dorian in purple, Basil in Blue and Henry in red it paints Dorian as the mix of both men. Henry being the temptation red paints him as dangerous and misleading while Basil being the good blue paints him as a serene and calm character.
As with the colour palette the styling and garments worn by each character also shows the differences between the three. Dorian is wearing a patterned waistcoat and plain shirt while Henry is wearing a patterned shirt with black trousers to show his excess and indulgence while Basil wears a relaxed waistcoat and shirt with brown trousers to show his more humble personality. This is also mimicked in the accessories as Henry wears rings while Basil wears no jewellery. Dorians styling says a bit more about the plot with his vintage ring also featuring in the portrait and in the final scene and his key necklace being used to unlock the attic door while his other jewellery, a birds skull necklace, an opal ring and a peacock feather broach are all for of symbolising denoting danger and evil.
As the film was not funded we had to work with a very small budget this led me to search charity shops and second hand websites while also asking other students if they had relevant items that could be used to create the outfits. It also led me to talk to sellers and negotiate new prices and find the most affordable options then order and source items in time for the shoot. then helping withe dressing, fitting and styling on set along side making sure that the costume continuity remained through scenes and over breaks.
