Phantom Thread
Costume Designer Karen Martin talks influences to the creation of costume
1 min read
PASSION FOR FASHION
Coming out of retirement and putting needle to thread, we have to thank costume designer Karen Martin. This four month long process of mock up designs, choosing the correct fabric, and decisions on which tie has the right sort of stripe has been ongoing. It started with a moodboard of influences from Baz Lurhmans Romeo and Juliet, tv show character Effy from Skins, and pop/punk singer Avril Lavigne.
"I mainly just worked from what the text provided me with. At the heart of the story we have a rebellious angsty teenager who is wanting to live life to the full. Having it set in August in Hong Kong, gave me a specificity on the temperature, the weather climate, the style of uniform they wear out there. I never wanted this to be generic so I honed in on the details. We discussed the use of the colour red being a symbol of rebellion as well as the matching colour of the Hong Kong flag. An idea for the dragon symbol (seen in costume one of her school uniform) not only correlates with Millie rebellious energy, but also links to the Chinese Zodiac." - Karen Martin
