Tag Archives: Costume

Costume Designer, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

Award-Winning Costume Designer Viktoriia Vlasenko Makes her Mark in Film

January 15, 2019 P. L. McGroarty Leave a comment

Considering that so many people want to break into the Hollywood entertainment industry, it makes sense for many of those aspiring talents to devote their energy into one specific area in order to become the best and land the jobs they desire. Whether their interest lay in the art, camera, lighting or one of the various departments on a film set, many work diligently just to make a name for themselves in one specific area.

While there is definitely something to be said for focusing one’s energy in one direction– many creative artists are not linear-minded. That is why, when we hear of someone like Viktoriia Vlasenko, who’s managed to effectively utilize her diverse talents to make a mark in the industry in various areas, it comes as quite a breath of fresh air.

Most recently Vlasenko was the costume designer and makeup artist on the feature film “86 Merlose Ave.” directed by Lili Matta. The film, which is currently in post production and stars Emmy Award winner Jim O’Heir (“The Bold and the Beautiful”), Emmy Award nominee Terri Ivens (“All My Children”) and Screen Actors Guild nominee Langston Fishburne (“Ant-Man and the Wasp”), has already earned numerous awards for its screenplay, including Best Feature Screenplay from the Best of the Best Competition, and was chosen as a Finalist at the Hollywood Screenplay Contest and The Write Room, a Semi-Finalist at the Filmmakers International Screenwriting Awards, and a Quarter Finalist at the Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition and Screencraft.

From working as a director to a costume designer to a makeup artist and more, Vlasenko seems to have done it all; and she’s done it well, so well that she’s been awarded on countless occasions for her contributions to the industry. Earlier this year she was recognized by the International Independent Film Awards with the Winter Gold Award in Special-Effects Makeup for her work on the film “Set Me Free,” and in 2018 she earned their Fall Gold Award in Costume Design for her work on the film “All Lives Matter,” as well as a certificate for achievement in Makeup from the Ocean Film Festival.

Vlasenko’s skill as a costume designer and makeup artist shine out above all else. A true artist, she her capacity to create new looks and trends in costumes, and use makeup to turn actors into far out characters, she has become an increasingly sought after force in the industry. Her skill in creating mesmerizing and futuristic looks is on incredible display in the film “Unworld.”

Earlier this year she was recognized by the Wintershorts Film Festival for her work as the producer, costume designer and makeup artist on “Unworld.” Her work as the costume designer on “Unworld,” a dystopian drama, also earned her the Best Costume Designer Awards from the European Cinematography Awards and the Indie Shorts Fest, as well as a certificate from the Summershort Film Festival.

“I work hard, I can do the work of five people,” Vlasenko says laughingly. “I’m also a quick learner and I can work with various materials that other costume designers are afraid to work with. I’m also a good painter.”

Vlasenkos’ multifarious talent encompasses all things related to visual design. Over the past few years she’s made a stellar mark in the international entertainment industry with her work as the costume designer on 20 productions, the makeup artist on nine productions, not including those where she served as the special effects makeup artist, has produced six projects and directed four others.

Vlasenko says, “It is necessary to like what you do, it is important to be a talented and gifted person, and to always be learning something new… to successfully join each project and to you prove yourself in full force… and to leave a personal mark in history.”

There’s no doubt that Vlasenko has already left her personal mark in history, and she continues to do so. Growing up in Ukraine Vlasenko quickly found her passion for fashion and costume design, an are of interest she would continue to cultivate through her university years at Milan IED Istituto Europeo di Design where she earned her bachelor’s degree in fashion and costume design. With ceaseless creativity and a love for bringing various characters to life through her work, moving into the world of costume design was right up Vlasenko’s alley. And the awards she’s earned to date for her work prove that it’s one area where she excels exponentially.

“As a costume designer, I think of myself like a painter. I can follow my imagination… I can produce very creative and crazy things. I don’t only work with fabric, but with metals, plastic, 3D-prints, various incredible materials and paints as well,” explains Vlasenko. “Although it is difficult, it very interesting. It is interesting to transform actors or singers into different characters and personas, to produce fantastic costumes for superheroes or historical characters from fiction books.”

In 2018 Vlasenko earned the Bronze Award from the Latitude Film Festival for her work as the costume designer on the film “Betrayed,” a project that she also earned the Best Costume Design and Best Makeup Awards from the Flicks Film Festival. Another of Vlasenko’s award-winning projects is the film “No War,” which she wrote and directed, as well as costume designed, which earned her the Best Costumes Award from the Oniros Film Awards and was chosen as an Official Selection of the Neon Film Festival.

Early on in her career Vlasenko founded the popular fashion brand Terrasse, through which she has continued to display her talent for creating new trends and innovative style.

Vlasenko says, “I often see other brands making copies of my creations, especially while traveling in other countries.”

While other designers may feel embittered at the sight of their designs being copied by others, Vlasenko takes it all in stride as she continues to create new and innovative looks. As a fashion designer Vlasenko would often handle the makeup for the photoshoots with her designs, so for her, becoming the makeup artist on film sets has been a rather seamless transition.

Not only was she was the makeup artist on three fashion films for her own brand, Terrasse, with the fashion film “Terrasse White” earning her the Makeup Award from the Golden Square Film Festival, but she also did the makeup on the films “No War,” “Unworld,” “Set Me Free,” “Betrayed,” “Table of Four” and more. Vlasenko was also the makeup artist, special effects makeup artist and costume designer on the upcoming film “Loss of Grace,” which is currently in post production and stars Jasmine Waltz from the films “Black Water” and “Poker Run,” and action star Paul Logan from “Code Red,” “Mega Piranha” and “Flight 666.”

If all this wasn’t enough, Vlasenko’s work as a fashion designer was also featured in two multi-page spreads in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the New Face fashion magazine.

Viktoriia Vlasenko's designs for Cirque Du Soleil — Viktoriia Vlasenko’s designs for Cirque Du Soleil

Vlasenko says, “I love my work and have been privileged to work on interesting projects with creative people. I create unusual costumes that are never boring. My reputation as a designer rests on the ability to be innovative and creative. I’m always open to new creative projects with different themes, films, fashion shows, and more.”

Praised for incredible work ethic, Viktoriia Vlasenko has never been one to stop at the first sign of success. She currently has several projects underway as a costume designer, including the films “Cowboy Bebop” and “Batman Beyond,” for which she is designing a totally new look for the Joker and Batman with intricate costumes few others, but her could design. Vlasenko has always been drawn to the work of the phenomenal Cirque Du Soleil performance group, and she is currently designing a series of costumes that she will pitch to them for future productions.

Costume, Reviews, Interviews & Features!, Wardrobe Department

Background in Focus: UK Costume Designer Jemima Penny

August 29, 2017 lgreenbaulm Leave a comment

While most creatives take many years to find their true calling and turn it into a career, often times there are hints during childhood as to the direction their artistry will later take, and London-based costume designer Jemima Penny is no exception.

Penny recalls, “I was always drawn to costumes. As a little girl my favorite game was ‘dressing up.’ I never wanted bought costumes, I’d always make them up myself.”

Over the past decade Penny has become known internationally for her work as the costume designer on a wide range of projects, including films such as the popular Nick Cave documentary 20,000 Days on Earth, which was nominated for a prestigious BAFTA Film Award for Best Documentary in 2015, the dramatic mystery film In The Dark Half starring Jessica Barden from the Golden Globe nominated series Penny Dreadful, the comedy film Where Have I Been All Your Life? with two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner James Corden (Into the Woods), and many more.

“I was always fascinated by how people define themselves and send messages to wider society about who they are through the way they dress. So I naturally gravitate towards character work over trend. And of course, storytelling is one of the most important and basic human needs. Its how we communicate and pass messages on to one another. So to be able to be part of this industry is a wonderful thing,” explains Penny about what led her to pursue her career as a costume designer.

Penny recently wrapped production on multi-award winning director Jonathan Hopkins’ (Goodbye Mr. Snuggles) upcoming horror film Slumber, which is slated to be released later this year and stars Maggie Q (Live Free or Die Hard, Mission: Impossible III), Will Kemp (Reign, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce) and Sylvester McCoy (Sense8, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey).

The film follows Alice, played by Maggie Q, a rationally minded sleep doctor who, after finding no plausible scientific explanation for the terror an entire family of clients faces while they’re asleep, is forced to abandon reason and accept the existence of the ‘Night Hag.’ In Slumber, we realize that this supposed mythical creature who paralyzes her victims while they’re asleep, one who’s been referenced and written about by practically every culture since the beginning of time, may not be as mythical as everyone believes.

Poster for Slumber — Poster for the upcoming film “Slumber”

For the upcoming film costume designer Jemima Penny has done a thoroughly brilliant job of representing the changing mental states of the characters into their wardrobe, which in the case of this film in particular, changes drastically over the course of the film, at least for some. One of the most drastic visual changes in wardrobe style that audiences will immediately notice is that of Q’s character Alice.

“Alice, the main character is a rational, scientific person who likes to have total control over every element of her life. She is ordered and methodical. However over the course of the film she starts to unravel as the Night Hag becomes more real to her,” explains Penny.

“We used her costumes to help depict this journey. At the beginning of the film she is very put together. Her clothing reflects her character– buttoned up, stylish, sleek, conservative and coordinated… As the film progresses and Alice’s mental state deteriorates we gravitate to more casual, rougher looks– jeans, boots and tees… and the colour palette becomes more earthy and darker.”

The reason Penny has become such a recognizable and sought after costume designer in the industry is due to more than just her skilled abilities as a designer and seamstress. At the end of the day her success can be attributed to the rare and unique way that she gets inside the head of each character she designs for… it’s the methodical way that she breaks down their personality, changing emotions and the outer circumstances that they can’t control to design their wardrobe scene by scene that makes her such a powerful force in her field.

Slumber star Maggie Q says, “Jemima is one of my favorite designers. Not only does she have an incredible sense of style, that is evident in all her work no matter what the brief, but she is totally dedicated to getting the costumes right for the piece, which, for an actor, is such an essential part of being able to fully become immersed in a role.”

Bringing such talent to the table, it is not at all surprising that Slumber is not Jemima Penny’s first time working as a costume designer on one of Jonathan Hopkins’ films. Earlier on in her career she served as the costume designer on his comedy film Minimus, which earned the Festival Award from the 2013 Chicago Comedy Festival. The genres alone reveal the polar opposite nature of the previous project compared to their most recent collaboration, but clearly Penny’s talent as a costume designer proves that her skill exceeds the limitation of any particular genre– or medium for that matter.

“Johnny and I have worked together for a long time. We started making TV commercials together nearly 10 years ago and have built a solid understanding of each other’s work. So after an initial meeting Johnny will ask me to develop designs for the piece and we have a very collaborative process… he is always open to new ideas and trusts in the rest of his creative team to bring valuable input to the project,” says Penny about working with director Jonathan Hopkins.

In addition to making a strong impact as a costume designer in the world of film, Penny has also created a dazzling repertoire of work that includes music videos, such as Calvin Harris’ ‘Sweet Nothing’ feat. Florence Welch, which has over 200 million views on Youtube, as well as an overwhelming list of commercials for globally recognized brands such as Nike, Virgin Media, ITV’s The X Factor, the BBC, Cadbury, Dyson, Disney, Absolut Vodka and many more.

Up next for costume designer Jemima Penny is Primetime Emmy nominee Polly Draper’s (Thirtysomething, Demolition) film Stella’s Last Weekend starring Nat Wolff (Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars) and Alex Wolff (Coming Through the Rye, Patriots Day), as well as the upcoming film Farming, which is set in Great Britain in the 1970s and follows a Nigerian child who grows up in a white working class family and ultimately becomes the leader of a skinhead white supremacist gang.

About the upcoming film Farming, Penny says, “It’s a heart wrenching terrifying look at racism in the not too distant past and it should be a very powerful piece. It’s also a fantastic era for costume.”

Interviews & Features!, Wardrobe Department

Angela Trivino takes audiences back in time with costume design in award-winning film “Tragiometry”

May 11, 2017 pressva Leave a comment

Growing up in Bogotá, Colombia, Angela Trivino was surrounded by yards of fabric in her mother’s studio; it was an upbringing that would lead to her destiny. The steadfast sound of a sewing machine was as familiar as a friendly voice, and slowly, clothing and fashion became a way of seeing the world. There was never a question as to what she would become later in life: she would follow her passion. However, becoming one of Colombia’s best costume designers needed more than passion, it required hard work and innate talent.

Trivino’s world continues to be filled with fabric and design. She is a true artist, lending her vision to countless films, stage productions, commercials, and music videos. She helps directors realize their goals in a completely visual way. Without her, time travel through the lens of a camera would not be possible, as clothing is vital to transporting an audience member to a different era. Her work was key to the success of the award-winning film Tragiometry, a dark comedy set in the 19^th century.

“Tragiometry was my first time designing a period film, and I loved the challenge of exploring concepts like femininity, elegance, comedy, and darkness in an era in which these words had a completely different connotation from the one they have today. It always feels great to escape from our world and travel back in time,” said Trivino.

Tragiometry revolves around an undertaker Mr. Vizor, who in the process of treating a dead Mr. Moore’s body, discovers that he’s very much alive, simply awakening from a lethargic sleep. To his outmost surprise, Mr. Vizor finds out that the man is utterly unhappy about being alive and he desperately wishes to go down The Gates of Hades, this time in reality. Two men, two different stories, yet the same questions — does death become a punishment for wasting every second? Or maybe life itself is a greater punishment for someone who has a meaningless existence.

“I enjoyed this project so much. The energy on set was great, and the artistic conversations with every head of department were incredibly inspiring. On the other hand, the nature of the project gave me a lot of space to explore creatively, which is always amazing,” she said.

Trivino’s role of costume designer for the film required her to stay loyal to the time period and research the history, costumes, and cultural mannerisms extensively to ensure accuracy. The film is a comedy, and her costume design had to still portray that side of the film while being historically correct. After approval of her sketches from Tatyana Kim, the director of the film, and after taking the pertinent measurements to the actors, she built the period garments.

“Tatyana was such an inspiration during the whole process. We have very similar aesthetics and ways of approaching narratives. She also understands costumes really well, you don’t always get to have conversations with directors that understand concepts like silhouette and fabric textures in camera,” said Trivino.

Leading two seamstresses and a costume assistant in the making of some of the garments used in the film, Trivino made sure her vision was met. During filming, she was on set to dress the actors, and make sure that every single garment was worn according to the period.

For Trivino, the biggest challenge for the film to be successful was to make interesting creative choices without risking justice to the period. In order to achieve this, she extensively researched not only the period, but also the characters and the comedy they carried within. She worked close to the cinematographer, which was key to achieving a well-controlled palette and beautiful, well-composed frames.

“Angela is a joy to work with from beginning to end. As a writer and director, I work with each character from its conception, and Angela has this incredible ability to come up with the perfect visual interpretation of this person that I created through words. Her character–based approach to costume design really digs into each personality and story to figure out what the costume needs are to help the actor inhabit that person. For Tragiometry we were working with a story set in the 19^th Century, and Angela focused in not just designing a period accurate film, but in finding the character that lived in that period,” said Tatyana Kim.

This commitment and vision that Trivino carried with her on the project led to Tragiometry having immense success at several international film festivals. It was an Official Selection at Ciné Women Europe 2015, Los Angeles CineFest 2015, China Women’s Film Festival, Pasadena International Film Festival 2017, and the prestigious Cannes Short Film Corner. It won Best Director and Best Actor at the TMFF Glasgow 2015, and was part of the Golden Drama Awards Austria 2015.

“I hate to say it, but I was not surprised that the film was so successful. From the moment I read the script, I knew only great things could happen to such a brilliant story,” Trivino concluded. “The real surprise was finding about Cannes, we knew it was going to do great but not that great.”