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When designing the costumes for the Barbie movie, costume designer Jacqueline Durran planned out all of Barbie’s outfits before fitting Ken into them. According to Durran, who is well-known for her work on historical films, Ken is seen as an accessory to Barbie’s fashion choices.
The idea of a persistent and clingy Ken character was a source of entertainment for the cast and crew, and it also brought a smile to our faces when the movie was released. “Greta had this clever concept of ‘Kens’,” explains costume designer Durran, in reference to the director of the film, Greta Gerwig. “What do Kens do when Barbie doesn’t need them anymore? They just stand around, waiting, with nowhere to go.” The irony of having heartthrob Ryan Gosling play the main Ken character only adds to the comedic effect.
Regarding the attire, this concept was demonstrated by having all the Kens wear identical white jumpsuits at a block party, while each Barbie had a distinct and fabulous outfit. According to Durran, it embodied the essence of Ken.
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However, Ken’s supporting role is not accurately represented in reality. During our video conversation from a plain room at Shepperton Studios, Durran is dressed casually in a navy blue sweater and glasses, sipping from a mug with a blue tit image. It has only been a short time since the announcement of Oscar nominations. While Durran received her eighth nomination for her work on Barbie, Gerwig was not recognized in the best director category, and Margot Robbie was also not nominated for lead actress. In contrast, Gosling earned a nomination for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Ken, and America Ferrera achieved her first ever Oscar nomination for her supporting role as a Mattel employee.
Durran praises Gerwig’s accomplishment of creating an original and widely praised movie that transformed a familiar concept into something uniquely different. She expresses confusion over why this is not recognized, especially compared to other directors who did not make as big of an impact this year. As for Robbie, Durran believes that her beauty may have overshadowed her talent and the effort she put into her role. However, Durran refrains from making the obvious conclusion and avoids blaming the male-dominated industry. She admits to not understanding the reasoning behind the omission and does not want to immediately label it as misogyny.
The film Barbie was the top-earning movie of 2023, despite any opinions from the Oscars panel. It made a significant impact last summer with its bright neon-pink aesthetic, surpassing the success of many other films. The director expressed difficulty in pleasing critics, as they often criticize art films for being solely for profit, while dismissing blockbusters as lacking artistic value.
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Durran, a well-regarded costume designer, has experience working with multiple directors. She has often partnered with Joe Wright, earning her initial Academy Award nomination for his movie “Pride and Prejudice” in 2005 and later winning an Oscar for “Anna Karenina.” Mike Leigh is another long-time collaborator, with their partnership dating back to the 1990s. Durran is responsible for the costumes in several of Leigh’s beloved films, including “Peterloo” and “Mr. Turner,” for which she was nominated for a Bafta, as well as “Vera Drake,” for which she won one.
Her page on IMDb is comparable to a comprehensive study of contemporary film and television, featuring notable works such as Sam Mendes’ 1917, Richard Ayoade’s unique film The Double from 2013, Kristen Stewart’s portrayal of Lady Diana in the biopic Spencer, and the 2017 adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. She collaborated with Steve McQueen on the BBC series Small Axe (for which she received another Bafta award) and recently joined his team again for a film project called Blitz. She has designed costumes for various characters, both real and fictional, who are recognized by a single name such as Churchill, Batman, and (Mr) Darcy.
After growing up in London, Durran attended the Royal College of Art and eventually stumbled upon costume design while selling vintage clothes at Camden and Portobello Road markets. Her previous experience proved valuable when she landed a position at Angels, a well-known costume house in the West End. At first, Durran never considered costume design as a career option until one day while watching a soap opera, she was inspired by the poorly designed costumes. She refuses to reveal which soap opera as she finds it too offensive. Durran explains that when watching a flawlessly costumed film, it’s easy to believe that it’s an unattainable skill. However, with poorly designed costumes, the flaws are more apparent, providing her with a glimpse of what she could potentially do.
Having extensive knowledge in vintage fashion and having worked on numerous British period dramas, the multi-talented, all-American Barbie could be seen as a change of pace for costume designer Jacqueline Durran. Despite not having a personal connection to the iconic toy, Durran was drawn to the project by Greta Gerwig’s involvement. “To me, Greta Gerwig directing a Barbie film is a unique opportunity,” she explains. The two had previously collaborated on Gerwig’s 2019 version of Little Women, for which Durran received her second Academy Award.
However, even when designing for historical dramas, Durran’s creativity with clothing – her knack for interpreting a brief – is what sets her costumes apart. A prime example of this is the stunning duck-egg blue gown worn by Florence Pugh’s character, Amy, in Little Women, which continues to leave a lasting impression four years later. The New Yorker praised the dress, stating that Amy looked “like a confection, like a porcelain doll, like a confident woman walking towards safety”, and compared it to the contemporary designs of Gucci’s Alessandro Michele. By playing with historical accuracy, the dress exuded a modern vibe.
One enduring and highly desired outfit is the emerald green dress donned by Keira Knightley in the 2007 film Atonement. Featuring a backless design, plunging neckline, and boldly anachronistic style, it has inspired numerous replicas that have fetched exorbitant prices. Even after a decade, Entertainment Weekly commemorated its lasting impact. “It’s still thriving!” Durran exclaims with a grin.
Fast forward to the current time and, alongside Ken, Durran once again showcases her talent for fully embracing a challenge and creating unexpected, trend-setting ensembles. As the film progresses and patriarchal influences infiltrate Barbieland, Ken’s wardrobe begins to draw inspiration from “iconic representations of masculinity,” such as Sylvester Stallone in a luxurious fur coat. Durran exclaims, “That one is absolutely fabulous! It became my main source of inspiration because I wasn’t entirely sure how far to push Ken’s style, but I just thought, ‘That is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.'”
Durran cannot take all the credit as Ryan also played a significant role in the costume design process. According to Durran, Ryan has a love for fashion and often had ideas that enhanced the fittings they did together. One example is the Ken underwear, inspired by the iconic Calvin Klein design, which was Ryan’s idea. Durran shared that Ryan messaged her asking if it was possible to incorporate Ken pants into the film, to which she enthusiastically agreed.
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Ken had a certain level of control over his wardrobe, and according to costume designer Durran, feminism was just as important to Barbie’s clothing as Stallone and underwear were to Ken’s. Durran believes that feminism played a crucial role in Barbie’s costumes. Unlike other characters she has dressed, Barbie’s wardrobe is solely based on the activities she will be engaging in. Durran emphasizes that Barbie does not dress for the purpose of appealing to men. While some may view many of Barbie’s outfits as sexy, Durran argues that this was not the intention; they are simply “accidentally sexy.”
Although her appearance may not be considered practical, she always dresses appropriately for the situation. If she’s going to the beach, she’ll wear beachwear; if she’s attending a party, she’ll wear a flashy jumpsuit; if she’s participating in social justice activities, she’ll wear a boilersuit. When she enters the real world for the first time, she chooses an outfit that she believes is most fitting for the occasion. It took a long time for her to decide on this outfit, after ruling out jeans and a “typical Malibu beach girl” look, they settled on a unique and slightly country western-inspired pink ensemble featured in the film. The goal was to create a quintessential American look that Barbie would choose to blend in, but of course, her choices always make her stand out.
It must have been unusual to witness the widespread influence of Barbiemania on the real world. In addition to the noticeable surge of pink, sales for Barbie’s signature hair accessory, the scrunchie, skyrocketed by more than 1,000%, and ponytails became a popular hairstyle. Since Durran’s initial film project, creating costumes for Mike Leigh’s All or Nothing in 2002, has there been a shift in the impact that on-screen costumes have on our fashion choices in everyday life? “I believe it has reached new levels, especially with Barbie, but I do think it has always existed,” she explains. “While I am not well-versed in the fashion of 1930s and 40s movie stars, I do feel they have always influenced fashion. However, social media likely amplifies this effect and makes it more widespread.”
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Having gained experience in secondhand markets, Durran may have mixed feelings about the trend of purchasing new clothes to emulate on-screen characters. During the release of Barbie, Durran collaborated with resale platform Thredup to provide eco-friendly options for those seeking the Barbie aesthetic. One notable trend last summer was moviegoers dressed in costumes inspired by Barbie. Durran was delighted by the response, but also acknowledges the negative impact of buying fast fashion solely for a temporary transformation into Barbie.
Our time is limited, but before we wrap up, I’d like to bring up one last point to Durran. Steve McQueen once commented that costume designers are the most brilliant individuals on set. She chuckles, expressing her admiration for Steve. However, she refrains from taking credit and instead emphasizes the importance of teamwork in film production.
Source: theguardian.com
