I was happy for Rodarte’s persistent publicity efforts at first; I’m so proud of the film and anything that brings it to an even wider audience is genuinely welcome. I tried to put aside my ego while being airbrushed from history in all of their interviews, as I’m just not that kind of person anyway. But when articles were planted that attacked me personally as if I had conspired against them I felt nothing but despair and betrayal. I don’t have a publicist working for me, needless to say, and I was asked to stay quiet –“not to engage”, to avoid any bad press towards the film. Unfortunately this seems to have proven detrimental to the perception of my work on Black Swan. I didn’t make the rules that the Guild and the Academy set and I am proud of my professionalism and commitment to my work, so to have my name dragged into such ill-informed gossip is galling and hurtful to say the least.
Interestingly, the overwhelming reaction from other costume designers has been very affirming. Apparently this has happened to a number of people, but this one just got more press.
–Black Swan costume designer Amy Westcott, venting to Clothes on Film, via The Cut.
Tags: Amy Westcott
Designer(s): Rodarte
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I agree with Amy. Costume design is for the whole movie. Not just for a few specific costumes. Rodarte needs to take a chill pill and realize that this happens all the time with designers, Balenciaga, Gucci, Givenchy, Oscar de la Renta, YSL, except those accepted it with class.
so when is fashionista going to publish a retraction for the fake rumours they helped perpetuate?
Did they publish anything that attacked Westcott personally? Is that what you’re referring to? Serious question, if they did, I missed it.
Did they publish anything that attacked Westcott personally? Is that what you’re referring to? Serious question, if they did, I missed it.
The title to this post is incredibly misleading. What she had to say was not so much a dis, as her defending herself and setting the record straight.
Fashionista definitely played a role in creating this controversy so I’m happy to see they have posted this quote. I work in in film and have to say, I’ve been shocked at how the press has “airbrushed” Ms. Westcott from her role in the film. Whether the Mulleavys specifically are to blame is up for debate but it doesn’t appear that she’s “dissing” them at all. Bad call for the media to have attributed costume design solely to Rodarte.
you forgot to quote the most important reason rodarte sisters were not credited:
“Westcott explains that designing looks for a film and costuming a film are two very different beasts. To get the dancers’ clothes as realistic as possible, she stalked real ones in rehearsals and around the studio, taking their pictures when they didn’t know it, to get accurate reads on their coats, bags, and leg warmers. All of the clothes then had to be screen-tested so that the film’s color scheme would be maintained. All these details, of course, are very important to the overall mood and feel of the film. It might not have ruined your day in quite the same way after you saw it if there were a stray canary-yellow scarf somewhere in there.”
Please, fashionista, is partly to blame for the misleading title and the previous article on this matter!