SWATH Costume Designer Colleen Atwood on Kristen's Clothes

Award-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (she’s designed for Sleepy Hollow, Mission Impossible III, Sweeney Todd, and won Oscars for Alice in Wonderland, Memoirs of a Geisha and Chicago) designed and her shop created the leathers, armor and fairy tale dresses for Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth and very evilly-regal queen Charlize Theron for SWATH.

While the film was still shooting, we were lucky enough to tour Colleen’s costume workshops at Pinewood Studios in the U.K. and see some of the most amazing movie clothes ever; some finished, some in progress and some still in design stages. Wow!  Colleen herself guided us through her very special world.
  
TeenHollywood: How many looks does each character have in the movie?

Colleen: Charlize has about 15 different variations and Kristen has about five or six but variations within that. Chris [Hemsworth] has basically three looks but it’s all good [we agree and laugh]. He has leather pants which he wears rather well.

Sam Claflin has two or three. The guys have less but more stages. By the end we will have made about 2,000 costumes for the movie by the time we’re done with all the extras.



We’re guided to Kristen’s costume trailer; We’re surrounded by blues, greens and browns. Some costumes have the puffy, classic Snow White sleeves but with a chain mail skirt.

Colleen tells us that some of the textiles and textures of the fabric would translate into our era and “look cool with jeans”. We look at pretty leather colors, some with fake fur. We see Kristen’s jacket, sword belt and leather pants and part of her armor. This is her flexible stunt armor. She has a couple of other girlie dresses too and a coronation dress.

“This is Snow White’s under armor jacket but it’s a cute little piece”, Colleen shares. “Kristen said ‘Oh, I’d wear that!’ This is another dress that Kristen wears at the end. It’s really a simple little dress, very peasant and appropriate for the scene. Nothing like these. That’s for sure. This is a work in progress”. Colleen shows us a crazy beetle wing sleeve.

“The final dress is a chainmail and leather dress that Kristen wears. This is a robe that has been hand embroidered for Charlize. She has a great presence as an actor. You put a costume like that on somebody who really knows how to wear it and it becomes really strong and kind of special”.

TeenHollywood: Does Kristen also make a transformation when she puts these costumes on?

Colleen: Yes, for sure. But it’s a softer version than when Charlize puts hers on, Especially the armor. We’re working on Sam Claflin’s shoes that he’s going to wear with his armor and spiffing those up a little.

TeenHollywood: If an actor has an idea for their costume, do you listen?

Colleen: Yeah. It’s a collaboration. They have to feel the character and wear the clothes. Most actors don’t dictate what they want to wear at all. They’re quite excited when they see the stuff. They interpret it through their things and have ideas for that so it’s a real collaboration.

TeenHollywood: Was it that way with Kristen?

Colleen: Yeah but she really didn’t say anything. I showed her the stuff and she was really into it. She loved the armor and the other bits that she has. She’s not really that obsessed with clothes at this point in her career. She’s young and free from that sort of obsession. In her work previous, she hasn’t worn those kinds of presentational costumes so it’s kind of new for her. She’s still having fun with it I think.

Read the full article here Via @KstewAngel - Thank you!