Behind the Scenes: Inspiration for Amanda’s Costumes

Paris was the main force in high fashion at this time, but Hollywood reinterpreted trends to dial up the glamour. Paris had Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli and Madeleine Vionnet: Hollywood had Adrian, Orry-Kelly, Howard Greer and Travis Banton. In the 1930’s, as many as 90 million Americans packing into movie houses weekly, a welcomed respite from the disheartening daily of the Depression. Hollywood became the arbiter style and had a trickle down influence on everyday fashion.

For Private Lives, costume designer, Jennifer Caprio, is taking her cues from both Hollywood and the Paris couturiers of the 1930’s. One of costumes created for Amanda was inspired by an evening dress by Elsa Schiaparelli. The original dress was a sari-inspired bias cut creation with a cascade of Madonna lilies falling from the shoulder all the way to the floor. The dress was given to the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York by Yeffe Kimball Slatin.

Amanda’s traveling suit was inspired by a costume created by the legendary Hollywood designer Adrian for Joan Crawford for the film No More Ladies from 1935.

JEFFREY BLAIR CORNELL as Elyot and JULIE FISHELL as Amanda

Evening dress by Elsa Schiaparelli in the collection of Museum at the FIT in New York.