Amelia: My Work in the Movies

Just a little over a year ago I was contacted through my blog by Kasia Walicka Maimone looking for some consulting regarding a film project she was working on. That project turned out to be Amelia, starring Hilary Swank, Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor. I hadn't worked on films before however the circumstances regarding this movie were different. It was set in the 30s, and Amelia Earhart actually lived and worked up the street from me. I immediately began to research the archives at Purdue University...browsing through their extensive collection donated by Earhart. After our first consultation I became acutely aware of Kasia's commitment to historical accuracy. The leather jackets that they had made to that date had not struck as historically accurate. I ended up both renting some of my collections to the production of the movie and even selling an early european trench coat that was recut into Amelia's long coat. I was excited to go to the premier of the film on Friday..not so much for the story, I barely paid attention, but for the beauty of the costumes (of course looking out for some of my pieces, lol). The wardrobe was fantastic..except for a few awkward jackets (notably a Belstaff jacket that appears somewhat plastic like with a logo on the arm) the movie authentically replicates the look and feel of 1920s-30s America (and Canada). I was most excited to see Fred Noonan played by Christopher Eccleston (Dr. Who Fame) wearing one of my jackets...Nice!