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!



Comments

  1. Nice one Dave. I thought your jackets looked great. Did you say you had another Amelia post? I can't find it now. Send me the link! :)

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  2. Niced work Dave! I was contacted by the props dept. to talk about leather flying caps, but apparently I was too expensive ;).

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  3. Yeah..they kept asking if I had one and I kept saying that these just dont exist anymore. I learned a lot about the film business cost process on this production. I didnt realise that expertise is often valued but not paid for

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