Sandy Powell on a career in costume - LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

  • Costume designs from Gangs of New York


    “Costume design is about collaboration and communication... It is part psychology, part art”.

    “The role of a costume designer is to help create a character, to make them come to life through the power of clothing,” says Sandy Powell, the celebrated designer behind the Oscar- and Bafta-winning costumes of The Favourite, The Young Victoria, Velvet Goldmine, Shakespeare in Love, and The Aviator – and now, winner of the London Design Medal 2022.

    While many of us are familiar with Powell’s work, it was her viral autograph suit in 2020 that made the costume designer – and her signature orange quiff – a household name. “People stop me in the street now,” she says, equally amused and proud. The calico suit that caught the attention of the masses was a bid to save Derek Jarman’s creative studio in Dungeness, Prospect Cottage. Powell wore it throughout awards season, and during that time it became a rich tapestry of celebrity signatures.

    “It started as a silly idea, and it just snowballed,” she recalls. “I had such fun doing it. It gave me a mission. And, I didn’t have to think about what to wear once! Looking back now, I’m very proud of it.” Her suit raised £16,000 at auction and is now part of the V&A’s collection.


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