Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1197129
64 The Costume Designer Winter 2020 have to pay for working with industry is being taken away from your friends and family. I couldn't have a bet- ter friend or an assistant as my wife, she's always by my side, and I think there's nothing better than having some- one tell you honestly what they think. Although, I don't always listen," he laughs. Their task was formidable. Not only did they have to convince audiences and fans of the authenticity of the lead character, played by Taron Egerton, but Elton John himself, who served as a producer on the film. Day had the hope that Elton would come away from the film wishing he had actually worn some of the pieces in real life. He reflects, "I would have hated for him to sit in that first screening and look at the clothes and just say, 'I don't see myself here. I don't feel myself here.'" Thankfully, that was not the case; Elton was so enthusiastic about the costumes, he wrote Day a congratulatory letter. He also requested a pair of the winged boots for his personal use, which Day considers the ultimate compliment. But in the beginning there was only an empty draw- ing board. The first costume Day designed was the fantas- tical devil that opens the film and serves as a touchstone T he scope of the musical Elton John biopic Rocketman is as epic as its titular character, liberally infusing reality with fantasy. The story leaps through decades with as many as 5,000 extras, many of whom dance, and over a hundred speaking roles. Even more challenging was the multitude of intricate changes required for the lead. Creating costumes for one of the world's most renown clotheshorses with the time constraints dictated by film produc- tion may sound daunting, but for Costume Designer Julian Day, Rocketman was one of his favorite movies to design. "It was a real passion project for me," he explains. But having come off of last year's Bohemian Rhapsody, Day's task was very different. It was not a recreation, but rather, a reimagining. With the origi- nal costumes serving as a springboard, Day aimed to study their silhouette and fabrication. He felt by distilling Elton's defining elements into a melting pot, he could shape his own version of the iconic costumes. This would not only conjure the man and his world, but also tell the story of the film with all its drama and hyperbole. Day collaborates with his wife Shaida as his assistant designer, and both are newly minted members of the Costume Designers Guild. He notes, "Generally, the one of the prices you Swarovski Presents: Julian Day Rocketman by Anna Wyckoff