Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1333810
Winter 2021 The Costume Designer 43 Susan Hall can still remember the first time she met Academy Award-winning costume designer Albert Wolsky while day playing on the feature film Toys. "I'll never forget the delightful magical costumes he designed," she says, describing a wonderful fantasy scene where lifelike toys and young ballerinas danced through a miniature version of New York City, their little dresses lighting up like fireflies. Hall studied in France with a major in painting, then headed to Los Angeles after graduation. She started styling and designing commercials, but wanted to do more creative projects. In 1995, she was hired to be the assistant costume designer to Wolsky on a period film called The Grass Harp. Enjoying the col- laboration with him, she stepped away from design- ing her own projects and got into features. This year marks their 25th year working together. As she puts it, "His respect and great value of our partnership really sealed the deal for me." Her favorite collaboration with Wolsky was the feature film Road to Perdition, starring Tom Hanks. She recalls how the production gave them enough prep time and budget to be able to weave period fab- rics—completely unheard of now, with the prevalent "we need it yesterday" mindset. The film was set in the late 1920s to early 1930s, so Wolsky and Hall had to find masters in hat making, tailoring, and knitting to ensure the film looked correct. Wolsky's dedication to the time period can be seen down to the smallest but- ton on Hank's shirting, or his perfectly creased fedora. Hall was captivated by how it all come together, as she oversaw the made-to-order pieces and had them delivered to the actors' trailers each day. Assistant Costume Designer Susan Hall Describes the Magic of Her Endurng Partnership with Costume Designer Albert Wolsky Photo: Heath Daniels Susan Hall and Albert Wolsky by Ivy Thaide Photo: Getty Images