Fall 2018 The Costume Designer 31
By Anna Wyckoff
T
hink of Chaplin's hat and
shrunken suit, Louise
Brooks' bob, or a raised
trench coat collar masking an
unknown face. In film's infan-
cy, there was only black against
white. Strong shapes or shades of
grey told the story. The advent of
color upstaged silhouette as the
single most important component
of Costume Design and created a
COLOR
THEORY
direct lifeline from actor to audi-
ence. As a signifier, color comes
with rich associations and elicits
an immediate emotion. It is the
most powerful tool in a Costume
Designer's arsenal. At times, design-
ers refer back to a color, like a
touchstone throughout their work.
In other instances, they use a specif-
ic color to underscore a personality
or an event in a narrative. We spoke
to several of our renowned mem-
bers to consider their perspective.