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36 The Costume Designer Fall 2019 Orlandi clothes him in an old letterman-type jacket. The definitively American silhouette stands in opposition to the French cobblestone streets and half-timbered buildings and tells you everything you need to know about the moment. Supporting roles were also carefully considered. "Miles' wife Mollie (Caitriona Balfe) is a flawless beauty and almost six feet tall. In one moment where she wears her nice dress to come cheer him up, I didn't want her to look too elegant, so we gave her flat shoes," says Orlandi. He also grounded her everyday look in earthy details like well-worn Keds and Wranglers. "For the Ford executives, I wanted to show the power of the Detroit big business Goliath. I thought of them almost like a football team. I want them to have a uniform—but it's not uniform." Every suit strikes a different tone, Orlandi found the powerful figure of Harold Ford II (Tracy Letts) a fascinating character and gave him classic Brooks Brothers- type suits. Lee Iacocca's (Jon Bernthal) was more of a cool salesman with razor sharp tailored sharkskin suits and Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas) played the slippery corporate 'yes' man. Orlandi says, "We actually tried to make Josh's clothes a little oily, we didn't want them to shout, but he's the guy the audi- ence loves to hate." Armies of background characters populate the scenes contextualizing the action. In order to give them a sense of reality, Orlandi and his crew gave each person a name and a story. There was Shelby's crew, which Mangold saw as a team of ragtag, cherry bomb throwing, Venice, California outsiders. Then there were the epic racing sequences. In collaboration with production designer François Audouy, Orlandi cast the three main locales with distinct visual per- sonalities. "At Willow Springs, we had about 500 people and created a sun-bleached, California look, with cool guys and sexy girls. Daytona had an East Coast feel, with the presence of plaids and cowboy hats. Le Mans, while in France, is not Paris. It isn't mod at all, but rather a throwback to the fif- ties." Informed by racing footage, he used darker hues, more browns, and the distinct blue of French workwear. Orlandi relied heavily on his research for the racing sequences. Several hundred racing suits and team jackets were constructed and aged to clothe all of the teams and almost 60 stunt drivers with multiples. The year predates the broad use of protective Nomex gear, so the challenge was to create suits that looked simple, but actually met modern safety standards. This attention to detail leaps off the screen with a captivating vitality and a naturalness. Essentially, Ford v Ferrari is a movie about one race, the audience's belief in the veracity of the people is critical to allowing the events and personalities sweep them across continents and time. The Costume Design grounds the nar- rative in dust, oil, and human fallibility. Orlandi explains, "Actors are not doing an impersonation, I love to help them actually inhabit the character." In testimony to Orlandi's artistry, actor Jon Bernthal says, "Daniel's focus on character is the definition on inspiration. Tie pins, handkerchiefs, and cufflinks help define the man. There is no detail too small. What an honor to work with him. A beautiful artist." " " I love to help them actually inhabit the character. Racers at Le Mans. Enzo Ferrari in the grandstand at Le Mans. Photo: 20th Century Fox