CDG - The Costume Designer

Winter 2023

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Lestat's (Sam Reid) costume evolution starts the first episode. He arrives in New Orleans in 1910 from Europe, looking dapper but dated. Where Louis and New Orleans is Edwardian, Lestat is Victorian. His look evolves when Louis takes him to his tailor and he embraces modern fashion. I considered icons like Rudolph Valentino and he wears modern clothing with the fit of corsetry. Lestat has a cool palette that compliments Louis' golden warm hues. For Lestat's 20th century style he wears stripes like a cage that can barely hold him. He is a long, lean wild animal, only just containing himself and his chaos. He is a nar- cissist and embodies affluent flamboyance, everything he does is for effect, or for his own benefit. His costumes echo his intentions. Their constant struggle is evident in the design of Louis' and Lestat's costume relationship. At one point, in an angry fit of jealousy, Lestat wears a near replica of Louis' golden windowpane suit but in a blue. In the scene he is lashing out in mockery and jealous fury. Sam and I saw that suit as almost a cruel slap in the face in his desperation to hurt Louis. There are three main figures in the iconography of Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire: Lestat, Louis, and Clau- dia. The latest iteration on AMC reimagines the book in present day Dubai in 1910 through 1939. The pace of the series format and the leap forward in time allows for the exploration of different themes and an expansion of the love story. We take a visual journey, guided by costume designer Carol Cutshall as she reveals her process. His costumes echo his intentions Sam Reid as Lestat. Photo: AMC Networks. 62 THE COSTUME DESIGNER | WINTER 2023

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