Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/611826
With American Hustle, David wanted a vision of the 1970s that was bold and over-the-top. For Joy, David sought a more grounded, realistic design that was organic to these characters, their class identity and their personalities. In the months prior to production, I researched and presented David with a visual evo- lution of each character. My research continued through production, with sto- ryboards representing each time period. Working with a director for the third time allowed for a familiar shorthand. David has many big ideas, and I was glad to translate them into the design. Joy, Jennifer Lawrence's character, endures a painful adolescence and a chal- lenging marriage to become a trailblaz- ing businesswoman. As she gains control of her life, she also gains control of her hair. Her look over the years inches toward sophistication, from unkempt to styled. In order to achieve this evolution, we used four wigs for Jennifer, which differed in color tone, texture and cut. Jennifer's college-era wig, her darkest, was 28 inches long. Her hair becomes lighter and lighter as she takes the world by storm. We meet Joy as a child, follow her through her "wash-and-go" work- ing years and leave her in chic, defined French twist. Joy has a liberating moment when she cuts her own hair in front of a mirror. On the day we shot the scene, we had to quick change Jennifer by removing her wig and adding matching extensions to her own hair. The extensions were blended to match her wig hair, and to work with Jennifer's hair color as well. We used "tape-in" extensions, but with light pressure, so that we would be able to remove them easily. Ever the champ, Jennifer did her haircut in one take! As Joy gains control of her life, she also gains control of her hair. Her look over the years inches toward sophistication, from unkempt to styled. " "