Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/989249
Spring 2018 The Costume Designer 41 Scott feels several factors contribute to the costumes' pop- ularity, including the fact that the film was beloved worldwide. "When it was released, there were few period offerings," she explains. "It was really gratifying that it opened the floodgates. The studios and even independents went back to supporting more period films. They realized they can be money-makers, they can be loved." While Scott believes Kate Winslet's allure in the role of Rose added to the costume's memorability, she also recognizes the appeal of their glamour and beauty. "Her garments in particular are not only loved, they are memorized. It's extremely gratifying to see that people remember the cos- tumes so clearly. They can almost describe it better than I can at this point," she chuckles. Titanic's costumes were recently exhibited in their first retrospective at Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina. Built in 1895 at the height of the Gilded Age, the structure served as the residence of George and Edith Vanderbilt. Leslie Klinger, Curator of Interpretation at the Estate, explains, "There is a deep interest in costume history and we found that costumes bring the house to life in a whole different way and allow visitors to access this moment in history. Deborah Lynn Scott's designs are so authentic, then there's this layer of pop culture as well, so you know people are so interested in seeing what they know so well from the screen. Also, because the cos- tumes were built for production, they don't have the inherent fragility which accompanies real period clothing." The estate has an important collection of furniture and art of the period. Klinger marveled that in one room with two Renoirs, the costumes drew visitors' attention to the opposite side of the room. She remarks, "It spoke to the power of these pieces and the ability they have to connect. It is so interesting some are only visible from the bust up on screen, yet how much work and how much beauty is in them, and how much people are enjoying them." Klinger feels part of the appeal is that the costumes are worn on the body. "Furniture doesn't trigger for most people that level of memory or of emotional connection the way that dress does," she says, "and these exhibitions have so clearly illustrated that to me, how deeply people connect into stories and then history. It's a powerful medium." Like Klinger, Scott thinks the costumes attract their audi- ence because they are immediately comprehensible. "Because they are clothing, costumes are often the emotional entry for the audience into a film or television series. It's one of the first things humans go to: 'who's that person, what's he or she wearing, what does that represent to me?' It's a touchstone. You're immediately drawn to that." Visiting the exhibit inspired CDG President Salvador Perez to say, "I ran the Titanic costume workroom in Mexico City for Deborah Lynn Scott and it was fun listening to the crowd oohing and ahhing over the clothes. They all had their favorites and were intrigued at the amount of detail that was put into the costumes." Perez felt it was fortunate that FOX preserved the garments, since costumes are often disposed of follow- ing production. He adds, "It's a testament to what we do as Costume Designers that costumes become iconic. Even 20 years after a film has been released, the public is still interested in them. It was incredible to see the pieces we made over 20 years ago exhibited as works of art."