Oscar winning film The Help, starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard and Octavia Spencer, is based on the best selling novel of the same name by Kathryn Stockett. The Help tells the story of 4 women “during a time of immense social and political upheaval over civil rights” myetvmedia.com. Designer Sharon Davis (Ray, Dreamgirls) recreates the look of Jackson. Mississippi circa 1963 with bright costumes tailored to a colour palette specific to each character.

How does the designer recreate that amazing figure line so definitive of the era?

Nick Verreos gives the secret away in our intimate interview with the fashion guru at FIDM in LA.

A norm for Hollywood costume designer is to choose a colour palette for the entirety of the movie and stick to it to create a visually coherent look. Davis chose to do this for each character instead, giving every woman her own look, her own colours and her own individual identity rooted in her clothing choices. Sources say that Davis made seventy percent of the film’s costumes that include tight fitting waists, prim necklines and the look of the “Southern Belle of the 60’s” which was two years behind the fashion forward times of a mad-men-esque New York.

When talking about the backdrop and the era feel for the movie Director, Tate Taylor had this to say;

“Everything is about fashion and food, and keeping up appearances. It was important for me that, that didn’t get muted.”

                                                                 clothesonfilm.com

https://myetvmedia.com/film-review/the-help-trailer/

Lauren Schell