“Adam” at Sundance and “Damages” Style

Adam
…The cast of Adam, who faced the daunting task of promoting a movie shot over a year ago that they hadn’t seen at all. While Rose Byrne adorably struggled to remember much of anything but freezing in Central Park, her costar Hugh Dancy called the brochure copy for their movie “very successful.” “We’re learning now that the challenge of talking about it is the same set of challenges we had in making the film,” he continued. “It walks a very fine line between what you might call a serious issue — I’m playing a character with Asperger’s– and the fact that the movie is very light in tone and sweet and romantic and comic. But it doesn’t add up to a three-word summary.” Source

Damages
In a telephone interview from New York, costume designer Frank Fleming says that the new season afforded him an opportunity to take more risks while remaining within a corporate context. “For Ellen,” he continues, “there’s been a huge change, primarily because last year she was a little green and now she’s coming back with more confidence and edge, and she’s embracing New York in terms of its elements of money and fashion.”

To be sure, her closet is furnished with such defining designers such as Narciso Rodriguez, Prada and Givenchy. These wardrobes are obviously beyond most of our budgets. But he insists that people need not feel pressured to buy the luxury labels to get the look. “The reality is that for our show, it’s important that clothes look fresh. But in real life, I believe that people should be mixing high-end pieces with lower-end pieces.”

Pay enough attention to the majority of movies or television series and you’ll notice that the characters never seem to wear the same outfit twice. With Damages, as with real life, the same jacket or shirt will reappear throughout various episodes. This may matter only to someone with an obsessive eye for sartorial details, but it helps reinforce the characters as relatable to everyday professionals.

Were it not for wardrobe rotation, Mr. Fleming guesses that to get Ms. Parsons dressed costs about $4,000 (U.S.) an outfit. He adds that statement pieces should always be worn with less frequency because they’re so identifiable. “I will save something major for every fifth or sixth episode.”

For those who would like to channel the looks from Damages without doing damage to their chequing account, Mr. Fleming recommends Zara or Brooks Brothers (which ships to Canada). “[Zara] does a great job of knocking off nice pieces. The fabrics are better for men than women,” he says, while offering that men who are “long and lean” can get away with buying Zara suits. I would add Club Monaco and J. Crew to the mix. The latter has a “suiting” category that includes such conservative yet contemporary pieces as pencil skirts in a cotton-hemp blend and stretch wool pinstripe jackets.

Mr. Fleming says he hopes that viewers are able to pick up style tips from the show. His personal favourite for Ms. Byrne: a simple, high-waisted, cap-sleeve black dress from Givenchy. “She’s never looked more fantastic and it was just a black dress,” he gushes. Read the full article