Amsterdam film | October 7, 2022
J.R. Hawbaker custom ensemble
Film costume designer J.R. Hawbaker spoke at length to Vanity Fair about the decisions and fittings in making Taylor’s wardrobe for her scene in Amsterdam.
The director of the film aside, I find the costuming process for film fascinating and Hawbaker thoughtfully expanded on some of her costuming choices – not only to fit with the film’s period dressing, and provide contextual clues as to Taylor’s character storyline, but also to work for the physicality required of her scene.
Hawbaker said the hand-knit forest green dress was meant to reflect the movie’s time period of the early 1930s with the black accessories of a fascinator, faux fur collar, gloves, and belt to “suggest bereavement without hitting the point too hard” (Taylor plays the daughter of a deceased man, her scenes mostly centering on grieving at his coffin).
The knit material chosen was also meant to be easy to mend in case of rips during the physical stunt work of the scene. Its stretch also allowed extra padding to be sewn into the costume – for the benefit of Taylor’s stunt double.
I personally love learning and knowing that these things are always thought of with the greatest attention to detail – both for form on camera but also for function in filming scenes.
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