The Oscar race for costume design is more competitive than ever, with five Black-themed period pieces vying for nominations along with the black-and-white “Mank,” the opulent “Mulan,” and the eye-popping “Emma.”However, George C.
Wolfe’s August Wilson adaptation, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” is the clear frontrunner, given Viola Davis’ powerful performance as the trailblazing ’20s blues singer, who flaunted her flashy wardrobe to convey a sexy, subversive image.
The 89-year-old Oscar-winning costume designer, Ann Roth (“The English Patient”), put Davis in a rubber suit modeled after Aretha Franklin, and assembled an array of bold and durable outfits (including flowing berry-red and blue velvet dresses).
But, crucially, Roth also helped out hair department head Mia Neal and makeup stylist Sergio Lopez Rivera by informing them that Rainey made her wigs out of horsehair and had a mouthful of gold teeth.Costume designer Trish Summerville studied ’30s Hollywood fashions for David Fincher’s “Mank,
Read full article