Big Casts, Period Settings Offer New Challenges for Costume Designers
Zoe Hewitt When an accomplishment onscreen seems effortless, it reflects true mastery of a craft. For five costume designers of potential Oscar contenders, the weight of their undertaking — wrestling with ensemble casts and specific periods — remains undetectable on the screen.Donna Berwick’s work on director Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods,” about four Vietnam veterans returning to the country, meant designing for a cast in the present day as well as the 1960s.With only about a week of prep time in Los Angeles before flying to Thailand for filming, Berwick was provided with customary initial measurements and sizing for the cast ahead of any fittings.