Ever After   

“Ever After: A Cinderella Story” a 1998 film directed by Andy Tennant
for Costume Design IIIB: Design Capstone

The color palette of the world lives in dreamy neutrals and rich jewel tones. Ivy creeping up stone walls and painted skies at dawn. There is an idyllist quality in the delicate beauty of the French countryside that I really want to invoke throughout the designs of the production. Rough canvas, the strong sepia of an underpainting and the scent of turpentine. The designs are reminiscent of master oil paintings of the time like those painted by our characters Leonardo Da Vinci and Gustave. 

For the costumes, I want the silhouettes to mirror those found in the height of the Renaissance, but with a Bridgerton-esque spin on it. Creating a world that is rich with culture and design potential far past the rigidity of historic accuracy. I’m aiming to create a richness of detail and texture within the costumes of the production. The clothing is rife with elements of these design principles no matter what the role is. My characters such as Paulette and Louise, despite their lower class roles in the story, still exhibit strong textural details such as lace and smocking. Whereas the clothing of my royal or high class characters such as Queen Marie, Celeste, and Isabelle are characterized by details such as embroidery, filigree, and delicate metalwork. 

For a select few costumes these details expand even more to include the exploration of the traditional storybook scene seen in French Folk Tales and bring those elements into the characters present within Ever After. For example the wedding look for Princess Gabriella includes a scene on the front of her dress since she is presented as being the traditional route of marriage for Prince Henry. In contrast to the Princess, the final look for Danielle includes a variety of storybook scenes that include fairies, dragons, lovers, castles and even a unicorn, in order to mirror the typical happily ever after that Danielle and Prince Henry have achieved after much tribulations. This is also a small nod to the nature of the storyline of Ever After as it is depicted as a story told by a descendant of Danielle. These looks, no matter the varying social classes, will be telling a story like a worn book throughout every stitch.

10x14 Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper, Line Art done in Procreate
Rendered in Yarka St. Petersburg Watercolors, Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors,
Prang Watercolors, and Niji Pearlescent Watercolors