You know you've had an interesting career when you've designed outfits for everyone from 90s club kids to Spartan warriors to Superman. Michael Wilkinson, the Australian costume designer, got his start designing costumes for the Sydney Opera as a teenager and has since worked on movies of myriad genres and scales, from fantastical Hollywood epics like 300 to micro-budget indie classics like Party Monster. He nabbed his first and long overdue Oscar nomination earlier this year with American Hustle and is already ramping up for further innovations in cinematic style. We caught up with Michael in the wake of the release of his latest film, Darren Aronofsky’s Noah.
William Nixon: At OC we are always curious about influences that designers draw upon. Who are some visual artists that have fueled your creativity?
Michael Wilkinson: I always spread the net quite wide for my design inspirations. For Noah, Darren and I were aiming for a modern-primitive aesthetic. We looked to [the work of] Rick Owens, Martin Margiela, Edward Burtynsky, [who is] a Canadian industrial landscape photographer, [and] sculptor Anselm Kiefer… Inspiration always comes from many places.
I first met you on the set of Noah where I was a production assistant. Which Noah character would have the most fun during New York Fashion Week?
[Laughs] Definitely Ila, Emma Watson’s character. For her in particular we played around with asymmetrical custom knitwear with laddering and dropped stitches as well as raw-seamed leggings, a sculptural felted wool coat, wrapped knee-boots, and an ombre knit infinity scarf. I think Fashion Week would be quite fun for her indeed.
At what point did you know you wanted to design costumes? Did anything trigger the interest in particular?
As a teenager I worked as a costumer at the Sydney Opera House––dressing actors and maintaining costumes. I came in such close contact with so many beautiful costumes that I couldn’t help but catch the “bug” right then and there.
Some of the films for which you’re most recognized are darker, adult takes on comic book folklore. If you were to give a twisted spin to a classic fairy tale or children’s story of your choosing, which would it be?
Well, I feel like they’ve all been done that way now, haven’t they? I might have said Maleficent but that’s happened now as well! I would certainly love to explore folklore from Australia and the stories that I grew up with. There is a classic Australian book––The Magic Pudding––about a curmudgeonly, foul-talking pudding that grows the more it is eaten and his gang of bizarre acquaintances. It would make an awesome, twisted fantastical film!
What kind of research did you conduct to prepare for Party Monster?
[Laughs] I can promise you nothing illegal! For one there was no shortage of photographs whatsoever––the characters from the club scene of the late 80s and early 90s really, really loved documenting their lives. The filmmakers were friends with so many of the real original Club Kids: Richie Rich, Amanda Lepore, Kabuki… Kabuki has gone on to become an amazing makeup artist… I got to meet them and spend time with them and hear stories and explore their world.
What is your craziest memory of shooting Party Monster?
William Nixon: At OC we are always curious about influences that designers draw upon. Who are some visual artists that have fueled your creativity?
Michael Wilkinson: I always spread the net quite wide for my design inspirations. For Noah, Darren and I were aiming for a modern-primitive aesthetic. We looked to [the work of] Rick Owens, Martin Margiela, Edward Burtynsky, [who is] a Canadian industrial landscape photographer, [and] sculptor Anselm Kiefer… Inspiration always comes from many places.
I first met you on the set of Noah where I was a production assistant. Which Noah character would have the most fun during New York Fashion Week?
[Laughs] Definitely Ila, Emma Watson’s character. For her in particular we played around with asymmetrical custom knitwear with laddering and dropped stitches as well as raw-seamed leggings, a sculptural felted wool coat, wrapped knee-boots, and an ombre knit infinity scarf. I think Fashion Week would be quite fun for her indeed.
At what point did you know you wanted to design costumes? Did anything trigger the interest in particular?
As a teenager I worked as a costumer at the Sydney Opera House––dressing actors and maintaining costumes. I came in such close contact with so many beautiful costumes that I couldn’t help but catch the “bug” right then and there.
Some of the films for which you’re most recognized are darker, adult takes on comic book folklore. If you were to give a twisted spin to a classic fairy tale or children’s story of your choosing, which would it be?
Well, I feel like they’ve all been done that way now, haven’t they? I might have said Maleficent but that’s happened now as well! I would certainly love to explore folklore from Australia and the stories that I grew up with. There is a classic Australian book––The Magic Pudding––about a curmudgeonly, foul-talking pudding that grows the more it is eaten and his gang of bizarre acquaintances. It would make an awesome, twisted fantastical film!
What kind of research did you conduct to prepare for Party Monster?
[Laughs] I can promise you nothing illegal! For one there was no shortage of photographs whatsoever––the characters from the club scene of the late 80s and early 90s really, really loved documenting their lives. The filmmakers were friends with so many of the real original Club Kids: Richie Rich, Amanda Lepore, Kabuki… Kabuki has gone on to become an amazing makeup artist… I got to meet them and spend time with them and hear stories and explore their world.
What is your craziest memory of shooting Party Monster?