The '60s are back, and in a good way. From clumpy Twiggy lashes to short-short skirts with tights, pop-tastic prints to Barbie, let’s just say that we’ll be taking prim, proper, and mod to the next level this year.
All the more reason to watch Jimi: All Is By My Side, the Jimi Hendrix biopic starring Outkast’s André Benjamin (a.k.a. André 3000) as its lead. Taking place in London during the late 1960s, the movie is an ode to both the musical legend and the colorful, dynamic era. “There was this huge youth culture, and they were spending more money on fashion,” costume designer Leonie Pendergast said. “It was box dresses, mini skirts with turtlenecks, go-go boots, and kitten heels, which was very Italian-inspired.”
Hendrix himself was hardly lacking in the fashion department. The guitarist became known for his technicolor jackets, velvet pants, and signature afro. So how does one live up that legendary style? We asked costume designer Leonie Pendergast how she got all the stellar vintage kicks.
Step One: Research, Research, Research
“Most people, when they think of Hendrix, they think of wide flares, early '70s,” Pendergast said. “But that wasn’t always the case.” So Pendergast hit the books, the magazines, and the photographs, pinpointing iconic outfits with director John Ridley. “There was his army jacket, the orange velvet suit, the Western hat,” she said, “And then we did loads of research on how they looked, how they were made, the fabrics, everything.”
Part of the process was finding out where Hendrix shopped. “There were a couple vintage stores around in 1966, on Carnaby Street, and also King’s Road in Chelsea,” Pendergast said. “There was Granny Takes a Trip, where he may have gotten the British army jacket, and Dandie Fashions, where he got the orange velvet vintage jacket.”
Step Two: Meet the Right People
While Hendrix’s pieces weren’t available for the production, plenty of the clothes were originals from the '60s—or at least, replicas made directly from originals. “I met so many amazing people, like one guy who specialized in '60s fashion,” Pendergast said. “He gave me original books, original clothes.” Pendergast also rented clothes from Irish DJ Dandelion, who has a penchant for all things mod. “She has all original '60s clothes, like Mary Quant dresses, jackets, go-go boots,” Pendergast said. “To have that was amazing. Everyone was so nice. I like to call it the costume designer’s karma.”
Step Three: If All Else Fails, Make it Yourself
All the iconic Hendrix pieces in the film are replicas, seeing as originals would’ve had to be altered to fit André Benjamin. So Pendergast called up her most trusted tailors, had them handcraft the pieces, and added the details by hand. That “gypsy eye” silk jacket with a psychedelic print? Hand-painted by Pendergast herself. “I have a background in textile design, and I love painting,” she said, “so I just did it over a weekend, since they needed it for Monday morning.”
As for the military jacket (of the infamous police stop-and-frisk scene), the designers did
All the more reason to watch Jimi: All Is By My Side, the Jimi Hendrix biopic starring Outkast’s André Benjamin (a.k.a. André 3000) as its lead. Taking place in London during the late 1960s, the movie is an ode to both the musical legend and the colorful, dynamic era. “There was this huge youth culture, and they were spending more money on fashion,” costume designer Leonie Pendergast said. “It was box dresses, mini skirts with turtlenecks, go-go boots, and kitten heels, which was very Italian-inspired.”
Hendrix himself was hardly lacking in the fashion department. The guitarist became known for his technicolor jackets, velvet pants, and signature afro. So how does one live up that legendary style? We asked costume designer Leonie Pendergast how she got all the stellar vintage kicks.
Step One: Research, Research, Research
“Most people, when they think of Hendrix, they think of wide flares, early '70s,” Pendergast said. “But that wasn’t always the case.” So Pendergast hit the books, the magazines, and the photographs, pinpointing iconic outfits with director John Ridley. “There was his army jacket, the orange velvet suit, the Western hat,” she said, “And then we did loads of research on how they looked, how they were made, the fabrics, everything.”
Part of the process was finding out where Hendrix shopped. “There were a couple vintage stores around in 1966, on Carnaby Street, and also King’s Road in Chelsea,” Pendergast said. “There was Granny Takes a Trip, where he may have gotten the British army jacket, and Dandie Fashions, where he got the orange velvet vintage jacket.”
Step Two: Meet the Right People
While Hendrix’s pieces weren’t available for the production, plenty of the clothes were originals from the '60s—or at least, replicas made directly from originals. “I met so many amazing people, like one guy who specialized in '60s fashion,” Pendergast said. “He gave me original books, original clothes.” Pendergast also rented clothes from Irish DJ Dandelion, who has a penchant for all things mod. “She has all original '60s clothes, like Mary Quant dresses, jackets, go-go boots,” Pendergast said. “To have that was amazing. Everyone was so nice. I like to call it the costume designer’s karma.”
Step Three: If All Else Fails, Make it Yourself
All the iconic Hendrix pieces in the film are replicas, seeing as originals would’ve had to be altered to fit André Benjamin. So Pendergast called up her most trusted tailors, had them handcraft the pieces, and added the details by hand. That “gypsy eye” silk jacket with a psychedelic print? Hand-painted by Pendergast herself. “I have a background in textile design, and I love painting,” she said, “so I just did it over a weekend, since they needed it for Monday morning.”
As for the military jacket (of the infamous police stop-and-frisk scene), the designers did