Creating an icon

Usually, my inspiration for these posts will either come when a movie strikes me in a specific manner, or if there is a specific time/article of clothing that is pulling me in to find out more about. Coming off the wake of research in other areas, hopefully I can share the fruits of that labor soon, I started to ponder about what it takes to make an icon, or more specifically to dress one. We see icons of horror if you like me spend your days on the off season still pretending like it is October, in my house we never take our orange lights down. At cons, rewatching those comfort classics, and just wearing or collecting the merchandise to coincide with these beloved films. It’s the time of the season, however, when we see more of these titans of terror that really got me thinking about how they have become so iconic. Not to mention coming home from Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios in Orlando where their whole theme this year revolved around “Thirty years of Fear” and their own HHN Icons.

Now I’ve done some deep dives before, on our first episode of To Dye For! Emma and I dove into the “Gruesome Foursome” as we called them to track the evolution of who we know them as today. Beyond that nothing much is ever really said about the ones behind the monsters who had a hand in their looks. Most of dressing an icon happens by kismet, I know that not a single one of these designers set out going “yup we’ll be talking about them in another 40 years.” No one can predict that level of magnitude any project will reach. You hope as the artist that your work will touch some. That it will inspire or weave itself into the lives of those who have watched, or if you’re lucky into the fabric of pop culture. So while you can never predict when the lightning will strike and your creation will become and icon, I can surmise from the icons I’ve seen what it takes to help it get there.

Firstly, every icon of horror had a design team behind them, that is both a costume designer and a makeup artist, where needed. I don’t think it works should one of those elements be absent, and contrary to popular belief makeup artist do not work alone. There are a lot of horror films out there that don’t have costume designers, and I find that they fall flat. When you have a trained eye pulling together looks for each character it alleviates stress from the directors’ plates. They are free to focus on the parts of their job that are important to them. Effective management, which is essentially what a director’s role is, is working with creatives you know have the skills that you don’t. If you allow ego to get in the way thinking you can do it all, the burn out comes quickly. Then comes a strong story or character development. It gives the creative team a jumping point and the conversations in meetings can be endless for where they need to go. The words on the page are vital. Lastly the right actor for the job marries all the elements together into an effective performance that creates timelessness.

For us as costume designers I can never stress enough how important it is to be well versed in many areas. When you are constructing the wardrobe for a character that is the skin that they show to the world. Just like us in our everyday lives, it reflects and tells those we encounter, or for a film’s sake the viewer, who this person is and where they have come from. Zoning in on the textures of the world, the colors, even down to the grain of a garment brings the audience that much closer to that character, sometimes without them even noticing it. Think of someone like Freddy Kruger designed by Dana Lyman, his knitted red and green sweater seen on an average day would be unassuming even warming. When paired with those rough brown trousers, and a helping of dirt on top with that greasy leather gloves, he becomes repulsive and undesirable. Then when it marries with the makeup design and the performance you can smell the soot and can feel just how dirty he is.

Another great example is the Tony Todd iteration of Candyman. Designed by Leonard Pollack, the Candyman is a former slave wronged horribly and now is the demon that comes when you summon his name in the mirror five times. He is slow, smooth, and methodical. Stalking his prey and giving you time to think about what you’ve done before he ends you. The tone of the film brings an operatic like quality to the story and he is not your average slasher of the 80’s variety. He is well dressed and speaks eloquently. Wearing a suit and cravat that was the fashion of the 19th century aristocrat. He is then draped in the warming overcoat, long to almost his midcalf and adorned on the cuffs and neckline with fur. Candyman comes to us in an almost harmless dream state, waiting to wrap you up to only reveal the decayed torso beneath. By that time however it is to late, you are already to close to him.  The performance of Tony Todd changed the face of what we know as the modern horror anti-hero. With the help of the costume design and the prosthetic hooked hand, his performance was only enhanced. As I’ve stated earlier none of these elements can exist without the other.

So while the stars need to align in some way that brings all these elements together, what I can say for certain is that when you have costume designer who knows and understand their stuff you know that you are destined for some type of greatness. It might take a few years or maybe ten, but after all you don’t become an icon overnight. As I strolled down the faux Hollywood Boulevard provided by Universal Studios in Florida, reflecting on the word and the idea of an icon it made me tap into how I approach my own work. Of course, I don’t go into projects thinking that I am crafting an icon but I’m curious over the course of my professional life what will stick in ways I couldn’t even imagine. Will I get to see replicas of masked killers I have created every Halloween like Cynthia Bergstrom does after crafting Ghostface in Scream, will I one day get to walk through a haunted house inspired by a world I’ve help create? It’s nice to dream, but I will remain perfectly planted on the ground because thoughts like that will not dress movies. Only my knowledge and my hunger to keep learning and observing will bring authenticity to the characters I have a hand in forming. When you see these icons this Halloween, I implore you to ask yourself what it took to get that character into your home or in the home of someone else.