When I think of animated films, I don’t usually think of them in regard to fashion. However, when you think about it, even animated characters require costumes to aid in conveying who they are as characters. In most instances, the costume design for animated characters is quite simple. But in others, the costume design can be quite integral to the make up of the whole film. In the upcoming animated film epic, from 20th Century Fox, the costume design is integral to the entire make up of the film. In preparation for the release of the film, Michael Knapp, art director of epic spoke about the complexity of designing the costumes for the characters.
The story centers around a teenage girl who is magically transported into the lilliputian world of the forest floor, where a battle between the forces of good and evil takes place to keep the natural world alive. Mr. Knapp explained that in creating the costumes, they had to change their perspective to that of how the tiny characters would view their world.
The epic costumes take their inspiration from all of the elements of nature surrounding them, from the plants and flowers, to patterns on the wings of moths and butterflies. According to Mr. Knapp, this was the most complex attention to costume he had ever worked on for an animated film, with minute details becoming of the utmost importance.
One of the most complex designs in the film is for the Queen Tara character, played by Beyoncé Knowles. in the animation process, they had to test and retest to make sure that in the finished film that the gown would flow naturally. No mean feat, considering the multitude of layers that comprise the gown.
Since the film has such an emphasis on costume, New York designer Chris Benz presented his epic inspired gown. Part of his Spring 2013 Collection, the gown is inspired by elements in nature such as the color green and the textured feel of the fabric! Mr. Benz spoke about how he was inspired by nature and how he translated that inspiration into the gown.
I’m not usually a big fan of animated films, but with the emphasis on costume in epic, I will definitely be going to see this one!
epic will be in theaters May 24, 2013
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