Interview

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THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

NAME: Jacqueline West
EXPERIENCE: 20 years in the film business
UPCOMING PROJECTS: I do not have a current project, but I am just starting to meet about some after hiatus.

1. What were your main sources of inspiration for the film's looks?
My main sources of inspiration for Cate's character was Tannequil LeClerq, who danced for and was married to Balenchine while Daisy was a ballerina. And from the 1960s on, I was very influenced by Audrey Hepburn. I was often inspired by one of my late 40s designer favorites, Claire McCardle, for Cate's character. For Brad's Benjamin, there were many inspirations: Gary Cooper, Marlin Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Steve McQueen. To choose the vintage looks I relied on huge bodies of research. We figured we pulled about a million pieces of research for the 5,000 costumes we created for the film. We pulled from photo albums, photography books—like those of Walker Evans, Disfarmer, Lewis Hine—and from the paintings of Hopper, Manet, Cailleboite, Degas, etc.

2. Is there anyone you would wish to dress for the Oscars?
Just myself and I'll choose Dosa, designed by my dear friend Christina Kim. I love that she recycles to create her gorgeous clothing.

3. What is the look from Benjamin Button that distills the essence of the film?
I would say whenever Brad–Benjamin is dressed very simply and very American. One example of that would be at the bar in Moscow in his worn linen shirt, suspenders, and denim jeans; another would be when Daisy arrives back from France, and he's in his khakis and grey shirt with the classic leather bomber jacket. Director David Fincher always wanted to keep him very simple and classic, the quiet observer, the "everyman" watching life—and the century—unfold.

4. What's the craziest look you've ever conceived?
The Ganeesha retro-futuristic deep-sea Victorian divers in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. And yes, I made them. They were white rubber and sterling silver plate and they now live at Fox Studios.

5. To what extent was the costuming for Benjamin Button a collaborative effort?

David and I discussed the look for each character at length before I ever met with the actors. David has a wonderful eye. He's a real artist of composition, and he sees the whole scene he is creating in his head way before we shoot it. He knows exactly the look he's going for. We would pour over research , fit photos and drawings together for hours. Then when you have two consummate actors like Cate and Brad you can count on them being very involved in the selections for their characters. They had both been living with these characters for years before actually playing the roles. They both have very strong ideas and one must listen as a designer to their feelings about the looks for each scene. It was a real collaboration. I would even talk to Eric Roth, the writer, to hear what he imagined.

6. Were the costumes influenced by the New Look?

Yes, the dress was based on the designs of Claire McCardle who is responsible for the American New Look. I even had her signature brass hooks and eyes made for the dress. I had originally made the dress in red knowing McCardle loved red above all colors and I wanted the dress to be an homage to her. My mother was a fashion designer in the late 40s and loved Mc Cardle too, so it was also for her. Then I heard David didn't like red in his films. I told Cate I'd probably have to change the color but she said "It must be Red!" and decided to show David how she looked in it. She sold the dress. I think he loved her in it, and I think she was irresistable in it too.

7.How does Brad Pitt's fashion change as he grows older?
That was the big challenge of the film, dressing him young and old then old and young at the same time at the beginning and end of the film. And as far as fashion is concerned he doesn't become more fashionable: He only changes slightly with what is available to him in different decades. I tried to keep his choices what the same man would select given his age both old and young in each decade, I tried to keep the integrity of the character within those choices, I did this by looking at family albums, my family albums and those of my husband. In albums you can watch the progression of clothing of one person through their entire lives. My husband's father was a wonderful prototype for Brad. He was very classically American working class but had a real style and very strong persona. Then I based Benjamin on Cooper in his 60s (the 40s), on Brando in the 50s, and on McQueen in the 60s—when Benjamin is in his 40s.

8. How do Brad and Cate's personal styles compare with the characters'?
They both have wonderful personal styles but neither dress today like their characters in the film except maybe for the news boy cap we see Brad in sometimes.