Interview

Sketches from still photos of the film, courtesy of Paramount Vantage. Copyright Dreamworks LLC, 2008.

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Name: Albert Wolsky

Years in the business: More than 40 years. It sure has flown by.
Upcoming project: Duplicity, with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen

1. What was your main source of inspiration for the film's costumes?

Mostly photo research. I did not dwell too much on period fashion magazines but more on general ones such as Life, the Saturday Evening Post, and photo books of real people in real situations.

2. Is there anyone you would wish to dress for the Oscars?
I'm not into dressing actors for their personal lives. I'm not good at that. While I'm ferocious when it comes to my actual character work, I don't truly care what an actor wears off screen. It should be up to them.

3. Is there one look that distills the essence of the film for you?
I personally feel that what best captures the essence of the main characters is the milieu that they're in. What surrounds them and as a result what they're wearing resonates. Picking a scene, the visit with the neighbors. Without hitting anyone over the head, I tried to show the difference between April and Millie. April is in a simple and slick blue dress. Millie's is fussy. April is totally comfortable. Millie is not.

4. How would you have costumed this flm if it were a year ago? Ten years ago?
I really don't think I would have costumed this film very differently a year or ten years ago. It's hard to tell but I'm sure if the actors were different that would be a major influence. I design for the project but one has to always keep in mind who is playing what.

5. What was the natue of your collaboration with the director, Sam Mendes, and the actors?

I'm totally director oriented. It's my job to bring to reality his vision of the film. So, I pay a great deal of attention as to the desires of a director. We are not talking about a director saying she should wear a yellow dress. No, I'm looking for what has drawn a director to the project and what he hopes to accomplish.
I work very closely with actors. They need to feel that they are being helped and are comfortable with what they are wearing. My greatest pleasure is at a fitting sometimes seeing an actor discover their character. To know what they will look like helps immensely.Many actors need the image from the beginning.

6. How do Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet's personal styles compare with their characters'?
Kate and Leo's own styles have very little to do with what April and Frank look like in the film.First of all they are both contemporary dressers and this is a period character piece. Leo is usually quite casual and in the film he has to be in a lot of suits and ties. Kate has a great style of her own and is very contemporary in her choices. She knows what she likes and what looks good on her.
The important thing to remember that what I do and what the look of this film is not about fashion. Fashion is about what passes for beauty and youth. I describe a character in a given situation. I do character. Unless of course it's a movie about fashion and that is the character.