Tilda Swinton as Orlando in 'Orlando' Designed by Sandy Powell

Description

Man's black period costume, doublet with long-sleeve of black eyelash fabric, cross hatch pattern in black velvet, black ruff and cuffs, trimmed with gold tassels; matching breeches; a pair of black shoes ornamented with large pleated circular medallion with pearls.

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Additional Notes

Worn at funeral of father, skating and meeting Sasha. Copy of original pen sketch of Sandy Powell.

The small budget film, “Orlando,” not only brought director Sally Potter international recognition, it propelled actress Tilda Swinton into a field of respected lead actresses. The film, which is an adaption of a 1928 Virginia Woolf novel involves a 16th Century nobleman who lives for three centuries and in the process, changes into a woman, thus changing how she relates to the world. It was originally planned to hire a separate male and female actor to play the parts, but Tilda’s non-conforming gender bending style worked perfectly for the role.

Costume designer, Sandy Powell, created sumptuous clothing that spanned the timeframe from Elizabethan England to modern day and the lavishness of the costumes certainly betray the tight budget that she was under. She received the first of her numerous Nominations for Best Costume Design for her work on this film.

Collection

Citation

“Tilda Swinton as Orlando in 'Orlando' Designed by Sandy Powell,” Film Costume Collection, accessed March 29, 2024, https://filmcostumecollection.omeka.net/items/show/1409.

Item Relations

Item: Images of Tilda Swinton in 'Orlando' Still images from film This Item