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It’s a complicated story, a bit raw at times, but of course, glamorous too.
Scott Garfield
From the Costume Designer
“You get to see the beginning of Hollywood.
It was very sexy, very risque.
For [actor] Li Jun Li, I found a beautiful ’20s men’s top hat.
Margot Robbie as Nellie LaRoy
Then I cobbled looks together from flea markets, Etsy, vendors all over.
With Nellie [Margot Robbie], her opening [red] outfit is a scarf.
Maybe a half-yard of fabric I loved, made into a top and tap pants.
Makeup artist Heba Thorisdottir used kabuki makeup as inspiration for Li Jun Li’s double- eyeliner look
[Robbies] mood board was provocative and daring.
You wanted to be surprised by every change she had.”
If a character had a bob, it would be a little worn there was frizz and fluff.
Li Jun Li in Babylon
[Robbie] was our wild child and I had Robert Plant in mind with her.
The texture and the bigness and the rock and roll of it.
When you see her dancing, her hair is flying around and whipping.
Margot Robbie as Nellie LaRoy
I worked closely with wigmaker Robert Pickens to create the fluff, the lightness.
This is perfect."
And lots of sweat.
Jean Smart as Elinor St. John
[Chazelle] didn’t want the [20s] skinny eyebrows and little bow lips.
[In party scenes], Margot had the Studio 54 look as if it happened in the ’20s.
Character-wise, she didn’t know how to do makeup, but she might have lipstick.
[Thorisdottir mixedCharlotte Tilbury Scarlet SpellwithSmashbox Bawsefor Robbies look.]
Heba Thorisdottir
Jean Smart as Elinor St. John
Read more stories about Hollywood.
Now watch model Quannah Chasinghorse’s beauty routine.