by If you’re not familiar with Jacobite dress, it’s time to pay attention. As costume designer Annie Symons explains to us when she discusses her work on the new mini-series Mary & George (now available on Now TV), the era – when James I ruled England and Scotland, is not often from 1603 to 1625 – together. represented in film or television, but it is filled with sartorial delights. The hats, the ruffles, the jewels and the fabrics: this was when English court fashion was at its most colorful.
So flamboyant, in fact, that the fashion in Mary & George is essentially its own character. Based on Benjamin Woolley’s 2017 historical book The King’s Assassin, the series follows mother Mary (played by Julianne Moore) and her son George Villiers (Nicholas Galitzine) as they rise through the ranks of James’s court, with George seducing the king and his personal in the end. you prefer. In this story, dressing the part is a matter of life and death.
Mary & George is a psychosexual court drama full of intrigue and queer overtones, and Symons’ costumes deliver just the right amount of camp. We caught up with the costume designer to learn more about the one color Julianne Moore asked not to wear, and how – maybe – just maybe – ruffs could make their way back into the fashion.
I imagine it’s hard to find new ways to make period pieces look different. How did you achieve that with Mary & George?
“Well, that’s the thing: we haven’t seen this period before, because it’s rarely done. We’ve seen many Jacobite tragedies on stage in the UK, but very few in TV productions, so it was exciting to delve into new territory. James was only on the throne for a short time, but he defined style and fashion that is unique. There was nothing available in terms of costumes from the rental houses, so we had to make everything. we [rented] a bit of Elizabeth’s stock.”
How is Jacobite clothing different from Elizabethan clothing?
“The shapes are different. Jacobite is all about these falling ruffs, the jewellery, the hairstyles. Elizabeth’s era had these huge farthingales [underneath skirts to give them their shape]but in the Jacobean, everything begins to soften and become more manageable.”
This show is, very simply, about social climbing. How did you express that through the clothes?
“Máire uses clothing as a device. Clothes and fabrics are signs of power and wealth and status in the same way they are today; but then, it was even more important, because you really had to fake it to do it, to enter the court. It is known that many families from that period in the 17th century went bankrupt in their attempt to be part of a world that could afford those clothes and the extremely expensive lace that emerged.”
How did you bring Julianne Moore’s character, Mary, to life through costumes?
“Máire uses a costume as a chameleon-type calling card. Wherever she goes, she seems to fit in – apart from one scene, where she deliberately wears a purple bib farthingale dress with ‘prostitute make-up’. But that was very deliberate, and she deliberately wears that to draw attention to herself. But when the show opens, Máire is quite exhausted: her resources are exhausted, and her family lives in this medieval house under restricted circumstances. Their clothes are of good quality, but I removed all the color. We used a lot of parchment bone, lichen, dried blood models to give the impression that something had shriveled up and died. As she goes on, she becomes overwhelmed, and as she becomes richer, marrying into money, she uses that money to dress herself and her son George for the sartorial game to play.”
As she climbs the social ladder and her character develops, how do we see her costumes change?
“Basically, every time there was a significant moment with Mary, she would wear a different outfit. She’s kind of like this chess piece that changes color. The biggest thing was finding shapes and looks that really completed Julianne. I first met her in Savannah, while she was filming May December. I flew out with five available outfits – bomb rolls, hip rolls, farthingales, god knows what else – and we spent a whole day trying on different shapes and learning what would suit her. “
“What I was doing was leaning a little bit into Dior’s New Look. Jacobite waistlines are showing up, but it’s not that flattering on camera, so I kept her costumes at a natural waist. Mary’s character is very accurate and neat. A bit like a missile, she is determined to achieve her goals. And we also had this idea that she was a modern woman living in a man’s life. There are aspects of it that are quite suitable and masculine in their simplicity. When she’s in London, for example, she wears a proto-feminist leather jacket that I thought looked fun and London-appropriate.”
That’s interesting that you were inspired by the New Look for a Jacobean costume.
“What we’ve landed on is similar to the New Hate, which came later, and also the Elizabethan look that came before. Waistlines in the Jacobite period were spiraling higher and higher – but that means a lot of bulk on camera. We also felt that Julianne’s portrayal of Mary should be kept pretty sharp. I built from the past and learned from the future.”
What is it like to dress Julianne Moore? Was she cooperative, or did she let you run free?
“Julianne has a lot of confidence. It’s all about how she feels in the outfit, which I totally understand. She wore a corset mainly to support the weight of these rather large skirts. As for her character, I kept saying, “Yet another chance!” Because in the end she had about 65 outfits. She would say, “You’re the designer, so if you like it, I like it!” Then I would ask if she felt good, and I would say yes. There was one color though that she didn’t want to wear…”
And what color was that?
“Trade secrets! It was yellow. I wanted her to emerge like a sun from a heavenly blue court. But I didn’t want to push the issue.”
Yellow is a hard color!
“It really is! It’s all about skin tone. But you can’t blame me for trying.”
There are some great hats in this show.
“I was delighted that Julianne accepted the hats, as they are part of the costumes. Hats can be tricky – you have to work really closely with the hair people, especially in period stuff. The hair supports the hat. We tried many shapes and finally came up with a variation that we thought worked. The most striking one that Julianne wears is the one with these giant bunny ears. The director said, “Go for it.”
Sex plays a very important role in the plot of this show. How did you feel sexy Jacobean dress?
“We used a lot of textured fabrics and visible fabrics. There are many scenes where George or the king is walking around in a shirt. We wanted it to be suggestive without being explanatory. We used a lot of fabrics that had a certain lightness about them, which adds to the sensuality, and the freedom of movement.”
Was there anything your team tried to steal from set?
“There were some very characteristic items, but not really! People respected him very much. I imagined that a few moments of fluff might be missing, but they really weren’t.”
I would imagine it would be difficult to sneak ruffs off set.
“Funny enough, they fold up easily!”
There are some great ruffs in this show. Maybe your outfits will inspire a fashion trend.
“There will be big ruffs in fashion next year! But I’m not sure about the farthingales.”
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