Dark Matter: Ralph & Russo For Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil
Believe it or not, the Sleeping Beauty animated film by Disney turns 60 this year. And there couldn’t be a more timely diamond anniversary celebration than the big screen return of the evil sorceress in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, which launches worldwide this week. Angelina Jolie reprises the role of the menacing villainess, with a wicked wardrobe to match. She may be the baddie of the movie, but she sure has good taste.
Jolie cuts a mean figure as Maleficent, helped in no small way by the scene-stealing costumes, including an exquisite black gown created expressly for the movie. To bring her formidable look to life, Disney sought the help of British luxury house Ralph & Russo, following a personal recommendation by Jolie. The gown took almost 700 hours to make – in case you’re bad at math, that’s basically a month’s worth of work!
Tamara Ralph, one half of the designer duo, notes that the costume “exudes a sense of strength and power… yet it [also] retains an element of femininity”. To turn the fantasy into reality, Ralph & Russo’s expert artisans crafted the look out of calico toile, which was then finished with a tribal paint effect by the house’s couturiers and embroiderers. A brush stroke technique was employed on the sheer bodice, wherein laser-cut stencils were used to apply silicone to the tulle. This was then painted over again to create the illusion of a second skin.
Check out the behind-the-scenes video below:
