Holiday Fashion Highlights: The Creativity of Keith Costumes in Hallmark's Christmas Blockbusters
Hallmark Christmas Movies Showcase Captivating Costumes by Keith Costumes
Elizabeth Joy Glass
As the holiday season approaches, many of us eagerly anticipate the release of Hallmark's newest Christmas movies. While the heartwarming storylines and festive cheer are enticing, the cozy costumes of characters often capture our attention. This past season, the enchanting costumes of A Merry Scottish Christmas and A Biltmore Christmas were created by Keith Costumes, a highly esteemed professional in the costume design industry.
In an exclusive interview, Keith Costumes shared insights into the process of designing the costumes for these Christmas favorites.
Elizabeth Joy Glass: To begin, let's discuss your work as the personal designer for A Merry Scottish Christmas, focusing specifically on Lacey Chabert and Scott Wolf's characters. How did you represent their fast-paced, career-oriented lifestyles in their initial costumes?
Keith Costumes: I was thrilled to have the opportunity to focus my creative talents on these two characters. The initial looks were crucial to conveying their characters' positions in the story when they are first introduced. For Lacey's character, the color choices were darker and included color-blocked styling, as she had little interest in being in Scotland. As the story progresses, patterns and textures were introduced to show a growing connection to the environment.
Scott Wolf's character, Brad Morgan, had a more festive and family-oriented appearance, reflected in the mix-up of suitcases and the ugly Christmas sweater.
EG: As the characters spend more time in Scotland, their costumes transition to reflect their environment while still maintaining their American roots. How did this transition occur, and what steps were taken to ensure a harmonious blend of cultures?
Keith Costumes: The transition was intentional, with a focus on sourcing some materials locally to include unique elements of the region. I also sought out brands and designers with origins in Scotland for a genuine representation of the characters' new surroundings. For example, Scott wears several coats by Ted Baker, and Lacey's finale coat is by Burberry, reminiscent of a countryside walking coat.
EG: A memorable scene from the film is the ball at the end, where both characters dress in traditional Scottish attire. What effort was made to create these iconic looks?
Keith Costumes: I took great care in creating Lindsay's beautiful tartan-inspired gown, using a late 2000s prom dress with the desired curved neckline as a base. The gown was then draped to give the appearance of having been spun in a pot of tartan fabric. Brad's kilt was traditionally woven, while Lacey's tartan was digitally printed, highlighting the contrast between the old and new.
Moving on to A Biltmore Christmas...
EG: With such a large cast, what research and preparations were needed for designing costumes for this film?
Keith Costumes: Research involved absorbing elements of the era from various sources, including period films, vintage advertisements, and patterns. For audio, the Andrews Sisters served as a significant source of inspiration. Preparations included sourcing costumes from a variety of places for both creative exploration and availability of the era.
EG: Lucy's character undergoes a significant transformation from the modern-day to the 1940s. How was her personal style developed for each decade?
Keith Costumes: The modern style was designed to reflect Lucy's mental state as an out-of-work writer, featuring neutrals and simple lines. For the 1940s, historic garments were obtained from the costume storage room when Lucy first travels back in time. Her subsequent looks were the "Candy Cane Girl" dress and the finale ballgown, both borrowed for added authenticity.
EG: Jack Huston's character exudes glamour. What inspired the costume design for him?
Keith Costumes: Jack's character was envisioned with a strong-shouldered, double-breasted suit, reflecting his confident and aspirational nature. For his casual attire, a middle blue shirt with a chalk stripe was chosen to convey his hunger for success in Hollywood.
EG: Ava Hayward, another glamorous character, required a distinct costume design. What inspired her costume?
Keith Costumes: The costume design for Ava Hayward was inspired by Veronica Lake and Katherine Hepburn, fitting perfectly with the character she was portraying in His Merry Wife. The train station look was a standout, with a coat, skirt suit, and hat that complemented each other flawlessly.
EG: One of the impressive aspects of A Biltmore Christmas is the large number of extras in the film. With so many people to costume, what challenges did this pose for your team?
Keith Costumes: Costuming extras for a period film presents several challenges, including ensuring a variety of sizes for all actors and making sure there is enough stock to accommodate their needs. Organization is crucial, as it allows for a faster fitting process and keeps the team available for other tasks. In the case of A Biltmore Christmas, the majority of filming took place on location, making it easier to set up a well-organized stock of costumes.
In the process of creating captivating costumes for Hallmark's 'A Merry Scottish Christmas', Keith Costumes designed Lacey Chabert's initial costumes to exemplify her fast-paced, career-oriented lifestyle in the fashion and beauty realm, while reflecting her apathy towards Scotland with darker, color-blocked outfits. Meanwhile, to represent Scott Wolf's character's family-oriented and festive nature, the initial looks included a mix-up of suitcases and an ugly Christmas sweater.
For the fashion-and-beauty-inspired show 'A Biltmore Christmas', Keith Costumes sought out inspirational sources to design outfits for the large ensemble cast, including historical garments, period films, vintage advertisements, and patterns. The character Lucy, with her significant transformation from modern to 1940s, was dressed in simple, neutral attire to signify her struggles as an out-of-work writer, with subsequent looks consisting of a Candy Cane Girl dress and a genuine, vintage ballgown borrowed for authenticity.
