You have probably heard Lady Cora Crawley, Elizabeth McGovern, say that “the modern universe comes to Downton”. This trailer is for Downton Abbey. A New Era. It’s the second film in a series that started in 2010 as an entertaining upstairs-downstairs drama series and has become a global phenomenon.
Fashion is vital in a franchise like Downton Abbey. Not only does it indicate the time period, as A New Era started in 1928 and Downton Abbey began in 1912 respectively, but it also gives each of its characters personality and a unique style. Anna Robbins, the costume designer, says that more than 300 garments were made in the workroom. There were also over 500 pieces sourced from the market.
The New Era takes Downton characters to places we haven’t seen before. Literally and figuratively. Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), assimilates into her role of Lady Downton. Lady Violet (Dame Maggie Smith), winds down, showing a more relaxed, vulnerable side. Half of the cast departs for France, where they will wear pastels as well as linens. This is quite a contrast to their typical English countryside dark tones. Lady Edith wears pants. All the characters are adapting, though some more slowly than others, to evolving fashion with changes made in fabrics and silhouettes. Robbins states, “I can talk for days about Downton.” “It’s a feast of the eyes, because the film was larger from a costume perspective than the first film. And that wasn’t something we realized until we were actually there.”
Robbins received Emmy nominations in 2015, 2016 and 2016, for her work in the series. W spoke with Robbins about the transitioning Downton characters to the 1930s. Lady Mary was dressed first in pajamas, in a silk dressing gown that Robbins had inherited from her personal vintage collection. Lady Violet was more casual in her attire and Robbins discussed playing with color and contrast in the French Riviera.
This film has a strong theme of entering a new era, as the title implies. What was it like to adapt to a new fashion than we’ve seen at Downton?
This script allowed us a better understanding of the emerging trends that will be prevalent in the ’30s. You start to notice the ’30s shapes, fabrications, and silhouettes much earlier when you know what decade they are coming at. I was able to look back at 1928 when we were there. Every episode of the series, and every film in the series, was a small progression through the 20s. So there were always changes and variations to the aesthetics and the styles within that decade. The ’30s was a truly beautiful decade, and an interesting time in fashion. It’s easy to see that when you see it.
What are some subtle differences between the two? Are there certain silhouettes that change over time?
You can see the transition from the beginning of the 20s to a more straight-cut look. The waistline has dropped and clothing is now very straight. You can see the waistline moving up and down through the decade. The hemlines also change over the years, so you have little indicators to help you spot it. As we move into the ’20s and ’30s, our waistlines are found again. The waist rises to its natural point, so we see more belted looks and more feminine cuts. This was something Lady Mary explored, and we looked back at those proportions. There are little waisted butpies with fuller skirted dresses, as well as the low-back linear look that Lady Mary likes so well.
Edith finally wore trousers for the very first time, and there were many other sartorial achievements. We adopted the pajama set look that Edith wore on the French Riviera. It was a conscious decision that Edith would have supported and would have taken the opportunity to show off that very fashion-forward, free-spirited look. In terms of cutting-edge fashion, I feel like they need to be very close friends. Lady Mary was in pajamas which is the first we have ever seen. In this film we were able look at leisure and sportwear. We have tennis, swimwear, and even some tennis shoes. It was a nice move to add more double-breasted suiting to our gentleman, which was either in linen daywear and the black tie jacket.
Are there any characters you felt more likely to wear these new garments, like the pants or double-breasted jackets?
Lady Mary is the future Downton Abbey. There’s a certain classism to that. So it seemed a natural progression to see ’30s clothes and those shapes. Lady Edith found trousers a huge step up. It’s about staying true to the character of the actor and working with them in terms how they can be showcased and worked with. Lady Edith has always admired halter necks, and we have seen them in special moments. A Lady Edith evening dress that we made of lame to wear at the South of France party. It has that distinctive neckline that you recognize. Michelle Dockery is a great fit for these dresses, which are deeper Vs and lower backs than Lady Mary. It’s all about combining cast and character to create the perfect look.
How would you style the Downton characters heading to the Riviera? Are they likely to have many of these items already in their wardrobes?
You can bet they had some pieces in their wardrobe. They would have searched for the right items and had them made. It allowed me to explore other palettes that would have been a bit out of place given the Downton setting. Although they might not have worn them, we had the opportunity to design costumes for completely different backdrops. The villa is simply different in its size, color and sense of light. We have this saturated sun. This Neapolitan palette was shown to us. Julian’s script is amazing. You can see how it would be interwoven and you will have that beautiful contrast.
We had to be aware that Lady Mary might be set against a red sofa in the library, or dark wood. These darker settings were then juxtaposed with this marble hall staircase at the Riviera. When you add gentlemen in linen suits to your scene, you get a pale version of the women’s colour, which contrasts beautifully with the Abbey’s dark tweeds. It had to feel cohesive. Michelle Dockery, Michelle Dockery, and I had talked about softening Michelle Dockery slightly for this movie, exploring a more vulnerable side of her. We did that through palette, texture and fabrication. Even though she is still at Downton Abbey there is an overall cohesiveness.
How did you find Lady Violet’s outfit? This is a fascinating period in Violet’s life, and the film shows it.
In terms of her hemlines, necklines, and sleeve lengths, a lady her age would have a Victorian Edwardian sensibility. It hasn’t changed all that much, and we’ve only ever made her move forward incrementally in terms fabric choice and detail. You can reflect the passing of time through textiles, not style, proportion, or silhouette. A sense of propriety and dressing appropriately for the occasion would have been present, even if it was just sitting in a library chair. It’s a difficult task to get away from this look and change it. Therefore, I made the conscious decision to dress her in blouses and skirts paired with lovely shawls. Textural interest gave the outfit a more casual, vulnerable feel. The fact that she is wearing nightwear makes it quite visible. This was important because it was necessary to create a character-appropriate look that matched the tone of each piece.
Downton Abbey is home to so many characters. Do you find it difficult to manage a project that has so many characters to create costumes?
Yeah, hugely. You lose perspective. Then there are the other shows that have six, seven, or eight principal cast members and over 20 leads. It’s less likely that you will repeat it if it’s a very important scene. Or, you might do something different. But, if you have a script that requires a specific costume and is not standalone, you may end up needing a lot of costumes.
Were there particular costumes or other costumes that presented a challenge?
Overall, the challenge in Downton lies in the fact I like to wear vintage and authentic 1920s clothes. They are becoming more scarce, making it harder for me to find them. The pieces we are working with are nearly 100 years old. They are therefore more fragile. Our workroom is very skilled in restoring and strengthening vintage pieces. However, filming is nerve-wracking as the clothing is delicate and the demands of filming are really testing their durability. This is a challenging task but one that pays off as you add authenticity to the piece by using textiles from that time period. Lucy’s wedding look was an amazing challenge. But it seems like there’s always a bit more pressure on something bride, perhaps because it’s the wedding dress.
With its modern silhouette, Lucy’s wedding gown set the tone for the movie. This is the first scene in the movie. It gives you a quick idea of the film’s tone.
Yes, exactly. We knew it would be our first costume and we registered it. It’s also the first time Lucy has seen her in her new life. Because she was a lady’s maid in her last film, she only had four or five costumes and that was it. Now we have the ability to show her personality, how she reacts to being allowed to be herself, and money she can spend on clothing. She hasn’t let it go to her head. It’s not frivolous. There’s a beautiful freedom to it. She’s young, cutting-edge, and it’s not frivolous. I was able to sense her ability to pull her dress up and have a proper dance with her wedding dress. She still has one foot in one place and one in the other. It had to hit so many different notes.
