This interview can be found at 1428Elm.com by clicking here.
From Mary Poppins to Happy Death Day 2U, costume designer Whitney Anne Adams loves to bring characters to life with directors and actors.
Whitney Anne Adams designed costumes for three movies coming out this Spring, including the highly anticipated Happy Death Day 2U. Her bio is jaw dropping. Let’s get into it!
The Interview
1428 Elm: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us at 1428 Elm!
Whitney Anne Adams: Sure. No problem!
1428 Elm: You’ve said that Mary Poppins got you interested in movies. But was a lot of that about the costumes?
WAA: I think that was definitely a big part of it. When I was two my mom cobbled together a Mary Poppins Halloween costume. It didn’t look anything like the movie version, but I was so enthralled with Mary Poppins. And who this character was. And all the beautiful colors, fabrics, and textures that really drew me. Even from two years old. And, so, from the get go that was just something that sparked my interest in it and really pushed me down this film loving path. My whole family were film buffs. I actually got to work with the original designer who designed for the Mary Poppins movie. And I got to see all of his sketches and all of these behind the scenes stories. Tony Walton. He’s an epic, epic designer.
1428 Elm: Do you ever watch the same movie over and over? I do and I start to obsess over the details.
WAA: Completely. The other movie that did that for me was Moulin Rouge. I was really sick in high school and I would watch that movie over and over again when I was in and out of the hospital. And it kept me from being really depressed about being so sick. At the same time I fell in love with the visuals. I fell in love with the story. I fell in love with how the stories could completely distract me from the horrors that were going on in my own life. That ability to transport people away from their life for two or two and a half hours is the most special part of the thing we do.
1428 Elm: In addition to designing for Beyonce’s tour and Liza Minelli, you’ve also worked with Baz Lurhman. Was there a lot of pressure?
WAA: I feel very lucky. I’ve worked very hard to get there, but I feel very lucky. I felt, especially during Gatsby, that I put myself under a huge amount of pressure. I was working for Catherine Martin, who made me want to be a costume designer. And I really wanted to prove myself and show that I could do everything that they asked. So it was a stressful time. But, it was also the best time of my life. I’ve been working on and off for Baz and [Catherine Martin] for the last nine years. They’re like family to me now. I felt that I was getting paid to have a master class.
Happy Death Day 2U-Whitney Anne Adams-Courtesy of Universal Pictures
1428 Elm: You are the costume designer for three movies coming out this spring. One of those is Happy Death Day 2U. No spoilers here, but based on the trailers, the original cast is back and stuck in a loop. Were you able to change their costumes from the first movie?
WAA: Ryan (Phi Vu) and Carter (Israel Broussard) are in the same looks. Tree (Jessica Rothe) is also in her same look. But I also want fans to looks for some Easter eggs in her costume. We also have a bunch of new characters. So, it was fun to work in the same aesthetic but create new looks.
1428 Elm: Did the actors get a lot of input into their costumes?
WAA: Oh, 100%. I’m a designer who loves to work really close with the actor and the director. And the director of photography because we all work together to make sure we get the look 100%. I love talking to the actors before I get going because so much of how they’re going to play the character really impacts what they wear.
So we talk about the psychology of each character. Why would they buy these clothes in the first place. How long have they been in the closet. Getting into their psyche determines what they put on. And so much of that involves the actor. I had such a good time. I would stay on set a little bit longer than I had to just to spend time with these great people.
1428 Elm: One of my favorite things from the trailer is Tree’s FML sweatshirt.
WAA: Chris added that to the script. And then I was like, ok. What does this sweatshirt look like? So I made a spread sheet of different sweatshirts that I had tried on her. And then I played around with different fonts and different colors. Chris and I sort of gravitated toward what you see in the movie. So I had it made. I was actually the first costume we filmed her in during the first day of shooting. It’s fun that that was the beginning of it all.
1428 Elm: Did you get to design the Bayfield Babyface mascot at the basketball game? It was pretty epic.
WAA: Yes I did! It was hilarious. In the script, Chris just says ‘baby mascot.’ So what was this supposed to be? Let’s translate the hard plastic mask into this really weird foam. It’s supposed to be cheerful, but it’s also super creepy at the same time. And then I made him bottom heavy and he’s got a big diaper under there. It was a lot of fun to do.
1428 Elm: You are also the costume designer on the movie Piercing. Mia Wasikowska has a very specific look. Was that based on the novel? Or was that you working with the director and actor?
WAA: It really came with Nick [Pesce] and I. We did the The Eyes of My Mother together. So I’ve known Nick for a few years now. And I adore him so much. We wanted to make sure that the world was very heightened. That made the aesthetic just that more interesting. I was playing around with a lot of different references and I settled on fashion designer Claude Montana.
Like, this is what I want her to look like and feel like. And the dress she ends up wearing is a Thierry Mugler dress that is stunning and beautiful. But the fur coat is from the 1970s, so we’re playing around with the Giallo aspect. The character talks about how she only pieces that mean a lot to her. So we played around with that. Everything she wears is sort of high end.
Happy Death Day 2U-Piercing-Courtesy of Universal Pictures
1428 Elm: The third movie you have coming out this Spring is Killer Man. That seems to be more of a straight up action movie.
WAA: Yes. Action. Thriller. There’s not too much released about it yet, but we filmed in Savannah about a year or so ago. It was so much fun. It was definitely more straight up action. So another different genre for me to play around in.
1428 Elm: We do know that Liam Hemsworth’s character has amnesia. Does that influence the costumes?
WAA: 100%. That’s what was so fun. I was talking with Liam about his costume. Before he loses his memory he knows who he is and dresses for a reason. All of these choices make sense. Who are you when you lose your memory and what do you wear? What’s your personality. It’s sort of all gone. So, what do you do when you’re trying to piece it all back together. So that was a very fun challenge to figure out what his character would wear and where he would get these clothes.
1428 Elm: Is there any other project you want to let us know about?
WAA: I do have a short documentary film coming out that I did with about this dance company called Exit 12 that tells stories of war through ballet and dance. I got to design all of the pieces in the movie. That was incredibly powerful to work on. That should be coming out soon. And then I’m gearing up for a bunch of interviews, so hopefully I’ll book my next gig soon.
1428 Elm: Well, if the industry sees the three movies you just designed, I’m sure that won’t be long!
WAA: Thanks!
Thanks to Whitney Anne Adams for spending some time with us! I can’t wait to see what she does next. Happy Death Day 2U is currently in theaters.