How costume designer Carol Beadle put together the spot-on wardrobe for the new film, ‘The Runaways’.
On-set snapshots of feathered-headed Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart had leaked all throughout the filming of the new rock girl bio-pic The Runaways. Based on lead-singer Cherie Currie’s autobiograpy, Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway, the film tells the somewhat brief but explosive story of the band’s late-70’s existence in all of its tight t-shirt-jumpsuited glory.
As a bonafied 1970’s rock and pop culture junkie, every new paparazzi photo that came across my computer screen made me want to add new pairs of bell-bottoms and platform heels to my already overstuffed collection. So I was thrilled to be able to interview the film’s costume designer, Carol Beadle.
Carol is a veteran designer and stylist who is well-schooled on the synergism between fashion and music. For the past fifteen years, her presence on MTV was nearly constant as she has built a killer reel of video-work, including Marilyn Manson’s “Beautiful People”, Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown”, and The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside”. Growing up a glam and punk fan who favored David Bowie and the New York Dolls, The Runaways is a project that seems to have been tailor-made for her.
FF~You’ve done your share of music videos over the years so you’re pretty clearly familiar with the rock ‘n’ roll world. The Runaways are one of those bands that seemed to have more fame overseas than here in the US and always felt a little under-the-radar here (unlike, say, the Ramones). How familiar were you with them before taking on this project?
CB~I WAS familiar with them absolutely, growing up in the 70’s in North America but I didn’t follow them as much as the British bands and punk scene or the Punk scene coming out of NY. My female idols were Deborah Harry and Patti Smith. I think it was probably just East coast vs. West although I grew up in Toronto.
As a result, compared to a lot of bands from the 70’s, there doesn’t seem to be as much visual material on the Runaways (photos, concert footage, etc). Did you find this to be true ? What kind of research went into the project?
There definately was not as much visual reference although I think I was able to get my hands on quite a bit. Research was through the internet of course. A lot of books on music and bands and the scenes and subcultures in N. America and Europe of the time. Many books I already had, even some original Bowie books I bought when I was a kid and loads of the Stones that I inherited from my brother and have just bought along the way as an adult. Books on Glam and Punk. Library newspaper research, teen mags, TV shows, Creem and other music mags from the time that I found at Amoeba. Rodney Bingenheimer was lovely enough to lend some original images to us.
It was been noted that each of the band members fashioned their style after their own personal rock heros (Joan Jett idolized Suzi Quatro, Cherie Currie obsessed over Bowie, etc). When researching each of the Runaways, did you also research their idols?
Yes I did. The research book I put together for my meetings for getting the Runaways job each had photos of them facing pictures of their idols (e.g. Lita Ford and Jimmy Page, Sandy West and Keith Moon) and lots of other rock heroes of the early-to-mid 70’s.
Just from watching clips and trailers, I recognized a couple of the costumes in the movie that are
signature Runaway pieces (Cherie’s pink corset, Joan’s red and black jumpsuit) so I assume at least some of the wardrobe was built from scratch. Overall though, was it equal parts designed/built and
pulled/shopped? Did you spend a lot of time in vintage stores?
I spent LOTS of time in vintage stores and costume houses, particularly Palace Costumes where we pulled the best pieces probably. I’d say the film was maybe 1/5th designed, all the pieces you mentioned. All the performance stuff in Japan. Kristen/Joan’s leather suit, of course, with two different styles of pants. I think that’s about it. Lots of augmenting.
And seeing as you had to outfit (what seems like) hundreds of extras in 70’s-era clothing, was it a challenge tracking down appropriate period clothing for so many people?
YES, it was challenging although there is a lot in the costume houses here in LA. It’s hard to track down enough truly amazing pieces.
I have a closetful of jumpsuits (the denim open-back number Dakota wears in the movie is something I think I need). There were a lot of them in the Runaways wardrobe. People either love ’em or think that they are the work of Satan. Jumpsuits, yay or nay?
Jumpsuits are great if you are thin and at least 5’6, I’d say. Or wearing a good wedge or platform.
I often daydream that if I had a time machine, I’d go back to the 70’s to go clothes shopping. So this movie is total eye candy for me. What period in costume history inspires you the most to want to travel in time on a shopping spree?
The early 60’s probably, and then the early 30’s. I love specific periods of each of the decades honestly. I just love clothes though.
Who are some of your personal style icons and music videos/ films that have influenced you?
My personal style icons would probably be (over the years) all the girlfriends of the Rolling Stones throughout the 60’s and early 70’s, more pre-hippy though. Jean Shrimpton, etc. David Bowie, Bryan Ferry …Deborah Harry, Siouxsie Sioux, The first music video that really touched me as an art piece was probably “Ashes to Ashes” by Bowie. Musically most of my inspiration came from the Punk and New Wave Scene from England and Europe and all the music videos and concert footage from then. A part of that has never left me although now I am most influenced by designers like Balenciaga and Ricardo Tisci of Givenchy.
I think most importantly my father, Harvey Beadle; an impeccable dresser who always wore a three piece suit and only ever took his jacket off and loosened his tie at night after work until he went to bed. Always looked stylish and well-tailored. He passed away a month after I’d finished shooting The Runaways.