Designer Case Study-by Thinara Hettiarachchy

Catherine MartinAutobiography of her Life

Catherine Martin is 56 years old, is born on January 1965 Lindfield, New South Wales, Australia. Her French mother was studied mathematics, and her Australian father was studying eighteenth-century French literature, who met at the Sorbonne, Paris. She and her brother grew up in a typical income family in a very safe family neighbourhood in Sydney.

During her childhood, she was fascinated by the vintage clothing parades occasionally thrown by her father grandmother and her church friends. Martin loved to visit Albert Museum and the Victoria, so she admired the costume section. Her mother later taught her how to use a sewing machine at age 6, and by age 15, she started to create her outfit by creating and design her patterns. Her design was inspired by her beloved childhood movie The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind.

She attended North Sydney Girls High School, where after school worked part-time as an usherette at the Roseville theatre. Martin went to study visual arts at the Sydney College of the Arts. Where she later dropout, went to work as a seamstress. One day, she listens to a radio ad, which inspired her to apply to East Sydney Technical College, to learned how to cut patterns. Then attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) to study design. During university, she started to work for Luhrmann's theatre ensemble 'Six Years Old', designed sets and customers. Martin graduates with a Diploma in Design and starts to collaborate with her fellow

student Baz Luhrmann.

Luhrmann worked as a director and Martin, a designer in Luhrmann's production of "Lake Lost' in 1988. A year later, she designed the sets for an Australian stage production of Diary of a Madman. In 1990 she worked on another Luhrmann's production La Boheme and A Midsummer Night's Dream. She created the customers for the first significant movie hit in Luhrmann's production, Strictly Ballroom in 1992, for which she received two Australian Film Institute Awards (Best Production Design and Best Costume design). Then she won an Oscar nomination as production designer for another Luhrmann's movie Romeo + Juliet in 1996., which year later martin got married to Luhrmann on January 26 1997.

In 2001, the collaboration again in the film Moulin Rouge!, which was a nominee as best picture film at the Oscar; also it the last film in Luhrmann's The Red Curtain Trilogy. She designed the sets and co-designed the costumers with Angus Strathie in the film, which she then received two Academy Awards: for Best art Direction and Best Costume Design. In 2002, she then adapted her set and costume designs used for film, for the Lunrmann's Broadway adaptation of La Boheme, which lead her to receive a nomination as Best Costume Designer along with Angus Strathie and Broadway's 2003 Tony Award For Best Scenic Design of a Musical. Also, on the October 10 2003,

Catherine Martin

Strictly Ballroom costumers being displayed in museum.

Designer Case Study-by Thinara Hettiarachchy

the couple had a baby girl named Lillian Amanda Luhrmann, then had a baby boy named William Alexander Luhrmann, who was born on June 8 2005.

She then went to design Nicole Kidman's vintage wardrobe for her husband's 2008 film Australia. Which is a year later, she received an Oscar nomination for Best Achievement in Costume Design for Australia, However, lost the award to Michael O'Connor for The Duchess. Then her family moved to Chelsea in Lower Manhattan from Australia, to start filming their next movie adaptation on the classic novel The Great Gatsby. Martin then earned in 2013 an Academy Award for Best Costume Design and Academy Award for Best

Production Design which was shared with Beverley Dunn. These two wins resulted in Martian becoming

the Australian with the most Academy Awards.

Shortly after the film, Martin collaborated with Brooks Brothers to release a limited-edition menswear collection on both formal and daywear. Then she went to launch her a line of homeware including a range of featuring paints, wallpaper and rugs which was inspired by the film The Great Gatsby. She has then featured has a Glamour Magazine woman of the year, where she discusses her and husband progression as an artist. Months later, Vogue featured the couple again for their stage adaptation of Strictly Ballroom. Her work was also featured in fellow costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis' book Hollywood Costume. In 2016, The couple developed the Netflix series The Get Down, which she was an executive producer of the series.

The Behind the scenes design process of The Great Gatsby

Blockbuster movies follow modern fashion, but costume and production designer Catherine Martin, 48, did the other way around. The $300 million hit the Great Gatsby, and the film set created on Long Island and careful transforming the twenties century. "Gatsby"-era styles had a powerful influence on the runways for two years, including flapper dresses, headpieces and details such as fringe. Feathers, and metallic fabrics, etc. fashion covered in the fashion capitals and glossy magazines.

During 2008, the couple starts working in an adaptation of the classic novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. They start their research at the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art library, both in New York; read everything they could about the author: poured over academic appraisals about the novel; and looked at historical analyses of the period. They had a look on museum websites, to work out what the landscape of the clothes was, and what the references in the book mean too. The author vivid descriptions told

Catherine Martin wining Oscar for the costumers of the Great Gasbsy

The costumers from Australia that won her Two Oscars

Designer Case Study-by Thinara Hettiarachchy

through the eyes of midwestern outsider and bond salesman Nick Carraway, allowed Martin to craft the elaborate ensembles worn by Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan), the object of Gatsby's (Leonardo DiCaprio) affections and the wife of strapping polo player Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). Luhrmann stated that since the literary text took place in 1992, was published in 1925, but foreshadowed the economic crash of 1929; however, he did want to create a nostalgic, sepia-toned New York City of the 1920s, he wanted to create a vibrant, modern, and cutting-edge as it would have felt to Fitzgerald in 1922. Therefore, Her clothing reflects the pre-crash vivacity, prosperity, and optimism of the 1920s. This allowed Martin to have more varies of trends and flattering pieces, such as her choice to dress lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio to wears clothes that were a slimmer silhouette, such as slimmer-cut suits which were the typical suit in the beginning of the decade. As for the woman's clothes in the film, she took advantage of the 1920s photographs and films, the woman was starting to abandon their corsets, and heavy underpinnings favour of the shift dresses that showing their bodies more comfortably than ever before. So, she stirred towards the end of the decade, with a one-shouldered look, beading, embroidering, harem pants, feathered skirts, halter necks, v-neck etc., which lead to a more body-conscious silhouette. Her inspiration for the female customers was 1927's Speedy; the clothes are very body consciousness, lots of sleeveless dresses. The woman clothing was made out of linen, wool, lace, silk which was in a pastel colour such as jade green, dusty peach, deep pink (called Rose), navy blue, medium blue, faded yellow, light grey, sand, burnt orange, buff, violet(purple.) and black which was a fashionable colour that no longer strictly worn for mourning.

Jay Gatsby pink linen three-piece suit was inspired by Robert Redford suit from The Great Gatsby in 1974. She collaborates with the Brooks Brothers suit is soft light pink woven linen with a subtle and widely spaced white pinstripe. His suit jacket is slim single-breasted with a low 3-button stance, with both the front and cuff buttons are made of white plastic. The jacket's peak lapels have a long-slanted gorge but a short gorge seam; there is also a buttonhole on the left lapel. The suit oat has soft shoulders and roped sleeve heads, each sleeve is Edwardian-style turnback cuffs, which was very in during the early 1920s. The sleeves are long and mostly covers the shirt cuff beneath and have "surgeon's cuff" buttons. Many aspects of Gatsby's suit coat simile to a country hacking jacket, as there long single rear vent and the rear-slanting, with flapped hip pockets are common characteristics seen on a hacking jacket. His wear a matching waistcoat with five plastic buttons, the waistcoat fits prefect to his body to match the slim fit suit.

Designer Case Study-by Thinara Hettiarachchy

He wears flat front pink suit trousers rise just above his waist, which still considerably low for that era. With the frogmouth pockets are placed lower on the trouser fronts so that Gatsby can easily place his hand without disturbing the waistcoat bottom. Below the waist, the trousers have a straight leg cut down to the medium break, plain-hemmed bottoms, which make it roomier throughout the hips with accompanying his blue with light blue diagonal stripes crossing down from left to right. The suspender has silver adjusters with a black triangular leather crosspatch in the back, and black leather hooks in the front and back. Thus, meaning his trouser does not need belt loops seen the trouser are fit and hold up by the suspenders.

Underneath he wears lightweight silk dress shirt is striped in white and pale pink, with large, soft turndown collar fasten into place with a silver pin under the tie knot. It buttons down a front placket and closes around each wrist with button cuff, as for his collar pin is a "barbell" style with two spheres on each side of the collar where it pokes out.

His wear a silk tie, consisting of thick burgundy and salmon pink stripes crossing down from left to right, which match his marron silk pocket square in his suit jacket's breast pocket. As for his two-tone spectator shoes, which wingtip balmoral have a tan leather tow cap and heel cap with a chocolate brown vamp. The 4-eyelets throat and laces are also tan, and soles are hared brown leather, which he wears a pair of tan dress socks with a broken brown stripe down each side. As for his hat has a broad dark blue grosgrain ribbon that has two thinner light blue stripes, one across the top and one along the bottom. Overall, the pink suit was inspired by Gatsby character, who is romanticism and can play the gentleman. On the other hand, it is the most endearing thing on during that scene which make the other character uncomfortable.

She created 500 outfits for cast members; she oversaw 229 scenery makers and worked in a team of 84 workings on thousands of costumers, up to 800 of which were custom-made. The party scenes had close to 300 extras on set, and each outfit outfitted in his or her unique costume. She collaborated with Brooks Brothers who supplied 1,200 in total costumers for the men, each tailored to fit the slimmer silhouette. As well Miuccia Prada, a longtime friend of her husband's, who designed twenty of the dresses for the film's first-party scene, and an additional twenty for a second party scene. Tiffany & Co supplied the film's jewellery which was worth millions. For The Great Gatsby's sets, she was inspired by 1920s designer Syrie Maugham, as well as from houses on the Long Island Shore in Australia, where part of the film takes place. In total, 42 sets were constructed in 14 weeks. The couple aimed to make the film feel authentic, but also connective for a modern audience.

Jay Gatsby Pink suit

Catherine Martin Gatsby costumers are displayed at the Museum

Designer Case Study-by Thinara Hettiarachchy

The whole film was shot in Australia, meaning that Martin and her team had to recreate 1920s New York at Sydney's Fox Studios. Everything from Gatsby's mansion with its Ballroom, pool, library, and grotto, to the Plaza's suite, was created specifically for the movie.

Why is she so successful?Catherine Martin starts to create outfits at the age of 15, and she develops her passion for performing art at a young age. She works as a part-time seamstress after high school creating an outfit for the small sizes theatre performances, such as Shakespeare play and Luhrmann's production. Martin studies both East Sydney Technical College where she learns how to cut pattern, and National Institute of Dramatic Art where she got a diploma in design. During university, she meets her husband Baz Luhrmann's during university, where they decide to collaborate to make Luhrmann's production.

Luhrmann's production has produced many blockbuster movies such as Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, Australia and The Great Gatsby. Where each film she been a nominee or won an Oscar for her production and design of the customer or props, which gives her significant reputation in Hollywood for her chosen field which the designing and productions in film making. All her costumes and props she doses through research into the fashion of that era, so the costumes will be historical acute and critically detail in the design. For example, blockbuster hit The Great Gatsby where all of the suit for Tom Buchanan lining with Skull and Bone which remember to audiences that an Oxford mans. Alternatively, how the costumers for the Australia where simple and plaid casual clothes with pale colour, which symbolist that how the actor was a character of commons status, cause that what the common wore during that era. Those were some example of how her unique passion for costumers' design, lead to many months of intense research into the historical background of the character. To add extra small or big detail on character, impact the audience understand of the story or tone of the film.

She and husband have a strong passion for historical realist film, which both spends intense research on the project show the film is historical acute. This is one of the one reason why their movie is so successful and gain them repetition and foothold in the Hollywood movie business. Her husband oversees the financial and publication of their film; Luhuman has excellent entrepreneurial skills to get financial backing to pay to produce their film. Cause the more successful movie the Luhuman company produce, more of reputation they create, causing more investor want to invest money into the films. Also, the couple has connected to much famous company such as the collaboration with Brooks Brother to create the hand-tailor suit for The Great Gatsby and after creating an expensive limit edition The Great Gatsby suit collection to sell to the public. Thus, by collaborating with big famous brand, which increases her audience who will appreciate her craftmanship, so they associate her brand with her costumers in the films.

What make her designs so extraordinary?

Designer Case Study-by Thinara Hettiarachchy

Catherin Martin always had the same target market for all her customers, which their movie audience from the start age of 13 above who can understand the storyline of the films. She and her husband spend intense researching into the time setting of the films, so their costumes and props can be historical acute during the films. Also, her husband has experience in theatre production, which helps him to make incredible movie production. Such as The Red-Carpet trilogy (Romeo + Juliet, Strictly Ballroom and Moulin Rouge!) which displayed his director skills and collaboration with his wife in production and costumes. His co-worker in his company also takes care of the

publication and marketing for their films, to make sure it a success. Such as Martin costumers being displayed in museum and fashion magazine, accompanied by interview form the couple about he creates progress and through about the movies.

The craftsmanship of customers is of the highest quality, using she used the highest quality materials to make the outfits. For example, the hand-tailored suits from The Great Gatsby were made from pure wool and the dress shirt made out silk which is a costly material. So also collaborated with Prada and Brooks Brother to make high-quality brand and hand tailor outfits for the films. By collaborating such as using Tiffany & Co jewellery, the film is also advertising the products from other companies while maintaining a high-

quality costumer.

Due to the success of the film The Great Gatsby, she collaborated with Brooks Brother to create a limited collection of similar replicas of the hand-tailor suit worn by the main characters. This target fans of the films which fell in love with the unique suit design such as the one of a kind pink suit. The

collection also promotes the film, plus she also did a collaboration with Tiffany & Co in Gatsby theme collection for the public.

What future a wait for this designer?

Since Cathern Martin has permanently moved to American, she will still be working in her husband film production company. Which slowing increase after every successful movie, where she still creating costumes and props for realist movie, theatre production and now tv shows, such as there lastly project on Netflix. She will continue in expanding her homeware side project and with enough merchandise to create small retail shop brand. Martin will make more collaboration with brands on limits edition collection pieces based on some of the successful films. I honestly do not think she will

The Brook Brothers Gatsby limited collections

Catherine Martin Homeware collection – rugs and wallpaper

Designer Case Study-by Thinara Hettiarachchy

ever work with another production company nor create her own company; the couple may make some more Broadway theatre production of one of their successful movies such as Australia. She will win couple more Oscar for incredible detail costumers, until one day she decides to retire from making movies to spend time with her children and even start teaching as a professor on the basic of costumer's design in a well-known university.

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Working with Husband, Baz Luhrmann. Retrieved from Vogue: Costume Designer Catherine Martin on Hip-Hop, Gatsby, and Working with Husband, Baz Luhrmann

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Laverty, L. C. (2020, April 1). Costume in The Great Gatsby: Use Your Imagination. Retrieved from Clothes on Film: https://clothesonfilm.com/costume-in-the-great-gatsby-use-your-imagination/

luckystrike721. (2020, April 1). Real Men Wear Pink: DiCaprio as Gatsby. Retrieved from BAMF Style: https://bamfstyle.com/2015/04/10/gatsby-2013-pink-suit/

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Nick. (2020, April 1). UPDATE: Catherine Martin Wins Two Oscars For Best Costume Design, Production Design On 'The Great Gatsby'. Retrieved from Pedestrian: https://www.pedestrian.tv/entertainment/update-catherine-martin-wins-two-oscars-for-best-costume-design-production-design-on-the-great-gatsby/

Designer Case Study-by Thinara Hettiarachchy

PHELAN, H. (2020, March 31). CATHERINE MARTIN ON CREATING THE COSTUMES FOR THE GREAT GATSBY. Retrieved from Fashionista: https://fashionista.com/2013/04/great-gatsby-costume-and-set-designer-catherine-martin-tells-all

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