Los Angeles: Costume designer Arianne Phillips has received her fourth Academy Award nomination for best costume design for the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, directed by James Mangold. The film highlights Dylan’s early career and showcases his unique style evolution through 8,000 meticulously crafted costumes.
Costume designer Arianne Phillips has once again made her mark in the film industry, receiving her fourth Academy Award nomination for best costume design for her work on the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, directed by James Mangold. The film highlights the early years of Dylan’s career and showcases the evolution of his distinctive style. Phillips, who has collaborated with Mangold six times since their first project, Girl, Interrupted, in 1999, delves into the intricacies of Dylan’s persona during a transformative period for the iconic musician.
In A Complete Unknown, which has garnered eight Oscar nominations, Phillips led a bicoastal team of 42 to create approximately 8,000 costumes, including an impressive 67 wardrobe changes for the film’s star, Timothée Chalamet. The film captures the first four years of Dylan’s career, illustrating his transformation from a fresh-faced 19-year-old to a global superstar known for his significant contribution to rock ‘n’ roll.
“So much happens in the first four years of Bob’s career that it was really thrilling, as a costume designer, to guide the audience through his dramatic style evolution,” Phillips told The Hollywood Reporter. The film’s narrative chronicles Dylan’s journey from his arrival in New York City with only a quarter and a guitar to his rise as a musical icon by the age of 24.
Phillips began her involvement with the film in 2019, but delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, scheduling conflicts, and strikes among actors have postponed shooting until 2024. This delay, however, provided Phillips added time for in-depth research, allowing her to immerse herself in various biographies and historical images related to Dylan’s life, including significant events such as the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
“Bob Dylan is famously known for being press shy, but lucky for us, in the early days, his life was well documented with news reels, press conferences, photos and concerts,” she explained. In preparing for the role, Phillips relied heavily on resources like Suze Rotolo’s memoir, A Freewheelin’ Time, which provided insight into Dylan’s self-fashioned style choices during his formative years in New York.
The film presents three distinct “beats” of Dylan’s fashion narrative. The initial phase covers 1961-62, characterised by a proletarian style as he debuted traditional folk songs for Columbia Records. The second phase (1963-64) captures his ascension within the West Village’s coffeehouse scene, marking a shift to more tailored denim looks paired with leather jackets, all artfully designed to mirror the evolution seen on The Freewheelin’ album cover.
The final beat, spanning 1965, showcases Dylan’s ‘mod’ transformation after meeting influential British bands, depicted through sharp clothing choices, including peacoats, stovepipe trousers, and Chelsea boots. Phillips carefully designed garments reflecting this era’s transition within Dylan’s music and style, marking a stark contrast from his earlier looks.
The narrative also incorporates significant female figures in Dylan’s life. Characters based on women such as Sylvie Russo, played by Elle Fanning, embody contrasting styles and philosophies. Phillips describes Sylvie as an independent and intelligent figure, whose aesthetic varies markedly from Joan Baez, portrayed by Monica Barbaro. Baez’s look embodies a more modest, almost ecclesiastical style, with outfits reflecting the evolving fashion trends of the time.
Generous sourcing from vintage dealers, costume houses, and local shops allowed Phillips to recreate an authentic representation of Dylan’s iconic look. Collaborations with brands such as Levi’s and custom shirtmakers provided a strong foundation for the costume design, all while maintaining a historical accuracy that aimed to thrill viewers familiar with Dylan’s storied legacy.
Amidst the elaborate preparations and creative processes, the ultimate validation came when Chalamet showed interest in keeping some of the costumes. “Yes, Timothée went home with a couple of things the producers gave him,” Phillips shared, indicating a successful collaboration between actor and designer.
A Complete Unknown is set to provide audiences with an elaborate depiction of Bob Dylan’s early journey, showcasing the complex interplay between music, identity, and fashion through Phillips’ meticulously crafted costume designs. With much anticipation around the film’s release and the recognition of her artistic contributions, Phillips continues to affirm her significant role in the cinematic portrayal of music’s most enigmatic figures.
Source: Noah Wire Services
