"Hugo"

[Dennis42]

I saw the movie "Hugo" a few days ago. does anyone know of a source for any of the suits and jackets
in that movie??

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Europe.

 

[carebear]

Europe.

He said with truth, if not helpfulness...

 

[Marc Chevalier]

He said with truth, if not helpfulness...

Well, Dennis42 didn't say which specific sources. However, if Dennis were to visit the marché aux puces (flea market) at St-Ouen de Clignancourt in Paris, he would probably find vintage suits and jackets very similar to those worn in "Hugo".


The same case with the movie "Schindler's List". Nearly all of the costumes in it were vintage pieces from Germany and Central/Eastern Europe. From which exact sources in Germany and Central/Eastern Europe? Good luck finding that out.

 

[herringbonekid]

"Hugo" costume designer Sandy Powell:

"There were literally over 1,000 costumes, so it took us a long time. We contracted costume rental companies, and we actually did a lot of buying, we sort of scoured markets and secondhand stores both in London where it was filmed and also in Paris; there are great flea markets there. And then we were filming so long, some of the extras were wearing the same clothing for weeks on end, and a lot of the original vintage pieces actually ended up falling apart, disintegrating."

 

[Marc Chevalier]

.
Well, there you go.

 

[filfoster]

Contrast with a Sci Fi film like 'Blade Runner', where most of the costumes could have been bought new in Eastern Europe and instead were all done from scratch.

 

[herringbonekid]

i was in Paris over the weekend and visited 'Falbalas' at Marche Dauphine, St Ouen. lots of excellent 1920s/30s newsboy caps but only in tiny sizes. a pair of canvas and leather American spectators which i might have bought had they not also been too small. if you're a lady looking for edwardian clothing though, you'd do much better.

also visited 'Casablanca' on Rue Moret where i bought a short jacket from on my last visit, but nothing doing there either although they have quite a lot of working-men's shirts. again, the ladies would fair better. i have the distinct impression that the really good stuff in Paris has been picked clean, or if a shop owner found an amazing suit, it would go straight to someone they already know and would never even make it to the shop.

might be a different story out in the provinces, i can't really say. the French workwear well has certainly not run dry yet.

 

[Qirrel]

i was in Paris over the weekend and visited 'Falbalas' at Marche Dauphine, St Ouen. lots of excellent 1920s/30s newsboy caps but only in tiny sizes. a pair of canvas and leather American spectators which i might have bought had they not also been too small. if you're a lady looking for edwardian clothing though, you'd do much better.

also visited 'Casablanca' on Rue Moret where i bought a short jacket from on my last visit, but nothing doing there either although they have quite a lot of working-men's shirts. again, the ladies would fair better. i have the distinct impression that the really good stuff in Paris has been picked clean, or if a shop owner found an amazing suit, it would go straight to someone they already know and would never even make it to the shop.

might be a different story out in the provinces, i can't really say. the French workwear well has certainly not run dry yet.

What is the deal with French workwear, anyways? I thought there was more than one country in Europe?

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

True. But they have a cute accent^^

 

[Chasseur]

i was in Paris over the weekend and visited 'Falbalas' at Marche Dauphine, St Ouen. lots of excellent 1920s/30s newsboy caps but only in tiny sizes. a pair of canvas and leather American spectators which i might have bought had they not also been too small. if you're a lady looking for edwardian clothing though, you'd do much better.

also visited 'Casablanca' on Rue Moret where i bought a short jacket from on my last visit, but nothing doing there either although they have quite a lot of working-men's shirts. again, the ladies would fair better. i have the distinct impression that the really good stuff in Paris has been picked clean, or if a shop owner found an amazing suit, it would go straight to someone they already know and would never even make it to the shop.

I would second that. Last year I visited both shops and few others that are known to have decent selections of men's wear. Generally speaking most of the men's wear I found that was not very small in size was actually American. Nearly all the 42-44 sportcoats, suits, and most of the ties I looked through we pieces bought in the US (recently) and then shipped back to France. I came close to buying in Paris of all things an Oviatt's (from LA) atomic fleck sportcoat from the 1950s. I did buy a very 1940s US tie from a rack of almost entirely American ties.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I came close to buying in Paris of all things an Oviatt's (from LA) atomic fleck sportcoat from the 1950s.

WHAT??!! Arrggghh!

 

[Chasseur]

Sorry about that Marc...

I actually came close to buying it just to see if you wanted it knowing your interest in Oviatt's. However, it had a couple of holes that needed fixing, was too tight in the waist and was more than I wanted to pay for a ill-fitting sportcoat with issues (and while I like '50s suits I'm not crazy about a tan sportcoat with orange atomic fleks...). Its was about $200.

Would you be interested I can get into contact with the store owner?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Would you be interested I can get into contact with the store owner?

Thank you very much for offering, but I must say no. Incidentally...


Several years ago, the (now-closed) "Aardvark's Odd Ark" vintage clothing store on Melrose Ave. had a green and orange flecked tweed sportcoat that had all the unique details of an Oviatt one -- except that it had another store's label. Only $12, but I passed.


Later, I found out that when "Oviatt's" closed, it sold off some of its merchandise to other stores ... which then put their own labels on the stuff. In short: I messed up by not buying that sportcoat!

 

[herringbonekid]

What is the deal with French workwear, anyways? I thought there was more than one country in Europe?

there has been a steady drip-feed of French workwear into England now for at least ten years, mainly due to several dealers who have the connections or know which street markets to go to to find it. consequently there is always some at Portobello and Spitalfields markets, and nearly always some on ebay. i'm sure there will be vintage workwear from other countries out there, but it seems to have not been tapped into yet. mind you, i rarely check the ebays of other European countries except France and Germany, so it may already be there.