Vertical Limit (2000)

Costumes were particularly important to the success of Vertical Limit. Because actors would often be covered head-to-toe in cumbersome gear, making it difficult for an audience to distinguish one from another, costume designer Graciela Mazon assigned each actor a color palette derived from the personality of his or her character.

Mazon explains, "Peter is a young, American man, so I wanted a design that reflects what young people are wearing now. I wanted a young audience to identify with our principal character. I added some stripes, and I used yellow, a very energetic color.

"I thought Annie should have an innocence, but at the same time be sporty and active," continues Mazon. "I designed climbing clothes based on the Olympic Games to give her a more sporty style. She is in red, which represents passion, youth and strength."

Mazon researched the climbing world to find the right costumes for the lead actors. Not only was she trying to achieve a special look for each character, but the costumes had to be genuine, high-altitude gear. The actors were, after all, working in a real mountain environment.

"Most of the manufacturers use only two or three colors every season, so I needed to get fabric from different places and get them to make up my designs. I used Arc'teryx from Canada, Serac in New York and two New Zealand companies, Mac Pac and Wild Gravity, to make costumes."

Mazon also had to consider that the predominant background for the film is snow and ice. She needed to establish the identities of the various expeditions at base camp, ranging from the smart, corporate-blue style of Vaughn's team to the rag-tag, non- sponsored, yet experienced Bench brothers. For example, the Italian team wore the latest European climbing gear from German label Vaude and the porters and cooks wore older, more traditional clothes in muted colors.

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