If there’s one thing that rivals Lola’s mania for music (and Sidarthur), it’s her fervor for fashion. With forty (!) costume changes, the clothes really make the woman.
“I don’t think I’ve encountered a script before this one in which the clothes are truly that integral to motivating the character,” explains costume designer David Robinson. “Lola wakes and thinks, ‘Today I have that history exam, and then I have an audition for the show.’ She plans her wardrobe based on how she’s going to play the day. Her clothes channel her right into those moments.”
Describing Robinson as “a genius,” Sugarman welcomed his creative input. “We wanted a contemporary look. Though there is some vintage, we wanted it to have a modern vibe. David got it right away.” Determining ‘vintage’ was an education to everyone involved with the costumes. “What’s shocking is that most of our cast was born in 1989. Vintage to them means anything prior to ‘89. Vintage to me means 1920. I had to get hip to the idea that vintage means the ‘70s and ‘80s. So we’re using modern references – for example, Shaft,” says Sugarman.
Lola’s many ensembles include her outlandish school outfits, which range from an ABBA-inspired look to one that includes an outrageous hat with feathers. There are also her glitzy and glamorous theatrical pieces that are used in the “Eliza Rocks” portion of the film. All of her clothes reference a dramatic moment in the story.
The other characters each had their own particular look. “Carla is definitely a mallrat. Carla would never wear anything crazy, or not fashionable. She and her posse all dress alike.
For Stu, Sara wanted a very ‘60s Carnaby Street look. As Ella gains more self-confidence, her sense of style also changes in small incremental ways. She starts wearing things that are a little more flattering.”
Carol Kane laughs when she describes Miss Baggoli’s sense of style. “Sara was very specific about Miss Baggoli’s look. I ended up with fabrics that are like newborn linoleum. There’s nothing natural in any of those fabrics. I had to have ice packs, because they were so hot. They were absolutely right for the character but very uncomfortable.”
Along with the “hideous plaid patterns, vest, starchy white shirts and nurses’ shoes” that Kane had to wear, she had to suffer other style infractions in order to bring Miss Baggoli to life.
“I would not say the role was a beauty role. It’s not gonna catch on in Fashion Week. To top it all off, my hairdo was unbelievable. There are ringlets all over my head that don’t move. Sara wanted it to look like it had been done at a very backward beauty school. It’s really fun to look that extreme if it’s right.”
Robinson designed, and the costume department built, bought, or commissioned clothing for all of the characters and dancers in the film. Each costume has an element that’s vintage, either something that was made to look old or something old. Robinson was encouraged by Sugarman’s openness. “Sara was very open to anything. She gets the dramatic possibilities of the clothes.”
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