Angelina Jolie took seven months of voice lessons to portray Maria Callas in Pablo Larraín’s Maria. The titular opera soprano left an indelible legacy with her unparalleled voice — and with her elegantly bold style, which translated to the Oscar-winning actor wearing upwards of 50 exquisite custom-made gowns, recreated stage costumes, and chic late ‘70s ensembles to embody Callas authentically on screen.
Massimo Cantini Parrini, the film’s costume designer, worked very closely with Jolie, telling Refinery29 via a translator: “I brought suitcases and suitcases full of clothes and fabric samples, and we worked together over one full morning and an afternoon, so that I could understand exactly what it was that she needed to wear.”
Maria — the third film in Larraín’s trilogy on iconic women of the 20th century (Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana were past subjects) — sees Callas at the height of her fame in the ‘50s and ‘60s, as well as in her final days in 1977 Paris. Cantini Parrini dove into extensive photo and video documentation of the singer, meticulously recreating glittering ensembles that marked milestones in her life, such as meeting the love of her life, shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer), at a 1957 gala in Venice. Reimagining the event, Jolie-as-Maria swans into the ballroom in an impeccable replica of Callas’ black and white, silk-satin gown with delicate, pearl-dotted waistline.
The exacting, two-time Oscar-nominated costume designer (for Cyrano and Pinocchio) also made replicas of pieces in Callas’ famed jewelry collection, including a sizable platinum, ruby and diamond collar (a gift from her first husband, industrialist Giovanni Battista Meneghini, which sold at Sotheby’s for $280,000 in 2004), and a gold necklace with “charms that she collected throughout her whole life and always kept with her.”
“I was maniacal about [recreating history],” he says.
Ahead, Cantini Parrini breaks down the key costumes Jolie wears in the film to personify the legendary opera star and fashion icon.
Funeral Black And Heirloom Accessories
After her final stage performance of Franco Zeffirelli’s Tosca at London’s Royal Opera House in 1965, Callas retreated from her much-photographed public life. Because she left scant documentation to reference for her final years, Cantini Parrini took creative license to custom-design the singer’s circa-1977 wardrobe in the film. Armed with ample inspiration from her mid-century signature style, he contemplated Callas’ frame of mind during that period and deduced how she’d express her emotions through dark and neutral, monochromatic ensembles.
“I talked about this with Angelina and Pablo,” says Cantini Parrini. “These tones of black remind us [that these days …read more
Source:: Refinery29
