The Luscious Fashion Of “Phantom Thread”

In Phantom Thread, Daniel Day-Lewis plays Reynolds Woodcock, a man whose obsessive, meticulous professionalism is thrown a monkey wrench in the form of a new relationship with headstrong love interest, Alma.  Although the film’s parade of sumptuous period garb serves mainly as a backdrop to that developing relationship, these clothes make up the literal fabric of the world the pair occupies. The dresses are more than mere window-dressing–they inform the characters, illustrate the story and make that story realistic.

“There’s a quality or inventiveness for Reynolds Woodcock where we decided that he wasn’t gonna be the most groundbreaking designer in the world,” says costume designer Mark Bridges. “He wasn’t gonna be a Balenciaga or a Dior. Rather, he’s gonna fit into that world of London couture at the time, which was quite, quite active and thriving. We decided Reynolds would go down in history, with the names like Victor Stiebel or Michael Sherard. And you get a sense of who he is from the dresses he makes.”

Bridges, an Academy Award-winner for The Artist, nominated again just this week for Phantom Thread, has been working with Paul Thomas Anderson for 22 years. They collaborated on Anderson’s debut feature, Hard Eight, and have re-teamed on each of the auteur’s films ever since. By now, the two have forged a rhythm and a shorthand–the ideas flow freely in both directions–that makes working together feel natural.

The costume work begins during the writing phase. As Anderson gets further along in his script, he sends pieces of it over to Bridges for inspiration. Bridges might receive five separate versions of the script during this period, but even the differences in drafts help him figure out how to bring the ideas to life.

“We work about a year and a half before shooting together,” Bridges says. “He’ll call me up and say like ‘Such-and-such is on Turner Classic Movies, turn it on.’ And I’ll be like, ‘I’m already watching it.’ We’re kind of simpatico like that.”

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