Fifteen years after the original fashion phenom hit theatres, Zoolander is back for a second round. Here, Zoolander 2‘s Key Costumer Luisa Dal Magro, of Vancouver, gives us an exclusive peek into the wild and wacky set—from the fashion emergencies to what it was like peeling prosthetics off of Will Ferrell.
Which Zoolander 2 celeb did you most love working with? Wow!! I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I got the chance to work with some of the most influential fashion icons, designers, models, musicians, comedians and actors of our time..from Anna Wintour to Valentino to Kate Moss and Sting: seriously!
Any wardrobe malfunctions that required emergency repairs? In film every costume is a potential malfunction waiting to happen. You learn to roll with it (literally!) It’s amazing what one can do with a roll of tape at 3am.
The movie was filmed in Rome; how long were you in Italy for? Did being there influence the styling process? I spent nine months working in Rome, it would be hard not to draw inspiration from the “Eternal City.” One detail in particular stands out—the building where we shot “The House of Atoz Headquarters” is this very cool arch-shaped structure with row upon row of arched windows. We took the arch shape and had it screened onto the suits worn by the model and bodyguards depicted throughout the scene. It was a very cool detail.
And did you get up to anything fun in the city? I went to an outdoor concert in Borghese Gardens that was like a Roman Coachella. It was in this amazing palace at the top of the Spanish Steps with the view of the Roman skyline in the background … incredible.
We can’t imagine there was ever a dull moment on set. What was the atmosphere like? In a word: Roman. Very, very Roman! I learned more Italian slang and hand gestures than you could possibly imagine. It was this amazing mix of creativity and fun.
Most memorable production moment? Filming the big reveal of Mugatu escaping from prison (otherwise known as the sixth hardest day on the movie). Will Ferrell was in full body prosthetics and we had three levels of him, and his costume that had to literally be torn away form his body. It was so intense but one of the most enjoyable days I’ve ever had on set.
Which costume did you most love from the film? It’s a definite tie between the costumes of Mugatu (played by Will Ferrell) and Alexanya Atoz (played by Kristen Wiig). One of Mugatu’s costumes is clown-inspired and he’s wearing this tiny yellow hat that sits atop his head, bright red boots with hand painted shoe laces and wild plaid pants. Alexanya Atoz wears this incredible dress that looks like a purple rose and all you can see is her face peeking out.
You’ve worked on costumes for everything from The Twilight movies to The Revenant. Tell us about the costume design process for Zoolander 2. The costumes in this movie were so unique because they were such a pivotal part of the movie, essentially their own character. Leesa Evans, the Costume Designer really wanted to inject humour and “haute couture” style into the costumes without poking fun at fashion.
From Sting to Justin Bieber, we’re super excited about Zoolander 2’s cameo line up. How is the approach to designing costumes for cameo roles different from other roles? The approach is always the same, what it really comes down to is the relevance of what they are doing in the scene; does their costume make sense and match their personal style?
Any tips for our readers on how to inject a little Zoolander into their personal style? First, always wear what you love and what you feel most sexy in—whether it’s your favourite pair of jeans or a perfectly cut dress. Also, invest in couture and try to infuse it into all aspects of your own personal style. For instance, I have a little black blazer from Yves St. Laurent, Rive Gauche (when Tom Ford was lead designer), that is 12 years old and I pair it with my favourite skinny jeans, white tee and stilettos. Style can be timeless.
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