Having spoken earlier this year with the costume designer Jennifer Moeller about her work on LCT’s Corruption. I found no need to retrace the outlines of her career. Instead, I asked her to zero in a single image from her designs for McNeal: a sketch that she did to create clothing for the title character, played by Robert Downey Jr. By what process did she arrive at that look?
I did my usual hefty amount of research,” Moeller replied. “Robert plays a fine American writer, an alcoholic, so I did photo research on many of the fine American writers, some of them alcoholic, who are mentioned in the play” -- Philip Roth, Norman Mailer -- “and I realized that they do have a kind of uniform. The corduroy jacket with elbow patches, the shirt with the button-down collar.”
"I brought images from my research to my first meeting with Robert. He’s a wonderful collaborator – he loves clothes and glasses -- and collaboration is how I like to work. I’ve never wanted to be the designer who shows up and says, ‘Okay, here’s what you’re going to wear.'"
After her initial session with Downey, Moeller started collecting some wearable pieces, some in stores, even more online, because, as she said, “There’s greater availability on a brand’s website: retail stores have become places for returns.” Moeller and Downey found a few things they liked and used them for a digital photo shoot done before rehearsals began.
"In rehearsals for a new play the text changes. So do the costumes. In the case of our central image," Moeller said, “We ended up tucking the outer shirt in and ditching the tee shirt. The initial sketch is a road map, a guide."
Notice that our image is, in fact, a water-color. Moeller starts in pencil but moves on from there. (She was trained as a painter.) “I’m old-fashioned in the sense that I don’t rely on some software program. No, I design. I’m very analog: I read books and work things out by sketching on paper. Then I shop."
Describing her McNeal process generally, Moeller said, “What I love about how the play’s wardrobe came together – and I’m not sure this is something I consciously thought about – is that there’s a sumptuousness and a tactile quality that feels very un-AI.” She added, “And the costumes also give the production a jolt of color. Not just Robert’s – Andrea Martin’s costume is very red and I love that."
Moeller and I returned to our McNeal image. “It’s my job to help the actor create a character through the clothing. Robert’s character is an artist, so he’s got to look like he doesn’t care what he wears. Of course he cares very much. He wants to feel great wearing luxurious tactile fabrics.” Moeller told me that she realized that central image of an upstate New York writer by using French and Italian brands. And no wonder. As she said, “It’s a European sheen on a very American personality.” A wedding, in other words, of beauty and informality.
Brendan Lemon is a freelance journalist in New York.
