Thank you to Disney Studios for hosting me during the A Wrinkle In Time Event.
Paco Delgado with costume elements for Disney’s A WRINKLE IN TIME.
In the book A Wrinkle In Time, the Mrs.’s have the ability to change forms, but are frequently described as elderly women. Mrs. Whatsit wears layers and layers of clothing. Mrs. Who is plump with spectacles. Mrs. Which is not often in human form, and when she is, she’s dressed as a traditional witch. Paco Delgado was tasked with creating stylish and modern fashions for the Mrs that would fit the updated story in the film. Delgado went on to design a different costume for each planet the Mrs.’s visited.
Mrs. Whatsit Orion costume sketch.
Mrs. Whatsit was seen as a whimsical character, and that impacted her costuming. She first appears in the film wearing sheets, just like in the book. In the movie, the sheets were given a high fashion, sculptural quality. On Orion she wore a dress with a moving overskirt that was designed to resemble fishtails. Her dress on Camazotz was inspired by calla lilies.
Mrs. Which Orion costume sketch.
Mrs. Which was the wisest and most powerful of the Mrs.’s, and her costumes reflected that. She is first introduced in a chain metallic gown. On Orion, her gown included a breastplate made from metal. Mrs. Which’s dress on Camazotz was designed with tiny light bulbs to represent her origin as an exploded supernova.
Mrs. Who Orion costume sketch
Mrs. Who’s wardrobe was inspired by a variety of different cultures. She’s first introduced wearing a dress inspired by Japanese kimonos, with layers of colorful fabrics. The dress worn on Orion took inspiration from the baskets women balance on their heads in Columbia. Her Camazotz gown included quotations spoken by her character in the film printed on the material.
Delgado always starts in the same place when designing for a film. “The first thing I always do is to read the script. There’s a lot of information in the script.”
He innovated while designing for A Wrinkle In Time by attempting to use materials he had never used before. “A lot of plastics, and a lot of metallic fabrics. And we used metals. And we used glass beads.” This innovation required a lot of trial and error and previously unseen techniques. They resolved difficulties in pleating neoprene by supporting it with a plastic mesh. Because of the complexities of the designs, nothing took less than four weeks to make.
Oprah Winfrey and Paco Delgado on the set of Disney’s A WRINKLE IN TIME.
Delgado has an unusual way of calming his nerves when working on the costumes for a film: he assumes that they’ll hate his work. “Once I think they’re gonna hate it, I feel so relieved, because I think the only thing that can happen is to get better.”
I have so much to share from the #WrinkleInTimeEvent! Make sure you follow along with all of the A Wrinkle In Time coverage! A Wrinkle In Time is in theaters now!
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From visionary director Ava DuVernay comes Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” an epic adventure based on Madeleine L’Engle’s timeless classic which takes audiences across dimensions of time and space, examining the nature of darkness versus light and, ultimately, the triumph of love. Through one girl’s transformative journey led by three celestial guides, we discover that strength comes from embracing one’s individuality and that the best way to triumph over fear is to travel by one’s own light.
Meg Murry is a typical middle school student struggling with issues of self-worth who just wants to fit in. The daughter of two world-renowned physicists, she is intelligent and uniquely gifted, as is Meg’s younger brother, Charles Wallace, but she has yet to realize it for herself. Complicating matters is the mysterious disappearance of Mr. Murry, which has left Meg devastated and her mother broken-hearted. Charles Wallace introduces Meg and her fellow classmate Calvin to three celestial beings (Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Who) who have journeyed to Earth to help search for their father, and together they embark on their formidable quest. Travelling via a wrinkling of time and space known as tessering, they are transported to worlds beyond their imagination where they must confront a powerful evil force. To make it back home to Earth, Meg must face the darkness within herself in order to harness the strength necessary to defeat the darkness rapidly enveloping the Universe.
Directed by Oscar® nominee Ava DuVernay from a screenplay by Oscar winner Jennifer Lee based upon the beloved novel by Madeleine L’Engle, “A Wrinkle in Time” stars: two-time Academy Award® nominee Oprah Winfrey as Mrs. Which, Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon as Mrs. Whatsit, Emmy® nominee Mindy Kaling as Mrs. Who, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Mrs. Murry, Michael Peňa as Red and introducing Storm Reid as Meg Murry, with two-time Emmy winner Zach Galifianakis as The Happy Medium and Emmy nominee Chris Pine as Mr. Murry.
Produced by Jim Whitaker and Catherine Hand with Doug Merrifield serving as executive producer, the film also boasts an impressive creative team featuring some of the most talented and skilled craft persons working today, including: Tobias Schliessler, ASC as director of photography, Naomi Shohan as production designer, Oscar®-nominee Spencer Averick as film editor and two-time Academy Award®-nominee Paco Delgado as costume designer.