Talking Freddie Mercury Fashion with Bohemian Rhapsody’s Costume Designer
What was your immediate reaction when you learned that you would be costuming Bohemian Rhapsody?
Julian Day: I was very excited – they’re a unique band. They’ve all got their own distinctive style. And they’ve had a lot of incarnations over the years. So it was an exciting project to do.
What did you learn about Queen’s style while you were working on the film that you didn’t know before?
Julian Day: I went to see the Queen archives. Brian May had a lot of original Zandra Rhodes clothes. Apparently, Freddie Mercury went to Zandra Rhodes, and she was doing a fitting for a wedding dress. He saw the angel costume, the pleated one, and was like, ‘That’s amazing. I really must have that.’ And she chopped the dress in half and gave it to him. Whether that’s true, I don’t know. But that’s the legend. I did see the original dress. It was incredible though faded. It had gone a cream colour.
If you could choose one Freddie Mercury outfit from the film that characteristically defines Bohemian Rhapsody, what would it be?
Julian Day: I do like the angel because it has so much energy. It’s almost sort of a piece of theatre. This sequinned bodysuit is also quite extraordinary because when the light hits it – from a wow factor – that’s one of the outfits that gets everybody going. And then there’s the crown and the military jacket with the leather trousers.
How to Improve Sexual Health ThroughDiet https://t.co/7jn8QhiNf0 https://t.co/J0V2W0ZSQE
— weightloss for smart fitness
Sat Jul 07 05:14:16 +0000 2018
I read that Brian May invited you to his clothing archives. Could you describe that experience?
Julian Day: When we started shooting Live Aid, I met Brian May for the first time, and we went through all his looks. And he was silent the whole time. But he said, ‘Why don’t you come to my house and we’ll go through my entire wardrobe and you can take some of my clothes.’ So we went there. He’s got clothes everywhere. He lent me actual items of his clothes that he still uses. And we went into the kitchen and there was a jacket from an album cover and it was just on a chair, and he was like, ‘Oh yeah, I occasionally wear that around the house.’
1970s Ealing, London, is where the film begins and Freddie Mercury grew up. You’ve said, ‘The colours were more subdued for Britain at the time.’ What was the film’s color palette like?
Julian Day: I worked with the production designer to create a palette for the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s. From the 60s, you could almost see bright colours through a haze of smoke – a haze of cannabis. And it’s the idea that the colours were still vibrant, but they were more like a curry and you have all those beautiful Indian spices and colours. When we went into the 70s, it became slightly more lurid, bright and more primary. And when we got to the 80s, it became more neon.
Mercury worked in London’s Kensington Market during the 70s, so he knew about style. What do you think his clothing at that time said about him?
Julian Day: The 70s were influenced by the 1930s. He worked with Mary Austin [at Kensington Market] and then she worked at Biba. They put her at the front of the store because she was like the face of Biba. He was quite influenced by her. In our film, she guides him through fashion. He wore blouses from the 1930s and furs. Slightly more risqué, sensual clothes with beautiful fabrics and bit of fur. Everything tactile.