John Dorian Costumes

Colonial Williamsburg owns one of the most outstanding collections of period costumes in the world, numbering almost 900 costumes and more than 2,400 accessories.There are 25 full-page patterns in inches and centimeters for women's and men's clothing and accessories accompanied by photographs.

Shane Briant, Nigel Davenport, Charles Aidman. The classic Oscar Wilde tale of the handsome Dorian Gray whose portrait ages and distorts to reflect his sinful, evil ways while his own physical appearance never changes. 1973/color/111 min/NR/fullscreen.

As portraits, private diaries, and estate inventories make clear, elite families of the Italian Renaissance were obsessed with fashion, investing as much as forty percent of their fortunes on clothing. In fact, the most elaborate outfits of the period could cost more than a good-sized farm out in the Mugello. Yet despite its prominence in both daily life and the economy, clothing has been largely overlooked in the rich historiography of Renaissance Italy. In Dressing Renaissance Florence, howeve... [Read More]

SILKS FOR THRONES AND ALTARS presents 77 Chinese textiles from the 14th through the 18th century, divided into three groups. The first group consists of clothing and furnishing fabrics made for and used by the ruling elite of China. Regardless of their dates or the ethnic origins of various dynastic rulers, these trappings of nobility served the political and social goals of those in power. The second group contains Chinese silks found beyond the borders of the empire, specifically in Tibet, Jap... [Read More]

A global exploration of textile design and its far-reaching influence on aesthetics, commerce, and taste Beginning in the 16th century, the golden age of European navigation created a vigorous textile trade, and a breathtaking variety of textile designs subsequently spread across the globe. Trade textiles blended the traditional designs, skills, and tastes of their cultures of origin, with new techniques learned through global exchange, creating beautiful new works that are also historically fas... [Read More]

The secret of Hollywood's Monster Makers. Mark Salisbury and Alan Hedgecock look at the master makeup artists who have, in the 20 years since "The Exorcist", proven themselves to be the leaders in their craft. (We are sorry, but there are NO RETURNS on this item.)

George Sanders (All About Eve) is at his wicked best in The Private Affairs of Bel Ami, based on the novel Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant and directed by Albert Lewin (The Picture of Dorian Gray).The opportunistic, womanizing Parisian journalist, Georges Duroy (Sanders), known to the women who love him as Bel Ami, uses his charms to climb the ladder of Paris society while discarding those whose usefulness has run its course. Using those around him to further his aspirations, Georges will find in h... [Read More]

In Character: Opera Portraiture memorably captures operatic performers away from the audience but fully inhabiting their roles. It showcases the work of John F. Martin, who for years set up a portable studio in the basement of the San Francisco Opera and photographed the players – in costume and full makeup – right before or after they took the stage. The subjects range from nonsinging supernumeraries through chorus members and comprimarii to opera's greatest stars, such as Anna Netrebko, Na... [Read More]

The provocative punk aesthetic and its incendiary influence on high fashion Since its origins in the 1970s, punk has had an explosive influence on fashion. With its eclectic mixing of stylistic references, punk effectively introduced the postmodern concept of bricolage to the elevated precincts of haute couture and directional ready-to-wear. As a style, punk is about chaos, anarchy, and rebellion. Drawing on provocative sexual and political imagery, punks made fashion overtly hostile and threat... [Read More]