единственное, я залила на ютуб видюшку, это передача апрель 2003-го года, Патрик говорит о QAF
звук там ужасный, и очень мечтается о транскрипте, если кто-нить может, то было б классно
Patrick Antosh appeared on The Crystalite Show on Pridevision TV this weekend, talking about his work on Queer as Folk. He spoke candidly about everything from the production schedule to who has the biggest "package" (and we're not talking groceries, folks)
еще две видюшки есть с set sale с ним (не пойму, вроде было в онлайне где-то, если нет, то залью и добавлю)
ну и еще кое-чего тоже потом
читать дальше
переводы вопросов и ответов с форума патрика by gulinarazig тут - pay.diary.ru/~gulinarazig/p167410384.htm
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Queer as Fans - 2005
Convention Report by Leah Patrick Antosh and Staff
Q&A His Q&A was after lunch. Somebody did ask him about the fugly sweatervests, so I didn't have to. He got a bit defensive, saying that a lot of people liked them, that Gale looked great in them and that it was Gale's choice. I think I'd heard that before, about Gale choosing the fugly vests.
The wardrobe people work one episode ahead. There are 9 wardrobe people and 8 makeup people. He said they're currently shooting 509, so they're working on 510 now and it's "a doozy" with lots of costumes. Apparently there's some big scene - Tammy and I were snickering that it was B/J's wedding, no doubt.
Patrick said he dresses couples alike when they're getting along and differently when they're not. He used as an example dressing Mel in business clothes and Lindsay in casual clothes (probably referring to S1). I've never been much interested in reports of what the characters are wearing, but now I'll be on the alert for B/J wardrobe descriptions.
Gale is very picky about shoes and wears expensive ones. And his feet are not particularly large, especially for a man of his height. He's an 11-11-1/2. Randy, Scott and Hal all wear a size 9.
The best question was from a woman who asked him if they're ever going to have Justin wear Brian's clothes, the way lovers/partners sometimes do when they're just lounging around at home. He said Brian and Justin don't just lounge around at the loft (as if we hadn't noticed) and besides, Brian's clothes would be too big.
According to Patrick, the actors have become more opinionated about their wardrobes over the years. Naturally, he didn't go into specifics. He talked a bit about recycling clothes from one season to another, since nobody would notice if an extra in S4 was wearing a shirt that one of the main characters wore in S1. Apparently, he hasn't made his way to sandstorm63's LJ!
He said that Gale razzes anybody who wears something that was previously worn by Brian.
They (Patrick's two assistants were there) talked at some length about the shopping process. They shop a lot at small boutiques on Queen Street. He said this year the show is being shot in high definition video for the first time and it's been a bit of a challenge adjusting to that in terms of scenery and wardrobe considerations because everything shows up so much more sharply in HD.
Finally, he said that Cowlip have got the general plotline to the end of the season but they're still "fleshing out" the sсript. Why does that make me shudder in dread?
***************************************************************************************************************
From the little knit caps worn by Gus,
to the most outrageous leather gear seen at Babylon . . .
| He does it all! Patrick Antosh, Costume Designer for Queer As Folk, Please note: This interview was conducted in November, 2001. For a more recent interview, click here. |
since you began working on the show? Do you find there is a big
difference between last season and this one in terms of the way you go
about your work? Has the wardrobe budget increased accordingly with the
popularity of the show? I would imagine that last year you would have
been seeking out the big fashion trends for the 'boys of Babylon' while
this year, you may very well be setting the trends yourself!
Patrick: I have been working in Film Wardrobe for about 7 years
now. I got my first break on the Keanu Reeves Film "Johnny Mnemonic."
The Costume Designer took me under her wing and really taught me a lot
of the ropes in a very short time.
Johnny Mnemonic
Patrick: I know luck has played a lot in how quickly I have
advanced in my business, but I think hard work has kept me here. I was
in Paris for an extended trip, checking out the fashion shows when I
heard about Queer as Folk starting up in Toronto. I came back and was
lucky enough to get the job. It is a designers dream, particularly in
television, it is hard to find a show that allows so much creative
exprеssion. The success of the show has given us a second season, and
although budgets increase so do costs, so the real changes for me are
the number of companies like French Connection UK and Body Body, etc. that are willing to provide clothes in turn for exposure on the show.
shell bracelet]. I never thought anything of it for the whole year...
the first day we started shooting again, all the extras showed up, and
there was like seven guys that had them, so obviously you can buy them
anywhere, and it must be directed from the show. I didn't do that on
purpose." [from an earlier interview with Michel Chantelois of SoGayTV]
SoGayTV hosts model their Body Body Wear on the
U8TV.com float in Toronto's Pride Parade 2001
design many of the clothes yourself, or do you buy them and tailor
them? Do you work closely with the hair and makeup teams to put
together a 'look' for each character? Also, do any of the actors wear
their own clothes or accessories from time to time?
Patrick: This is one of the few shows that do allow a costume
designer to design from scratch. Of course I buy a lot of the clothes
and sometimes shop with the actors. When Gale [Harold, who plays Brian] and I go we spend more time talking and eating Sushi, Michelle Clunie [Melanie] and I are both shopaholics so we can waste a whole day
looking at stuff that would never be used on the show, I really have to
watch my self with her!!
Patrick: My biggest compliment is when cast go out and buy the
same clothes for themselves, that I have purchased for their
characters. Thea Gill [Lindsay] is always ecstatic about her clothes
and calls to thank me all the time. I have a personal assistant Lisa Renee Reed and a full time cutter/seamstress Meredith Wilson.
I design a lot of original clothing and as a team we all make it
happen. Lisa knows where to get me any fabrics or details necessary and
Meredith is one of the best tailors I know, making some of my craziest
ideas become a reality.
Lisa on the ladder and Meredith by her mannequins:
| Lisa Renee Reed | Meredith Wilson |
between shopping, designing, fittings, etc.? Are you often at the set
through the long hours of taping, or do you work behind the scenes most
of the time?
Patrick: My days are very diverse. If there is a particularly
complicated wardrobe issue in a scene I will go to set to watch what is
going on, but usually I leave those details in the capable hands of my
set crew, Shannon and Karen who monitor ever detail of continuity and
last minute changes. The majority of my time is spent in meetings
discussing conceptual issues with directors and producers, designing
and decision making, and basically overseeing my whole department which
can expand up to 8 or 9 people on some days.
Who has the 'final say' in what each character wears?
Patrick: The final say is definitely a collaboration of the
actor, writers producers and director. I'll admit that I am known for
being quite opinionated, so the final decision is usually pretty close
to my original concept.
How does the ever-changing and often unpredictable weather in
Toronto affect your costume choices? Do the characters have a selection
of outdoor wear, for those external shoots where coats, hats, mitts,
boots, etc. are required? Has anyone ever resorted to long underwear?
Patrick: Although we have diverse weather conditions here, it is
pretty predictable and we're prepared for anything. Each cast has
they're own set of warm ups, including thermal underwear, (but none of
it is for sale !!!)
People often talk about music being like another character on a
show; to me, the wardrobe has a similar role. How much influence do you
have as a designer over the 'personality' that the clothes bring to the
show? For example, Brian wears a lot of dark colours, which can suggest
he has a more 'severe' personality, while Michael wears what I call the
"Charlie Brown" shirts -- lots of primary colours, etc. -- which can
make him seem younger or less 'sophisticated.' Does the writing dictate
how the characters should dress, and do you collaborate with the
writers and producers to create this effect?
Patrick: You have a very keen eye, your descriptions are pretty
close to the idea I have for the personality of each character. When I
started the show I put together a whole portfolio of each character
sketches and swatches but also character ideas and personality traits,
This is in collaboration with the writing/producing team, so we make
sure we develop the characters
solidly.
Who comes up with the sayings for Debbie's t-shirts? They're
fantastic! And baby Gus' hats? Adorable! Was it difficult dressing a
baby for the show, especially one who kept changing all the time?
Patrick: I take great pride in coming up with the majority of
sayings on Debbie's shirts. You will be able to download them on the
Showtime website in the near future. We've given some of the original
t-shirts to raise funds for charities.
Patrick: Lisa gets to take most of the credit for Gus. She
really enjoys shopping for him. I have his knit hats and sweaters made
by a good friend of mine in Elora Ontario, Marlene Pascow who owns The
Yarn Bird.
Patrick Antosh Interview - May 2005
Patrick Antosh,
Costume Designer for Queer As Folk, kindly agreed to answer a few of
our questions about his experience on the show during the past five
years, and shared some fashion insights with us at the same time.
Thanks to those of you who offered suggestions (you know who you are!).
Photo credit: Alexander Plata (www.rafaelfotoz.com).
When we did our first interview
back in 2001, you mentioned that you got your first break on the Keanu
Reeves film "Johnny Mnemonic" where the Costume Designer took you under
her wing and taught you the ropes. Do you feel as though you’ve been
able to 'pay it forward' by helping other novices as you've gained more
experience in the business yourself? Along those same lines, you speak
highly of your assistants at QAF. Can you tell me a little bit about
the people you’ve worked with and what they've brought to the table?
Patrick:
I am a great believer in paying it forward and am always supportive of
anyone trying to get into the business. Throughout QAF's 5 seasons I
have gotten many actors, drag queens and dancers auditions, but of
course their talent is what got them on the show. I am very proud to
say that my staff enjoys working for me and that coming to work on
Queer as Folk is always considered a positive experience. My permanent
crew has always worked beyond expectations and I have relied on them to
make the wardrobe on the show look as good as it does. In particular my
assistant Kimberley Stanley is irreplaceable to me, keeping the
business side in order,allowing me to only focus on the creative.
Over the years, several companies like Body Body Wear and FCUK were willing
to provide clothes in exchange for exposure on the show. Has that trend
continued, and if so, what labels should we keep an eye out for this
season?
Patrick:
Many wonderful companies have either sent free samples or given
discounts. Larger ones like Hugo Boss and Diesel as well as smaller
ones like Itsus, Kronk and Ginch Gonch.
Will the show's theme of "boys becoming men" be reflected in the clothing in
season 5? How have you matured the characters in terms of fashion?
Patrick:
Absolutely, Justin definitely has a style that reflects his bohemian,
artistic side, a big change from his "twink" look from past seasons.
Michael too wears more adult clothes in muted colours that reflect his
connection to Ben. Lindsay has matured from her earth mother clothing
to a strong independent business woman, capable of continuing with or
with out Melanie, and of course it was a thrill to no longer have to
dress Michelle Clunie in maternity clothes.
Patrick: Sorry, there are too many to list!!
Do you ever design clothes for friends or family (outside of work)?
Patrick:
I am very flattered when I've been asked to help out with wardrobe,
most often I am asked after the outfit has been purchased and I love to
give accessory tips, things they wouldn't have thought of. I have also
helped out on several wedding gown designs for friends and most
recently the prom gown for my niece Sherri-Lynn.
When it comes to personal taste, we all have favourites in the fashion
world; but is there a particular clothing designer in the television or
film industry that you respect or admire above all others as far as
their work goes?
Patrick:
I love Patricia Fields for the risks she is willing to take, although
with her confidence I doubt she thinks of them as risks at all and I
admire that too.
If you had the opportunity, whose closet (out of anyone in the world) would you most like to raid?
Patrick:
Jude Law (we're the same size); Andre 3000 Benjamin (although I could
never pull off the look); Clive Owen (just because I’d like to be in
his closet).
by the turnout, and what people bought? Who made the decisions on what
items would be sold? Did you keep any mementos yourself?
Patrick:
Cast were given the opportunity to take items of their wardrobe that
they liked, and I considered it a great compliment that they liked so
many things. The rest of the items were inventoried and put up for
sale. Over 2000 people came through on the first day alone. It was a
bit of a zoo, but incredibly fun, meeting fans and seeing items go to
good homes, after the sale any left over items were donated to various
charities.
like this, but in general terms, given its groundbreaking status, what
impact do you think QAF has had on society, or the GLBT community?
Patrick:
I think it is very easy to forget that only 5 years ago there were very
few gay characters on television, and those were either comic relief or
tragic. The greatest achievement of QAF was showing gay characters in
situations that did not revolve solely around their sexuality. The rest
of television has caught up with characters whose homosexuality is not
their primary trait. It is simply not enough to be gay any more,
characters require more depth. The characters on QAF have arrived at a
point where they need to have more straight friends in order to be
realistic. A show about gay characters is now a bit too exclusive and I
think that is a great achievement.
you surprised that your work behind the scenes on QAF has turned you
into a 'celebrity' as well, with requests for interviews and
appearances at the fan Conventions, along with a website and fan
following of your own?
I am constantly surprised by my fan base. I am often stopped on the
street or notice people looking at me and I can tell they think they
recognize me from some where. When Elsa Rose Bryant suggested www.patrickantosh.com
last April, I agreed as a lark never imagining it would reach 2 million
hits in one year. The fan letters complimenting my work are a great way
to start each day.
We know that you've been writing a column for Scenester magazine. What
else is next for you? Where can we see your designs in the future?
Patrick:
Right now I am hoping to be able to take the summer off.
I am off toLos Angeles soon to attend the season 5 premier and also to do some on
camera interviews for the season 5 DVD extras. I am hoping to write for
come other magazines and perhaps have a shot in front of the camera ona lifestyle show.
The great sense of accomplishment from Queer as Folk
will be hard to repeat so I am hoping to take my career in a new direction.
Thanks
to Patrick for taking the time to share his thoughts with us, and for
doing such a great job on the show these past five years! Be sure to
visit patrickantosh.com, Patrick's official website to find out what he's up to. And for more information on the QAF characters' wardrobes, visit the Starbrand.tv for fans!
******************************************************************************************************************
SoGayTV invited Patrick Antosh, Costume Designer for Queer As Folk, to speak to the viewers about gay fashion, along with Stephen Sandler, creator of Body Body Wear clothing, and Paul DeBoy, host of the PrideVision show "The Locker Room." Host Mathieu Chantelois sat down with the three men to talk shop...
Mathieu: What is the gay chic? Is there such a thing as the 'gay aesthetic'?
Patrick:
I think that part is a bit overrated. When I was getting the job on
[Queer As Folk], there was a lot of talk about getting a gay designer
for the show, or whether they would just get a [straight] designer, and
I honestly think I'm just a designer, and since I've started doing the
show, I've learned so much more. I went to fly
[the Toronto nightclub which used to double as "Babylon"] for the first
time last May and I'd been shooting the show for eight months, thinking
I knew what was going on, and it opened up a whole new world for me.
I'd never done anything like that before. I go out a lot more now, but
at least I can write it off!
Mathieu: What did you learn this last year about the gay chic?
Patrick:
I think that I had a good sensibility for it, obviously. I used to live
outside of Toronto in a really small town but I obviously got in here
and I got to see what was going on. I think that it's more -- it's not
even a gay thing -- I think when you watch TV, and you watch straight
TV, everybody's dressed really, really well. Well, gay men actually
dress that well most of the time; and it's pretty cliché to say that,
because obviously there's badly dressed gay people too, but I think
that generally, we have just a bit better aesthetic and we're willing
to wear what's out on the runway, and you have all these sexy clothes
by Versace or whatever, like everybody loves labels, but it's moreover
clothes about sexuality, and gay men, or homosexuals, have the nerve to
wear that sexy clothing. So I think it's mostly sexy clothing, and
that's where he [Stephen] comes in, because it's mostly tight-fitting
clothes.
Mathieu: You provide a lot of tight clothes for gay men... is this what the gay men want?
Stephen: It's what the gay men want, but a lot of straight men want it to. I won't focus on the straight guy tonight, but...
Mathieu: How do you create the look for gay guys then?
Stephen:
I think going out to clubs and seeing what guys like, and creating
something with a sexiness, something that is going to make the guys'
shoulders look bigger and waists a little smaller, just the perception
that you're going to look sexier. Ultimately, that's my goal.
Paul: Isn't gay fashion more about body image right now, as opposed to the clothes?
Mathieu: Gay guys are the fashion designers of their own bodies, and then they just put tight things on top.
Patrick:
That's the thing, they start underneath. The same clothes are available
to straight people, and all of the runway stuff is very sexy and the
majority of people can't wear it, but gay mean seem to be
hypersensitive to how they look and spend the extra time looking good
or watching their weight and what they eat, so they get to wear even
more revealing clothes and actually don't have to go so far to cover up
the mistakes because they try harder not to have any mistakes.
Stephen:
It's also about the fabrics... there's the fit and the sexy kind of
silouhette; there's also the fabrication. There's also the images that
gay designers portray on the runway where John Bartlett is showing
clothes on a beach, by the pier, and he's got guys cruising... I was at
that show, in a jail, where guys were behind bars... you've got these
images that are sexy for gay men.
Patrick:
I think it's also about the people that want to be fashionable. I think
that gay people want to be fashionable, and I think that's the key.
They want to be sexy, and they want to look good, and it's something
guys can relate to with other guys, and that's important so we take it
further. It makes my job really easy because I get to also create with
really great colours rather than just black and grey. I can use a lot
of colour, a lot of texture, and that's really what makes the job
exciting.
Paul:
Do you find it limiting as a designer to make clothes that are so form
fitting? Do you actually set out to design clothes of a looser nature,
or something that you don't think gay men would actually put on to go
out and get laid?
Patrick: The funny thing is, that fifty percent of the clothes that I make and design are loose fitting.
Question from the chatroom on U8TV.com: Are wide pant legs in style, or not?
Patrick: They are in style, but nobody wants to wear them.
Mathieu: You have this problem with your actors?
Patrick:
Totally. Gale, who plays Brian -- all the time. Every brand new pair of
pants I get in for him: [imitating Gale] "Can you just taper them to a
cigarette?" He likes them really narrow.
Mathieu: How are the actors to work with?
Patrick: Honest to god, they're great.
Mathieu: All of them? Come on, we want a bit of dirt! One name!
Patrick:
Some of them are a little more private than others when it comes to the
sex scenes. Michelle Clunie, who plays Melanie, there's no problem
having a fitting with her. I could be in there for two hours with her,
and we have a little curtained off room -- her and Emmett, actually, we
don't need the little curtained off room. Anybody could walk in there
at any time, and they're in there naked, and it's like 'put on the next
thing.'
***************************************************************************************
An Interview with Patrick Antosh
Surprisingly it wasn’t a cast member who was most fun to dress but
the drag queens and gogo boys!
Who was pickiest about their clothes?
I won’t say who was the pickiest, but Peter, Bobby, Michelle and Thea
were the most involved with their wardrobe choices. They would often
call me to discuss a certain scene long before we shot it. They loved to
collaborate on outfit selections to complement certain scenes. This is a
costume designer’s dream.
Who was the hardest to create a «look» for?
Ted evolved so many times over the 5 seasons that it was hard to
come up with a new look to reflect his inner changes. I ended up
trying to keep coming back to the original, pure Ted, trying to make
the point that no matter what deep inside we remain the same.
Did you have certain colors you would never use for a particular character?
Certain colors you always used?
The most obvious is Brian always being in black. All the characters had distinct color palettes that you can see clearly episode to
episode. I had fun changing colors as characters changed, like Lindsay in pastels and denims as a full time mom, but then darker
tones as she reentered the business world.
Whose personal style was most different from their character?
Of course Sharon Gless and Debbie Novotny are completely different, but aside from that I would have to say Hal Sparx’
personal style differed most from his character. Hal’s got a rocker lifestyle, what with his band Zero 1, (who I think are fantastic
by the way). Hal is an actor who purposely keeps his character’s identity separate from his own as an acting tool.
Whose was most alike?
Thea and Michelle dressed most like their characters. I loved it when the girls would ask me for a double of their outfits for
personal use.
Did the babies present any particular challenge for you?
The babies caused me no problem for me because the girls in my department took care of them completely! One time I tried
shopping for a baby outfits and when I returned to the office it was deemed so ugly that Kimberley, my assistant insisted on
taking over all baby shopping. She did a fantastic job. The hardest part was finding triples and quadruples of items as multiples
were need for «emergencies».
The costumes for the dancers at Babylon were always amazing. Did you have input as to the themes they
wore, or were they dictated by sсript?
Coming up with GoGo themes was practically a full time job for me. Gogo boys and Drag shows were never written into the
sсriрt. I tried, whenever possible, to have the the dancers or drag numbers reflect what was happening in that particular episode.
How much time did you have to do clothes for a particular episode?
Technically we had 7 or 8 day prep for a 7 or 8 day shoot, per episode. I had to keep a large running closet for each cast
member over the whole season as well.
Do you know if anyone kept anything that they wore on the show?
Showtime graciously allowed the cast to keep what wardrobe items they wanted. Some kept just a bit , others took their entire
stock, again a huge compliment to me.
What were your favorite costumes for the dancers?
Favoutite outfits that come to mind are the bride from the white party, the gladiator show from season 4, the super heroe’s the
gold cowboys, the rising angel number with Divina Devore, my god so many! I could keep going...
What did you learn that you wouldn’t know if you hadn’t worked on QAF?
I have learned so much. I definitely had my eyes opened to sides of gay culture that I had no idea existed. I also learned new
skills, both technical and business wise, but most of all I made great friends.
How do you feel about the fans?
I am overwhelmed with the warmth and sincerity of fans. The fact that I have a fan site still blows me away. My friends in the
cast loved their fans, it is like icing on the cake that they get public admiration of their work.
From a fan: «I've always wanted to hear more details on Patrick's shopping excursions with Gale... which
specific stores would they go to, what they would buy etc. Did they buy things for themselves, were they
shopping for Brian and other characters and what did they buy. Did any of these purchases make it to
screened eps?»
Of all the cast Gale has the busiest schedule. At the beginning of each season I would book a shopping trip with him and then
once or twice again later in the season. I knew my time was limited so when we shopped «Brian» was the only focus. Queen
west is a trendy shopping area in Toronto. The area is full of independent designers and one of a kind fashions. Delphic, Due
west and KU are a few. It was really commando shopping, in and out of stores in 10 or 15 minutes. Often I would send a shopper
back later to purchase and pick up our selections. I don’t think we ever had a shopping spree where Gale didn’t get something.
I had an arrangement with a fantastic store called Grreat Stuff, who would let me take large amounts of stock to the office for
fittings. I rarely had anything to return though. It seemed we always ended with a Sushi dinner. In fact I am now a big sushi
fan, but was a novice Season 1 when Gale first suggested it.
***************************************************************************
Folk stylings
Views / How I dress the characters of TV’s gayest show
story by Patrick Antosh / Xtra Dec 28 2000
Crew arrives at the Toronto set at a ridiculously early hour, four hours of sleep after a ridiculously late night. Stephen, the make-up artist, applies make-up — often over the entire body. Michael the hair stylist does hair, including a clipped chest and butt. Marie, the wardrobe key, sets out the day’s clothes, which might include a genital wrap or two, depending on the scene.
The US press always compares Queer As Folk to Will And Grace. Yeah — so far, the similarities must be glaringly obvious.
Then I too begin my day as the show’s costume designer, couturier to disco trash, harbinger of style to non-receptive lesbians. It’s given me an inside view of the production of the US remake of the groundbreaking British show. And it’s certainly been a different experience from my first costume-designing gig on a children’s show called Animorphs (four spunky kids save the planet from alien invasion with a cuddly blue half man/half horse).
For example, at pre-production meetings for Queer As Folk, we confer over scripyed lines like, "Get on your knees, pussyboy" — does it really captures Emmett’s pique at Bill for lying to him? — and character names like usemyhole27.
The character Ted, an accountant who’s not quite at home in the gay world, gets picked up by a muscle stud at the 24-hour convenience store and they do it in the parking lot. The transportation department is told to get a van with a big enough sunroof to see Ted’s face when his knees are behind his ears.
Set design also has special concerns. In a role reversal, Brian, the sexually aggressive character (based on the character Stuart from the British series), is seduced in his ultra chic executive office by an employee. "We’ll need to replace Brian’s glass desktop with plexi so it can stand the weight of them fucking on it," the set designer points out. Which takes us to the dilemma of casting: Does the fellow playing the employee have a butt we’re gonna want to see through plexi?
All this is distracting enough, but my responsibility is the clothes. I’m often asked if it’s harder to dress gay characters as opposed to straight ones. Well, only because it takes longer for gay men to decide what to wear.
At the New York premiere I was interviewed by actor Harvey Fierstein. "You’ve dressed New York, you’ve dressed LA. How do you dress Pittsburgh?" he asked me, referring to the setting of the show. Well, the truth is, most gay men I know dress like they’re ready to hop a Concorde to New York or LA, regardless of the city they live in.
Though it’s true gay men are usually the only ones who have the nerve to wear what’s walking the catwalk at the moment, it’s not like every gay man on the show should be a GQ model. And not all lesbians wear lumberjack shirts.
In real life there are gay men with no taste, and lesbians who dress fabulously. It’s no easier to be an authority on gay style than it is to be an authority on straight style. There’s a spectrum of looks and the critics sitting at home watching the series can be unforgiving with fashion mistakes.
Lucky for me, most of the principal actors are basically the same size as I am. I can try things on before bringing them to actors for a fitting. A little bigger for Brian the well-built sexual predator, a little shorter for Michael, the adorable best friend, and a little tighter for Justin, the hot little twink.
In the last six months I’ve dressed myself up as every style of go-go boy, leather stud, and backroom tramp. My Polaroid collection is extensive.
Although it’s a gay show, I will succeed only if I make the actors look contemporary and realistic, not just gay. So I get my influence from all over, on the street, in gay magazines. Of course, the more flamboyant characters are the most fun.
Take Emmett, for example. Based on the queeny Alexander from the British show, he’s obviously the most splashy character — the out and proud friend we have or wish we were. His style is a complete rip-off of my best friend Ron, from my party days in the late ’80s. The look says fashion at any price, even if it means wearing much too little waiting in line to get into a club in February. Ron came from Vancouver for the crew screening of the first episode. He hated to admit it but he saw a bit of himself there.
My best opportunity to imitate reality is in the scenes that require background players: parties, bars and street scenes. Every television show or movie depiction of gay life I’ve seen so far always overdoes it by showing one of each — a sampling of gay society that has bears, drag queens, leather daddies, lipstick lesbians and bull dykes mingling together lovingly. Does Hollywood do it so no one feels left out, or is it because the mix is so rich they get greedy and try to stuff it all into one scene? Sure, crowds mix, but even in a minority group, friendship is based on more than a common sexuality. The argument I’ve always made is that if we were to shoot a scene at the Catholic women’s league, should we put in a women bleeding from her palms just to cover all the bases?
But back to the fun stuff. I’ve never received an award, but I can’t imagine too many Emmy Award-winning costume designers have had to fit an actor with an assortment of cockrings or tried to attach a 12-inch dildo onto a completely naked body. My only press claim to fame thus far suggests that I do have the required experience: a National Enquirer article crediting me as the boy who had to wrap Christian Bale’s privates in a sock every day for a week for the chainsaw scene in American Psycho. I’m flattered that the actor who plays Michael, Queer As Folk’s homeless romantic, has taken to calling his own privacy sock "Mr Bale."
We’re trying to make real TV. But the only thing we can try to keep straight are our faces. And that’s hard when a work day starts with 33 dildoes for a fight sequence. If you have half as much fun watching it as we do making it, we’ve done our job.
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When questioned about some of the questionable clothes that Brian wore
in S5 (black shirt w/flowers & brown suit) Partrick responded:
I guess it's a personal opinion thing. Gale will most definitely not
wear anything he does not like personally, regardless of what the
character's tastes are , so that limits what I can do as Costume
Designer. That is the explanation for some of the outfits you may have
questioned over the last five years. I truly appreciate your feedback.
patrick antosh
перводы на русский тут queerasfolk-rus.livejournal.com/81900.html
не патрик, но пусть будет
Gale Harold Style
Style: What is your personal style?
Gale: Pretty simple: stovepipe pants, cheap black glasses, used leather,
rayon gabardine with lots of piping, hard woods, Spanish wine, Italian
boots, loud music, long legs, big windows, salsa cruda, Republican-free
futures.
Style: Do you enjoy dressing up?
Gale: I do. Especially if I have enough time to enjoy getting ready,
like a summer night when the sun is setting late, condensation from the
vodka tonic's leaving water rings on the furniture, maybe some Junior
Wells on the stereo. The simple act of cinching a Windsor knot gets
kinda deep.
Style: What do you wear for a night out?
Gale: Usually Levi's, boots or Pumas, and a T-shirt. If I'm dressing up, maybe a sharkskin suit. Or a microdress . . .
Style: Where do you like to shop?
Gale: I buy a lot of used stuff. Toronto - where we shoot - has great
vintage shops. I found a really hot '60s pinstripe suit on Queen Street
with a perfect shape. It's navy with blood-red lining. Unbeatable.
Style: Who are some of your favorite designers?
Gale: Paul Smith, Cesare Paciotti and Patrick Antosh.
Style: Do you shop alone?
Gale: Depends. I like to shop with the wardrobe designer for the show
because he knows all the right spots. It's fun to kill a few hours going
through piles of arcane stuff that fires me up but that I would
probably never wear.
Style: Name an item of clothing or an accessory that you have splurged on.
Gale: I had a suit made here in Toronto [based on] this early '60s suit I
found in San Francisco. [The vintage suit] was really nasty, like
Carnaby Street mod-tapered and tight. I sort of destroyed it over the
years, so I took it to a shop, Niagara Tailors in Little Italy, and had
it reproduced.