Costume Party

You know that guilty feeling you get when picking up an US Weekly while waiting, inevitably, in the longest line at the grocery store? There’s something overwhelmingly tempting about thumbing through the lives of the rich and famous, giving into ogling their clothes and jewelry. It’s a shallow preoccupation; you know it, with no intellectual justification whatsoever. But what if you could feast on the gowns and glamour of movie stars while getting a history lesson instead of judgmental sneers? Starting on May 7 at the Louisiana Art and Science Museum, Baton Rougeans can.

LASM’s new exhibition, CUT! Costume and the Cinema, rolls out the red carpet for Johnny Depp’s pirate boots and Kate Winslet’s corset. Patrons can see first-hand the costumes of Robert Downey, Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes and Heath Ledger’s Casanova. But this is much more than a fix for the hopelessly star-struck.

“This exhibition is a glimpse into the evolution of fashion design over five centuries,” says LASM curator Elizabeth Weinstein. “It has equal appeal to those interested in film, fashion, history or pop culture.”

The exhibition consists of 43 period costumes worn in 25 films that represent Oscar and British Association of Film and Television Arts Awards (BAFTA) winners. The British costumer Cosprop, Ltd., is the resource for each piece featured in CUT!, including Nicole Kidman’s bustle from The Portrait of a Lady and Julie Christie’s hemline from Hamlet.

“Cosprop, Ltd., created this exhibition, and they are the place to go for period pieces for film,” Weinstein says.

Costumes represent eras from the 16th to the 20th century and are paired with informative text on how each stitch provides clues about where and when the drama on screen is taking place.

LASM is one of a select group of venues chosen to host this collection of cinema’s finest garments. The museum will kick off the spectacular display with a First CUT! Opening Night Premiere on Thursday, May 5, 7-10 p.m., that will give attendees a preview of these dazzling dresses and tailored suits. May 17, Suzanne Chambliss will discuss costuming at LASM After Hours. lasm.org