#denis lavant

HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED WITH HOLY MOTORS?

Albert Prévost a producer and close friend to Leos introduced me to him. Albert died of cancer just one month before Cannes, he had seen the film almost ready and was very proud of it. I had worked with Albert before and knew that working with little money didn’t mean little artistic ambition, and because we trusted each other we could always find some solutions and give Leos what he wanted.

WHAT WERE YOUR INITIAL THOUGHTS WHEN YOU READ THE SCRIPT?

It was fascinating to follow this actor through all his disguises, and many images were coming as I was reading, my first thoughts were that it was going to be a real challenge to make all the characters performed by Denis Lavant and knowing Leos Carax is such a perfectionist!

HOW DID YOUR IDEAS DEVELOP?

Talking a lot with Leos, because the script was very factual I had to understand the atmosphere and intention in each scene so it was a slow construction.

HOW MUCH OF A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WAS IT?

All the crew prepared the film in the same place in Paris, Leos was there all day, every day, except when he had to go on locations. We could all communicate with Leos any time, meet and talk about the image, the cast, the locations, and the costumes. This film was prepared - and shot - with a very good spirit, we have always tried to find the solutions in a very collaborative process. Leos was present at all the fittings, looking at every detail, developing his ideas during the fittings.

WHY DO YOU THINK COSTUME IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF FILM, AND HOLY MOTORS IN PARTICULAR?

Well I think costume is always an important part of film, maybe on Holy Motors as there is no “story”, the visual part tells a lot and is as important as the text, the sound, the rhythm, so everything that was filmed had to fit precisely in the picture. But this is the language of cinema isn’t it?

THE COSTUMES OF OSCAR CHANGE THROUGHOUT - WHICH OF HIS CHARACTERS WAS THE MOST FUN TO WORK ON?

The business man, usually to dress an actor as a business man isn’t so much fun, but with Denis Lavant it was an incredible transformation; he is very thin, I made a false body to make him look heavier, the fittings were fun. But all the characters were fun to make.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU FROM DESIGNING TO THE FINISHED PRODUCT?

3 months.

WHEN DID YOU REALISE THAT YOU WANTED TO BECOME A COSTUME DESIGNER OVER ANYTHING ELSE?

After watching a few movies…now I’m addicted.

HOW HAS YOUR SKILL DEVELOPED OVER YOUR CAREER?

Always being curious.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?

I don’t think I’ve achieved anything, I’m looking ahead and dreaming of the costumes of the next films.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NEXT?

A film directed by Bertrand Bonello, whom I had work with for l'Apollonide (House of Tolerance) about Yves Saint Laurent.

WHO IS YOUR IDOL?

For costume design: Piero Tosi

Holy Motors

Interview: Emma Hurwitz

Images courtesy of Artificial Eye