Sandy Powell’s costume designs   

Costume designer Sandy Powell begins her design process with the script. Once she knows the story, she consults with directors on how they envision the characters. Then she fills books – divided into chapters on each character – with research images before she sources fabric. Choosing the kinds of fabric she will use is one of the most important parts of Powell’s process – the fabric gives her the idea for her costumes.    

In The Favourite (2018), Powell uses historically accurate silhouettes but modern materials like second-hand denim, fake leather and vinyl. While you might think costume designers always sketch their designs first, many don’t, including Powell, who dives straight into creating the costumes. She only makes the sketches after she knows what the costumes look like and the actors have tested them.