Katniss Everdeen: a rags-to-riches style evolution.
Before I begin what will ultimately turn out to be a very Hamletian analysis, I must admit that I am not an obsessive fan of The Hunger Games trilogy. I have never read the books, but I have seen (and somewhat enjoyed) both films so far. There's something about dystopian sci-fi novels/films that don't really grasp my attention.
However, what does interest me about this particular story is the role that fashion plays in it. That role was quite dominant in the first film, but I feel like it was even more so in the second.
Katniss (a.k.a Jennifer Lawrence) is from District 12, the poorest of all the districts in Panem. Her style represents her social standing; a working-class girl whose clothes serve the sole purpose of keeping her warm. When she voluntarily enters The Hunger Games on behalf of her little sister (in the first film) and is taken to the Capitol, she meets her stylist Cinna (a.k.a. Lenny Kravitz), who creates a dress for her that catches fire. Not only does this become her trademark look, it also represents her fiery determination to succeed.
Now, when we are reintroduced to Katniss in Catching Fire, she is back in District 12 with her dreary, yet surprisingly chic, ensembles; knitwear, denim and leather appear to be the fabrics of choice. However, as her and Peeta's tour through the districts approach the Capitol, her style becomes more polished and decadent.
Once she is back in the Capitol, she must again don lavish gowns in order to mingle with the socially-elite.
This dualism of poor and rich / working-class and upper-class is perfectly portrayed through Katniss's wardrobe outside of the games, where people are not treated as equals. Yet when the representatives of each districts enter the games, they all suddenly wear the same attire.
This film must be one of the only ones I can think of where the costumes could speak on behalf of the story and its characters. Quite impressive.
What's more impressive, though, is the fact that the costumer designer, Trish Summerville, was able to create a line of clothing (exclusive to Net-a-Porter) called Capitol Couture. This pretty much goes above and beyond any previous blockbuster's marketing campaigns.
The only disappointing aspect of Capitol Couture (besides its ridiculous prices) is the fact that the clothes only reflect the Capitol and the training for The Hunger Games. If there is one thing that Summerville is amazing at, it's creating dark looks (she was the costume designer for the remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).
So how about next time, Trish, you create a line called District 12? I'd pay £800 for a leather jacket / knitted dress from that collection.
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