Swarovski has collaborated with the Academy Award winning costume designer Sandy Powell to add some fairy tale sparkle to Disney’s new enchanting live action film Cinderella. Directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Lily James in the title role, Cinderella is due for release on 13 March 2015.
Swarovski’s history on the silver screen goes back 80 years, and sparkles with unforgettable moments such as Marilyn Monroe wriggling in a series of breathtaking Swarovski-embellished gowns for Some Like it Hot and Audrey Hepburn accessorising her Little Black Dresses with chic jewellery pieces in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. In recent years Swarovski crystals sparkled in a host of productions, including The Young Victoria, Black Swan and many more.
Sandy Powell, a long time Swarovski collaborator, worked with technicians at the firm’s headquarters in Austria to design and realise the unique crystal slippers given to Cinderella by her Fairy Godmother, played in the film by Helena Bonham Carter.
“For me, Swarovski crystals are a key creative ingredient to add sparkle, depth and colour to my costumes. Cinderella is without doubt the ultimate romantic fairy tale, and I honestly couldn’t imagine designing the costumes without the invaluable contribution of Swarovski. Their involvement adds the essential elements of glamour and enchantment necessary to bring the characters to life in a magical way,” said Powell.
A team of eight worked on the development and creation of the shoes, taking approximately 150 hours and working on six versions before the final model was decided on. The dazzling slippers are hewn from solid crystal with a 6 inch heel and their dimensions are a dainty 186x75x196 mm, featuring 221 facets in a light-reflecting Crystal Blue Aurora Borealis coating.
“We are always delighted and honoured to work with Sandy Powell, a design genius whose artistry and impeccable eye for detail results in the most beautiful costumes that lend magic to every project she works on,” expounded Swarovski executive board member Nadja Swarovski.
In addition to the unique slippers, Swarovski also worked with Powell on scores of costumes, jewellery, accessories, hair, make-up, wigs and props. The crystal house provided over 1.7 million crystals, which were used to embellish costumes such as Cinderella’s breathtaking blue ball gown, the Fairy Godmother’s gown and magic wand, and the wicked stepmother’s dress. Swarovski also opened its famous jewellery archives to Sandy Powell and her team, who used vintage pieces to lend added glamour to the ballroom scenes.
Branagh’s Cinderella is a live-action feature inspired by the classic fairy tale. It brings to life the timeless images from Disney’s 1950 animated masterpiece as fully-realised characters in a visually-dazzling spectacle for a whole new generation.
The movie includes some of the renowned Actors from the industry. Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine, Elizabeth), Lily James (Downton Abbey), Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) and Academy Award nominee Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech, Alice in Wonderland).
Cinderella is produced by Simon Kinberg (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Elysium), Allison Shearmur (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) and David Barron (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) with Tim Lewis(Goldeneye) serving as executive producer. The screenplay is by Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass).
Nadja further added: “Swarovski is as much about innovation as it is about glamour and sparkle, so we are especially thrilled to have helped Sandy realise her vision for the crystal slipper, a technically challenging sculptural piece whose 221 crystal facets refract the light in the most enchanting way. Like Dorothy’s ruby slipper, it is an icon of storytelling and absolutely central to the plot, so it had to be perfect.”