Black Swan Designers Turn Ugly In A Fight For Recognition

PC: Fox Searchlight Pictures

The Academy Awards nominated film, Black Swan has received a lot of media attention about its costume designs. To the delight of the fashion world, the sisters of Rodarte were hired to create the ballet costumes. Designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy worked to balance style and functionality when designing the tutus, all while remaining true to the film's intentions:

“We had an affinity for the subject matter,” noted Kate Mulleavy to the Huffington Post. “We had never done a film. … This would be a dream job in terms of just getting to make tutus. But, then we had, I think, something that allowed us to add to [and] access the psychology of the film in a different way, which was understanding the darker nature and more of the twisted kind of underbelly of that world.”

Now, controversy has erupted over the fact that the Rodarte sisters were not listed as the film's costume designers--the credit was assigned to a different costume designer, Amy Westcott. This means that should Black Swan get an Oscar Nomination for Best Costume Design, the Rodarte sisters would get cheated out of any credit.

In an interview with NY Magazine, Amy Westcott asserts that the Rodarte sisters only designed 7 looks--not all them.

Westcott explains, "The core ballet was designed by Zack Brown (for American Ballet Theater), and my department and I added some feather detailing to assimilate them with the White Swan."

To see more looks that the designers are warring over check out the intense trailer for Black Swan:


See Qi's take on the Black Swan ballerina by checking out our Domino Feather Tank Dress.



This body con dress adorned in luminous feathers retails for $162.50 and is available at www.QiCashmereShop.com.