The Costume Council hosted a behind-the-scenes look at the costumes for Cirque du Soleil's new Los Angeles show, "Iris," on Wednesday night at LACMA.
The event came a week after a special sneak preview of the show, which will open for full-length previews July 21. The French-Canadian company's production is set to officially premiere on September 25 at the Kodak Theatre.
Cirque du Soleil Costumes LACMA
"Iris"--the company's first permanent spectacle in LA--pays subtle homage to our city by evoking the history of cinema. The show will take spectators "into the heart of the movie-making process," in the words of Cirque du Soleil's website. Accordingly, the show is scored by Hollywood veteran Danny Elfman, reports LA Weekly. The $100 million production involves a cast of 75 acrobats, clowns, and aerialists, writes the Burbank Leader. It was designed for the Kodak Theatre and its cinematic importance, and will occupy the space 11 months out of the year. The Academy Awards will still use the venue, ABC News tells us.
At the museum, Philippe Guillotel, the costume designer for "Iris," gave a multimedia presentation highlighting the creativity, complexity and technology that went into the making of the show's extravagant costumes. Guillotel, who has designed costumes for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics, as well as for Cirque du Soleil's "Love" show, shared his sketches and the experience of turning the costumes--which reference early Hollywood style--into reality. While his presentation had its merits, it was much more exciting to see what Cirque du Soleil has in store for us. Between the group of performing contortionists and the outlandish characters wearing cameras and spools of film, we can really see how the troupe is tailoring its aesthetic to work with the history of Los Angeles.
Check out the preview video below, as well as our slideshow of the costumes at the Costume Council event.