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Opening Saturday, June 5, 2021 through April 17, 2022
The Museum of Pop Culture in collaboration with the Walt Disney Archives has a new exhibition, Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume, opening to the public on June 5, 2021. This showcase will immerse visitors in the world of Disney, illustrating how its iconic characters are shaped through the artistry and creativity of its costumes. The exposition is making its first worldwide appearance outside of Disney’s D23.
Featuring more than 70 original pieces and spanning more than 6,000 square feet of museum space, the presentation explores the vision, process, and craft used to create the costumes worn by some of the biggest names in entertainment. Visitors will see ball gowns, sorcerers’ capes, military uniforms, tiaras, and, of course, glass slippers, from some of Disney’s toughest villains and kindest heroes, many on custom mannequins, as well as photographs and a special film. “Costuming is an essential element of storytelling and Heroes & Villains exemplifies the richness of character we hope our films portray,” said Becky Cline, director of the Walt Disney Archives. “It has been thrilling to collaborate with MoPOP’s curators to bring a selection of the stunning pieces we have at the Walt Disney Archives to Seattle.”
Exhibition Highlights:
- Ten Cinderella pieces including ball gowns, tiaras, slippers and other accessories including a gown from 2015’s Cinderella by Sandy Powell made from more than 270 yards of fabric and adorned with over 10,000 crystals. Work from 19 different designers, 11 of whom are Oscar® winners and nominees: Colleen Atwood, Jenny Beavan, Jacqueline Durran, Anthony Powell, Sandy Powell, Bill Thomas, Paco Delgado, Gary Jones, Jeffrey Kurland, Judianna Makovsky, and Anna B. Sheppard.
- Maleficent dress worn by Angelina Jolie, along with her staff, designed by Anna B. Sheppard.
- Pirates of the Caribbean (2003) costumes by Penny Rose including Jack Sparrow’s outfit worn by Johnny Depp and Barbossa’s outfit worn by Geoffrey Rush — both of which were made without zippers or Velcro, as Rose wanted the construction to be authentic.
- The oldest costume on display is Mary Poppins’ traveling dress designed by Bill Thomas and worn by Julie Andrews in the 1964 film. It is paired with the traveling dress designed by Sandy Powell and worn by Emily Blunt in 2018’s Mary Poppins Returns. The newest costumes on display are four pieces from 2019’s Dumbo, designed by Colleen Atwood.
Interactive highlights:
- A “Magic Mirror” inspired by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and designed by MoPOP, allows the visitor to virtually “try on” several of the costumes featured in the exhibition. The mirror uses touchless technology and a depth camera to sense visitors as they approach and show them how they might look as Cinderella, Maleficent, Jack Sparrow, or Mary Poppins.
- “Getting Into Character” is an interactive projection that allows visitors to explore the materials, colours, textures, and forms that costume designers use to help define a character. Guests “step into” an area where a projector detects their presence and an animated collage of materials, colours, textures, and/or patterns used to define a particular character are displayed along with information explaining the character and costume design.
