Designers clash over Black Swan credits

LONDON: Baftas night looms, but as attention inevitably focuses on how many prizes the King`s Speech will win next weekend, a ruckus in the world of fashion threatens to distract film fans` attention from Britain`s answer to the Oscars. A row is escalating over the costumes worn in Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky`s brilliantly over-the top ballet psychodrama, which has been nominated for five Oscars and 12 Baftas. As the British Academy of Film and Television Arts readies itself for its awards night in London on 13 February, its nomination last month for Black Swan`s costume designer Amy Westcott has been soured by an extraordinary row with Laura and Kate Mulleavy, the duo behind the cult grungy fashion label Rodarte, over the proper credit rights on the film. The fashion world was excited when it was revealed that the Mulleavy sisters had designed costumes for Black Swan. Nothing could be more titillating than seeing Natalie Portman swanning around on the big screen in their clothes in her starring role as Nina in Black Swan. Portman, a friend of the designers, wears their tattered, bird-inspired lines on the red carpet and is often in the front row at their shows. The situation has become, like Nina`s mind in the film, a little muddled. Reports surfaced recently alleging that the Mulleavy sisters were unhappy about how little credit they received for their designs in the film. Westcott, as Black Swan`s official designer, was the only one deemed eligible for any costume design award nominations. She has now spoken out on the Clothes on Film website to address the Mulleavy sister`s complaints. "Controversy is too complimentary a word for two people using their considerable self-publicising resources to loudly complain about their credit once they realised how good the film is," she said. She added that, contrary to what people had been led to believe, Rodarte did not design all of the ballet looks in the film — only seven were created by company. "I was happy for Rodarte`s persistent publicity efforts at first," Westcott said. "I`m so proud of the film and anything that brings it to an even wider audience is genuinely welcome." In talking about the film, the Mulleavy sisters have not mentioned Westcott. Not that she minded, she said: "I tried to put aside my ego while being airbrushed from history in all of their interviews." Far from being just a parochial fashion catfight, the Wescott-Mulleavy dispute raises the issue of whether fashion designers unfairly steal the limelight when they are involved with cinema. Westcott said the overwhelming reaction from other costume designers had been "very affirming". She said: "Apparently this has happened to a number of people, but this one just got more press." Rodarte`s representatives did not reply to a request for a comment.—Dawn/Guardian News Service