Whether waltzing with a phantom or sailing seas with a swashbuckling crew, the clothes in the CUT! exhibit have seen their fair share of exciting cinema moments.
The Louisiana Art & Science Museum is exhibiting the 43 costumes and accessories of “CUT! Costume and the Cinema” from May 7 to July 31.
The collection features costumes from 25 period films, worn by stars such as Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet and Keira Knightley.
Selected from the stockrooms of Cosprop Ltd., an Oscar-winning costumier in London, LASM is the exhibit’s third stop on its tour.
Kelly Spell, communications coordinator for LASM, said the museum has been campaigning for this exhibit for about two years, paying above and beyond what is normally spent on exhibitions.
“It’s an opportunity for people to get in close and personal with intricately made, well-designed costumes worn by famous movie stars,” Spell said. “This exhibit appeals to people with a wide range of interests. A lot of people who come through are pop culture fans, and some are literary historians who want to see the costumes and the history they represent.”
Spell said the 16th through the 20th centuries are represented in the costumes, which accurately show the evolution of fashion over time.
Stephanie Cronan, communications sophomore, said the exhibit was even better than she expected.
“I really liked the costumes from ‘Gosford Park,’ ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Sense and Sensibility,'” Cronan said. “I love movies, and seeing costumes from some of my favorites was amazing. It was a really nice layout, with enough space so you could view the costume.”
Spell said costumes arrived at the museum in hand crafted storage crates specially made for each article. The costumes were unpacked and repaired, if necessary, by Nancy Lawson, the woman responsible for selecting the garments for the exhibit.
“It’s definitely a different type of exhibition than we’ve done before — we’ve never done an exhibit that’s all clothing,” Spell said.
Spell said the exhibit has been well received, with hundreds of people going through the museum every day — some returning for multiple visits.
“This is something we don’t have the opportunity to do very often,” she said. “People still talk about and still remember the caliber of these types of exhibitions.”
Cronan said seeing the costumes in the movies doesn’t compare to seeing them in person.
“I wish the movies could show off the details of the costumes better,” Cronan said. “The exhibit had items from some really good movies — enough to interest fans of every genre.”
Admission for “CUT! Costume and the Cinema” is $9 for adults and $7 for children and seniors.
 
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Contact Morgan Searles at [email protected]