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Fashion and Beauty
Here's what you need to know about the looks in 'Ten Little Mistresses' film
Lifestyle
Fashion and Beauty
Here's what you need to know about the looks in 'Ten Little Mistresses' film
Here's what you need to know about the looks in 'Ten Little Mistresses' film
We spoke with costume designer Jay Lorenz Conanan about their works featured in writer-director Jun Robles Lana's murder mystery and comedy film
By John Legaspi
Published Mar 12, 2023 01:41 am
Writer-director Jun Robles Lana’s latest film “Ten Little Mistresses” is the very definition of more is more. It is a murder mystery wrapped in a comedic formula that plays with Filipinos’ love (or not) for on-screen drama that involves the “kabit” element. Its maximalist spirit is best depicted through the film’s over-the-top production design, which includes the campy costume designs of Jay Lorenz Conanan.
Unlike what many many perceive, costumes add another element to cinematic storytelling. And in “Ten Little Mistresses,” even if the characters stand still, people can get a clear view of who they are—and what they try to conceal with their elaborate garbs.
“It’s a vital process and product in pushing the narrative,” Jay Lorenz says. “Just like every member of the creative team (directors, cinematographers, production designers, sound designers, etc), costume designers are decision makers, from deliberately choosing the most effective color palette, silhouette, materials, and textures, we hope to transcend the truths and illusions we choose to present to our audiences with the clothes as our means of visual storytelling.”
First off, what inspired you to pursue a career in design?
Growing up as a queer kid, I enjoyed watching a lot of pop music videos and performances, especially of Lady Gaga, Madonna, and Beyonce, playing paper dolls and dress-up games, performing on school theatre shows, and making costumes for school events, from Buwan ng Wika character cosplay to Mr. and Ms. United Nations. Since then I’ve always known that designing is something that I really want to pursue. With hopes that I could design a Gaga show or music video, I decided to take up a Bachelor of Arts in Production Design at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (where I am currently teaching costume design). Then, I learned more about theatre and film designing aspects such as the theories, histories, techniques, and industry practices which made me appreciate the track I was going into more. While I was apprenticing for my great mentor in costume designing, Eric Pineda, who also served as my “mother” in the industry, I also started building my team and tried to build connections, which then gave me opportunities to design sets and costumes for theater shows, live events, and advertising. And because of the halt in live productions due to the pandemic, I found another avenue to pursue designing, working on both the stage and screen.
Eugene Domingo (center) with the maids of the Esposo mansion (Photo from Prime Video)
How was it working with director/screenwriter Jun Robles Lana in this film? Did he play a role in the design process of the costumes?
Since it was my first time working with Direk Jun Lana, and he's one of the Filipino directors I really look up to, there was a lot of pressure when I jumped onto this project. But wow! I was actually overwhelmed by how supportive Direk Jun was from the beginning till the end of the process. Of course, I was guided by the text/screenplay of Direk Jun in building these characters, by the descriptions, nuances, and actions provided. But the actual challenge for me was to capture those things, and visualize them while also offering what I’ve envisioned design-wise. And thankfully, we were able to align even from the initial production phase. That made the process a lot easier. Most of the time, he would just let me work on my own, giving me enough creative space to actually put together our visions. And during presentations, together with the entire creative and production heads, we would deliberate ideas, adjust things, and do negotiations. That collaborative environment set by Direk Jun was also vital in order for us to mesh all the creative decisions that we would do for the project. But aside from the “standard” meeting process we had, there was also a lot of “baklaan” and throwing of jokes which turned into actual design plans. The best example would be Lilith’s transformation dress during the funeral scene. I originally designed the red dress for that part but upon reviewing the sequences, it would be too soon to put her in that color. So we cracked a joke, “What if we just do a reveal dress?” and I immediately answered “Game ako dyan!”, and then we had to make the dress in just a week.
Breakfast tea party scene in 'Ten Little Mistresses' (Photo from Prime Video)
How did you collaborate with headpiece and wig artist Jaydee Jasa in completing your designs?
Though I already had initial plans and sketches for the headpieces, I knew that I needed to entrust these components to someone else, and I couldn’t think of anyone but Jaydee. We’ve known each other since college and he’s been part of my team for several projects already but this film was a major turn for us. While we were working in our studio, I decided to allocate a free-functioning headpiece and wig department headed by Jaydee so they could move and do their craft liberally while being guided by the design bible. Jaydee and I would also discuss the possibilities of materials and techniques which we would use for certain elements. I am indeed very thankful and proud of Jaydee for what we’ve come up with for this special project.
What was your goal in creating the looks for this movie?
Upon reading the text, I was so sure that I wanted to treat the film like a pageant appropriating each scene with a certain segment of a competition. With the Filipinos' fascination with “kerida”/mistress stories and beauty pageants, I wanted to create strong images exuding female rivalry and struggles. Paying homage to styles from drag, local and international fashion icons, and pop culture phenomena, we built the absurd, clashing, and signature looks of the mistresses right at the beginning of the movie. It was like their national costume presentation where we instantly get an idea of where they came from and their representation as a character. Then, followed by the evening dresses, elevated casual tea party breakfast looks, Victoria’s Secret pool swimwear, black eleganza funeral fits, ended by the DIY drapes from the curtains, tapestries, and upholsteries torn down from the Esposo mansion as they perform an almost ritualistic dance as a celebration of freedom from the patriarchy. Aside from the over-the-top silhouettes and forms assigned to each of the characters which serve as a visualization of struggle—extremely wide/heavy hats, cinched body parts, long trails, and overstated accessories, another important element that I carefully studied is the color palette. It starts from individual bold colors until they eventually subdue and share colors with each other, and ends off with the unison of earthy tones. To match this excessiveness, Valentin’s looks have to be print on print on print analogous to the mansion’s production design of Alvin Francisco. And lastly, Lilith’s tailored black and white with hints of blue outfits (in reference to the Smurf punchline and to compliment her electric blue eyes) in order for her to stand out whilst being with the keridas. The ultimate goal of the costume design is to amplify the characters—their motives and drive the narrative in the film.
The mistresses in their black eleganza funeral 'fits (Photo from Prime Video)
How many costumes were featured in the movie? How long did you work on them?
All in all, our team produced almost a hundred costumes for the film. Including all those of the mistresses, Lilith, Chiclet and the maids, Valentin and Constantin, and Charo. I had almost a month to work on the design concept, sketches, and renders and another month to actually fabricate all of the outfits which became possible because of my amazing team of costume coordinators, headpiece and wig team, accessories stylist, cutters, seamstresses, and craftspersons.
Where did you source the materials for the costume?
Because design actualization really starts from picking the right material whether fabric or non-traditional/non-fabrics, the sourcing and selection of such was very essential to crafting the final looks. I tapped my frequent local suppliers and discovered new ones around the metro in finding the perfect material for the design. We also explored lots of unconventional clothing materials like the ones used for bags and shoes, upholstery, hair extensions, metal plates, etc. as we played with textures and registers on camera.
Among all the looks featured in the film, can you name your favorites?
As much as I would say that each of the costumes is uniquely special for me because of their own story, Lady G’s evening dress is one that I was really proud of. It took seven people working at once on that robe dress because of the tedious process, from the sewing and fiber filling to finishing. I also patterned and sewed that costume. Another thing I want to mention is Helga’s red dresses. I was in awe when Agot Isidrofirst tried them and they fit perfectly on her. Those are some of the most stunning looks I think we’ve done for the film.
Should the viewers look out for any Easter eggs hidden in your creations?
Yes, there are but I won’t disclose anything. Just find them.
- - - *Hello, readers! Do you have a story you want us to feature? Send us a message on*[*Facebook*](https://www.facebook.com/ManilaBulletinLifestyle)*,* [*Instagram*](https://www.instagram.com/manilabulletinlifestyle/)*,* [*Tiktok*](https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletinlifestyle)*, and* [*Twitter*](https://twitter.com/MBLifestyle)*and let’s talk about it.*
If you’re still on a high with the costumes presented in “Ten Little Mistresses” just like us, then you’re in for a treat. Manila Bulletin Lifestyle chats with Jay Lorenz as he details more about the film’s wardrobe, from the design process up to the point when the murderer revealed his or her true colors.
First off, what inspired you to pursue a career in design?
Growing up as a queer kid, I enjoyed watching a lot of pop music videos and performances, especially of Lady Gaga, Madonna, and Beyonce, playing paper dolls and dress-up games, performing on school theatre shows, and making costumes for school events, from Buwan ng Wika character cosplay to Mr. and Ms. United Nations. Since then I’ve always known that designing is something that I really want to pursue. With hopes that I could design a Gaga show or music video, I decided to take up a Bachelor of Arts in Production Design at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (where I am currently teaching costume design). Then, I learned more about theatre and film designing aspects such as the theories, histories, techniques, and industry practices which made me appreciate the track I was going into more. While I was apprenticing for my great mentor in costume designing, Eric Pineda, who also served as my “mother” in the industry, I also started building my team and tried to build connections, which then gave me opportunities to design sets and costumes for theater shows, live events, and advertising. And because of the halt in live productions due to the pandemic, I found another avenue to pursue designing, working on both the stage and screen.
Eugene Domingo (center) with the maids of the Esposo mansion (Photo from Prime Video)
How was it working with director/screenwriter Jun Robles Lana in this film? Did he play a role in the design process of the costumes?
Since it was my first time working with Direk Jun Lana, and he's one of the Filipino directors I really look up to, there was a lot of pressure when I jumped onto this project. But wow! I was actually overwhelmed by how supportive Direk Jun was from the beginning till the end of the process. Of course, I was guided by the text/screenplay of Direk Jun in building these characters, by the descriptions, nuances, and actions provided. But the actual challenge for me was to capture those things, and visualize them while also offering what I’ve envisioned design-wise. And thankfully, we were able to align even from the initial production phase. That made the process a lot easier. Most of the time, he would just let me work on my own, giving me enough creative space to actually put together our visions. And during presentations, together with the entire creative and production heads, we would deliberate ideas, adjust things, and do negotiations. That collaborative environment set by Direk Jun was also vital in order for us to mesh all the creative decisions that we would do for the project. But aside from the “standard” meeting process we had, there was also a lot of “baklaan” and throwing of jokes which turned into actual design plans. The best example would be Lilith’s transformation dress during the funeral scene. I originally designed the red dress for that part but upon reviewing the sequences, it would be too soon to put her in that color. So we cracked a joke, “What if we just do a reveal dress?” and I immediately answered “Game ako dyan!”, and then we had to make the dress in just a week.
Breakfast tea party scene in 'Ten Little Mistresses' (Photo from Prime Video)
How did you collaborate with headpiece and wig artist Jaydee Jasa in completing your designs?
Though I already had initial plans and sketches for the headpieces, I knew that I needed to entrust these components to someone else, and I couldn’t think of anyone but Jaydee. We’ve known each other since college and he’s been part of my team for several projects already but this film was a major turn for us. While we were working in our studio, I decided to allocate a free-functioning headpiece and wig department headed by Jaydee so they could move and do their craft liberally while being guided by the design bible. Jaydee and I would also discuss the possibilities of materials and techniques which we would use for certain elements. I am indeed very thankful and proud of Jaydee for what we’ve come up with for this special project.
What was your goal in creating the looks for this movie?
Upon reading the text, I was so sure that I wanted to treat the film like a pageant appropriating each scene with a certain segment of a competition. With the Filipinos' fascination with “kerida”/mistress stories and beauty pageants, I wanted to create strong images exuding female rivalry and struggles. Paying homage to styles from drag, local and international fashion icons, and pop culture phenomena, we built the absurd, clashing, and signature looks of the mistresses right at the beginning of the movie. It was like their national costume presentation where we instantly get an idea of where they came from and their representation as a character. Then, followed by the evening dresses, elevated casual tea party breakfast looks, Victoria’s Secret pool swimwear, black eleganza funeral fits, ended by the DIY drapes from the curtains, tapestries, and upholsteries torn down from the Esposo mansion as they perform an almost ritualistic dance as a celebration of freedom from the patriarchy. Aside from the over-the-top silhouettes and forms assigned to each of the characters which serve as a visualization of struggle—extremely wide/heavy hats, cinched body parts, long trails, and overstated accessories, another important element that I carefully studied is the color palette. It starts from individual bold colors until they eventually subdue and share colors with each other, and ends off with the unison of earthy tones. To match this excessiveness, Valentin’s looks have to be print on print on print analogous to the mansion’s production design of Alvin Francisco. And lastly, Lilith’s tailored black and white with hints of blue outfits (in reference to the Smurf punchline and to compliment her electric blue eyes) in order for her to stand out whilst being with the keridas. The ultimate goal of the costume design is to amplify the characters—their motives and drive the narrative in the film.
The mistresses in their black eleganza funeral 'fits (Photo from Prime Video)
How many costumes were featured in the movie? How long did you work on them?
All in all, our team produced almost a hundred costumes for the film. Including all those of the mistresses, Lilith, Chiclet and the maids, Valentin and Constantin, and Charo. I had almost a month to work on the design concept, sketches, and renders and another month to actually fabricate all of the outfits which became possible because of my amazing team of costume coordinators, headpiece and wig team, accessories stylist, cutters, seamstresses, and craftspersons.
Where did you source the materials for the costume?
Because design actualization really starts from picking the right material whether fabric or non-traditional/non-fabrics, the sourcing and selection of such was very essential to crafting the final looks. I tapped my frequent local suppliers and discovered new ones around the metro in finding the perfect material for the design. We also explored lots of unconventional clothing materials like the ones used for bags and shoes, upholstery, hair extensions, metal plates, etc. as we played with textures and registers on camera.
Among all the looks featured in the film, can you name your favorites?
As much as I would say that each of the costumes is uniquely special for me because of their own story, Lady G’s evening dress is one that I was really proud of. It took seven people working at once on that robe dress because of the tedious process, from the sewing and fiber filling to finishing. I also patterned and sewed that costume. Another thing I want to mention is Helga’s red dresses. I was in awe when Agot Isidrofirst tried them and they fit perfectly on her. Those are some of the most stunning looks I think we’ve done for the film.
Should the viewers look out for any Easter eggs hidden in your creations?
Yes, there are but I won’t disclose anything. Just find them.
- - - *Hello, readers! Do you have a story you want us to feature? Send us a message on*[*Facebook*](https://www.facebook.com/ManilaBulletinLifestyle)*,* [*Instagram*](https://www.instagram.com/manilabulletinlifestyle/)*,* [*Tiktok*](https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletinlifestyle)*, and* [*Twitter*](https://twitter.com/MBLifestyle)*and let’s talk about it.*