"Black Swan, the critically acclaimed thriller starring Natalie Portman as a deranged ballerina, has enjoyed considerable buzz throughout the past few months. A lesbian make-out scene caused quite a lot of excitement, and the off-screen romance between leading lady Portman and the film’s choreographer — who are now engaged and expecting a baby — satiated the tabloids. But that’s all old news! The latest hot Black Swan scandal: the costumes, which are the center of a mini controversy rocking the fashion community.
The film’s feathery tutus generated a lot of hype even before its release, thanks to the news that fashion-industry favorites Kate and Laura Mulleavy of the label Rodarte had designed some of the ballet outfits, which were a huge hit. Then in January several outlets reported that because the Mulleavy sisters were not part of the Costume Designers Guild, they were not even eligible for and Oscar for best costume. The fashion world threw a fit (a typical headline, on the website Fashionista, read “Why Rodarte Won’t Get the Credit They Deserve for Designing Black Swan’s Costumes”), and the film’s head designer, Amy Westcott, fought back, saying that Rodarte’s involvement with the costumes had been greatly exaggerated by the brand's PR and the press. It turns out the Rodarte Brand was only responsible for collaborating with costume designer Amy Wescott... on seven of the fourty costumes used in the film!
To top everything off, after all of the drama, the film’s costumes didn’t even end up getting an Oscar nomination!!! (The film, however, is nominated for best picture, actress, director and several other Academy Awards.)
Click 'Read More' to take a look at some of the costume designs that were at the center of all of this drama!
