IT TAKES A WONDER WOMAN TO MAKE A WONDER WOMAN LOOK SUPER WONDERFUL

LINDY HEMMING

It takes a Wonder Woman to dress a Wonder Woman! Meet Wonder Woman Lindy Hemming, the Welsh costume designer who created the gorgeous outfits for our she-ro in the new Wonder Woman film. As a feminist battle cry, this kick-ass action movie required a look and feel that packed some punch -- inspiring both strength and humanitarian values.

Hemming, who has won awards and accolades or her costume designs for numerous Harry Potter, James Bond, Lara Croft and Batman films, has a lot of experience designing looks for powerful women. She is a master at creating styles that evoke both strength and sexiness, attributes that many people consider to be opposites.

The last Wonder Woman film (1975) featured actress Lynda Carter wearing star-spangled hotpants, a flashy cape and a risque corset. The new Wonder Woman, played by Gal Gadot, needed to look more modern, less sexual, and practical.

Hemming didn’t sexualize her. She didn’t make her look frilly or slutty. Rather, she made her sexy in a sporty, confident way.

For Hemming, the important thing was to focus on making Wonder Woman stand out from everything in the predominantly male dominated world.

Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins explained, in her Entertainment Weekly interview, "It's total wish-fulfillment. I, as a woman, want Wonder Woman to be hot as hell, fight badass and look great at the same time — the same way men want Superman to have huge pecs and an impractically big body. That makes them feel like the hero they want to be. And my hero, in my head, has really long legs."

Hemming inherited the Wonder Woman suit used in Batman v Superman and had to modify it. She played with color, texture, and form adaptations. She made it fresher.

When it came to Wonder Woman’s armor, Hemming made it beautiful --- form fitting, strong, sexy -- and believable. She researched ancient Greek armor and current athletic fashion trends, for reference. She had scans made of all the leading actresses so that her team could build the armor on them, adjusting each piece so the actresses could move, despite the fact that the suits were pretty tight.

The warrior armor was made out of traditionally handcrafted leather, which was dyed and gilded, then steamed and molded onto mannequins made out of body scans of each actor for the perfect, streamlined fit.

Hemming also came up with the idea of the swirling skirts because she knew there was going to be a lot of whirling action and a lot of jumping on and off horses.

Because the Wonder Woman story moves through different worlds and periods, Hemming needed to design costumes that spanned accordingly, from Diana's ancestral home on the secret Amazonian island of Themiscyra to World War I-era England.

When Wonder Woman had to contend with traditional women’s clothes, she exclaimed, "How can a woman possibly fight in this?!" and she is seen splitting a long column skirt as she attempts a kick! Hemming then suited her up in a tailored military uniform-like outfit, with strong, yet pretty lace-up boot.

Hemming studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. In her early career, she designed costumes for productions at West End theatres, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. She went on to costumes for all of the James Bond films from GoldenEye (1995) to Casino Royale (2006).

Hemming won the Academy Award for Costume Design for Topsy-Turvy (1999) and the Costume Designers Guild Awards Best Costume Design in a Fantasy Film for The Dark Knight.

You can also see Hemmings designs in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, as well as Christopher Nolan's Batman films: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises.

If you ever find yourself, as a highly intelligent and very outspoken woman in a room full men,  you now have some fashion inspiration to sort you out, thanks to Hemming.

Read more about Beautiful Wonder Women in Wonder Woman Mermaid Empowers Women & Girls, Wonder Women Begin As Wonder Girls, Wonder Woman Horse Whisperer, Wonder Women = Wonder Men and Wonder Woman Aims to Save People & Planet with Beautiful Images.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman, lifting a tank over her head. Costume designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
2. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman, getting ready to fight. Costume designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
3. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman, preparing for battle. Costume designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
4. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman, standing in an army bunker. Costume designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
5. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. The cast of “Wonder Woman” standing with their weapons. Costumes designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
6. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman, running to join the battle. Costume designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
7. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman, emerging from a battle scene. Costume designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
8. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman, standing with her sword and ready to fight. Costumes designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
9. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Poster for the Wonder Woman film, starring Gal Gadot, kneeling with her sword. Costumes designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
10. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Wonder Woman, observing clothes in a store, starring Gal Gadot. Costumes designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
11. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Poster for the Wonder Woman film, starring Gal Gadot. Costumes designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
12. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman, and Connie Nielsen, as Hippolyta. Costumes designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
13. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Poster for the Wonder Woman film, starring Gal Gadot, standing with her arms crossed. Costumes designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
14. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman, climbing up a ladder.  Costumes designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
15. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Poster for the Wonder Woman film, starring Gal Gadot, kneeling. Costumes designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
16. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman, and Chris Pine, as Steve Trevor ride horses.  Costumes designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.
17. Image: by BN App - Download now!
18. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman, deflecting bullets with her armor. Costumes designed by Lindy Hemming. Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins.