Helen Mirren's Costumes in 'Catherine the Great' Are a Gorgeous History Lesson

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Emmy-nominated Maya Meschede talks us through the 18th-century royal gowns, jewels and corsets — for everyone in the court.

Sweeping period costume dramas on the big and small screens always make for the most beautiful, gorgeous and accessible ways to learn about different eras throughout history.

Meschede custom-designed all the gowns authentic to the period, with "one corset, a big petticoat, a big pannier [side hoops] underneath and then a big over-robe." She spent three weeks sourcing 18th-century fabrics in Italy: Florence, Milan, Rome for brocades and Venice, which apparently has the best velvets. The ornate ensembles were produced over a period of six months in Vilnius, Lithuania, where the four-episode limited series filmed.

"What's very specific is the ruched sleeve," says Meschede. "That was based on Russian farmers' folkloric Sunday dresses." The costume designer also points to the elaborate gold ceremonial gown : "There's always a big braid going from the neckline down the corset and down the center front of the skirt. It's like a [sarafan] dress, but much more elaborate.

For the well-accessorized members of the court, Meschede sourced from jewelry rental houses in Italy. "They have the most beautiful 18th-century collections," she says gleefully. "I felt like a magpie in there." For Mirren, filming those scenes also provided a relief from the binding period-authentic foundation garments. "[Mirren] always went 'Yay, it's not a corset day!'" laughs Meschede. "She's amazing."The 'Maleficent' Sequel's Battle Costumes Include 'Hundreds of Thousands' of Swarovski Gems

 

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