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    Martin Izquierdo Dead: Costume Designer Who Made Wings for ‘Angels in America’ Was 83

    His work was seen in “Angels in America” and Victoria’s Secret runway shows. He also made outlandish ensembles for Heidi Klum and Marc Jacobs.Martin Izquierdo, a theatrical costume designer whose career took off after he designed the feathery wings that gave phantasmic flight to the spiritual messenger in “Angels in America,” Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1991 play, both onstage and in the 2003 HBO version directed by Mike Nichols, died on June 25 at his home in Manhattan. He was 83.The cause was cardiovascular disease, his partner, the costume designer John Glaser, said.At the conclusion of “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches,” the first part of the two-part play, the angel of the title makes an impressive entrance, crashing through the ceiling of an AIDS-stricken gay man’s New York apartment and proclaiming, “The great work begins.”Ellen McLaughlin and Stephen Spinella in a scene from “Perestroika” (1993), the second part of Tony Kushner’s two-part play “Angels in America.” Mr. Izquierdo designed the wings.Joan MarcusIt was Mr. Izquierdo’s ingenuity, and his flamboyant imagination — assisted by a certain amount of technical wizardry — that allowed Ellen McLaughlin, who played the angel on Broadway, and Emma Thompson, the angel in the HBO version, to hover convincingly some 30 feet overhead, framed by prodigious wings that were illuminated from behind. Those wings became a symbol of the production itself, an indelible part of its “astonishing theatrical landscape,” as Frank Rich of The New York Times described the show in a 1993 review.Their creator arrived in the United States in the 1940s, a young undocumented immigrant from Mexico who had been recruited to do agricultural work in California.Mr. Izquierdo (pronounced IZZ-key-AIR-doe), who never became a citizen, eventually gravitated to a career as an artist, painting scenery for the theater before becoming a costume designer. In 1978, he left California for New York, where he opened his own studio and spent nearly four decades making costumes and props for film, theater, and the music and fashion industries.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    When ‘Clueless’ Made Movie Fashion History

    With grunge reigning in the mid-1990s, the looks of Cher Horowitz and her friends came as a fun shock. The costume designer takes us through her thought process.Power plaids. Matching sets. Athleisure. All fashion mainstays now, but in the summer of 1995, they weren’t exactly on trend when the murky flannels and shredded denim of grunge ruled. Until a fizzy comedy starring an 18-year-old Alicia Silverstone set at a Beverly Hills high school rolled into theaters like a white Jeep Wrangler with a monster sound system. No, you’re not totally buggin’, friends, it’s the 30th anniversary of “Clueless.”Directed by Amy Heckerling, who loosely based her screenplay on Jane Austen’s “Emma,” the teen classic centers on Cher Horowitz (Silverstone) and her well-intentioned matchmaking in the halls and malls of Beverly Hills. Cher’s circle of friends includes her bestie Dionne (Stacey Dash); her frenemy Amber (Elisa Donovan); Christian (Justin Walker), her crush; and Tai (Brittany Murphy), her protégée. But from the opening scene, the film’s fashion vibrates with main character energy — and that’s exactly what Heckerling and the costume designer Mona May intended.“We had to create these girls that are authentic but have a certain kind of fashion sense that wasn’t out there” at the time, said May, who drew on her childhood in India, a European sensibility and an encyclopedic knowledge of runway shows to create the movie’s bold styles.“Cher’s looks were completely over-the-top in the best way,” Silverstone wrote in an email. “But that’s what made her iconic!” Of Cher’s impact, Silverstone added, “She gave people permission to look like they cared about their fashion.” The costume designer had a clear vision, Silverstone recalled, adding, “Looking back it’s funny because they were the adults but were much more tapped into youth culture and fashion than I was.”Silverstone’s close friend, the designer Christian Siriano, featured several “Clueless”-inspired looks in his fall 2023 collection. “Growing up, there wasn’t a lot of film fashion that a young designer could fall in love with, and ‘Clueless’ was that,” he said. “Everybody wanted to dress like Cher.On a video call from her home in Los Angeles, May, dressed in a bright pink top, hat and necklace, broke down the movie’s most influential looks. Here are excerpts from her comments.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Jordan Roth, a Broadway Big Shot, Is Now Reinventing Himself

    Jordan Roth, the scion of a New York real estate fortune, a convention-challenging fashionista and a social media habitué, spent 15 years as a Broadway macher, running one of the big three theater landlords. He programmed hits like “The Book of Mormon” and “Hadestown,” nurtured plays and musicals in development, and joined the theater industry’s inner circle at its cloistered confabs, all the while showing up at openings in increasingly fabulous couture.But it’s fairly obvious to anyone watching Roth’s evolving public persona that he’s been looking for a new adventure.He has sold most of his stake in Jujamcyn, the company through which he owned five Broadway theaters, and he has dialed back his theater producing.Jordan Roth rehearsing what he’s calling a “narrative fashion performance” in a black box studio in Brooklyn.Now he is moving on to a different stage, combining his love of fashion, his hunger to perform, and his taste for storytelling. He is pursuing “narrative fashion performance,” and he plans a debut on July 10 at the Louvre in Paris.“I worked for a long time facilitating other people’s creativity, and that was very meaningful and very fulfilling, but I started to miss my own,” Roth, 49, told me during a rehearsal break at a black box studio in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    How Much Do Celebrities Make From Fashion Deals?

    And what’s in it for the brands? As the industry’s model for working with public figures shifts, the power dynamics are becoming increasingly unclear.On Friday in Paris, the Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson will show his first collection as the creative director of the French fashion house Dior. During his previous, 11-year tenure as the creative director of the Spanish brand Loewe, Anderson became known for his avant-garde sensibility and dedication to craft — but also for his unique ability to turn the internet’s so-called boyfriends (those young actors and musicians who are lusted over online with possessive familiarity) into bona fide celebrities.In the front row of Anderson’s fall 2024 Loewe men’s wear show in Paris were the established actors Jamie Dornan, Andrew Garfield and Nicholas Hoult, but also, seated with equal prominence, emerging ones, including Drew Starkey, who was set to star in “Queer” (the 2024 Luca Guadagnino movie for which Anderson oversaw the costumes), and Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, who would soon appear as romantic leads in Guadagnino’s film “Challengers,” a film that helped them reach mainstream heartthrob status, and with which Anderson was also involved as a costume designer. The following June, at Anderson’s final Loewe men’s runway show, the rising actors Kit Connor, Evan Peters and Enzo Vogrincic sat front row — suggesting, based on the strength of the designer’s track record, that they too would also soon become leading men. For Loewe, it was a display of cultural currency; for the actors, it was free publicity.It used to be that an association with a brand was, if not a career-killer, then certainly not chic for an actor. It was hard to be taken seriously as both an artist and a de facto fashion model. But in recent decades, the rise of social media and the expansion of the fashion industry have blurred the lines between model, actor and influencer. Back in the 1980s, the Italian fashion house Armani began dressing Hollywood celebrities, including, most notably, Richard Gere for his role in the 1980 movie “American Gigolo.” But gone are the days when one megastar served as a company’s global face. Today brands adopt a multitiered system of ambassadors that includes international stars, yes, but also up-and-comers and influencers. While these cliques are often described by their members and parent brands as “family,” and frequently represent a genuine affinity, they are also carefully constructed to maximize a company’s exposure on red carpets and billboards — but also very specific corners of TikTok. Now, as this business decision solidifies into standard practice, the question is, Who ultimately wields the power, the celebrities or the brands?Until 2010, “a few brands had ambassadors, but it was mainly for fragrance,” says Ben Cercio, the founder of a consulting agency specializing in brand strategy and communications with clients including the French fashion house Givenchy. But with the launch of Instagram that year, a shift occurred: companies began to engage not just with major actors but also with “microinfluencers” — online personalities with less than 100,000 followers — to reach their audiences early on. And because social media has accelerated the rise to fame, whenever a new talent in any field emerges from the crowd, “every brand wants to get its hands on them,” says Cercio. Now an ingénue like the actress Mikey Madison, who starred in last year’s “Anora,” might have a dozen offers from brands immediately after making a buzzy debut at a festival like Cannes, suggesting that it’s often the young actors, rather than the brands, who are in control. When Madison accepted her Oscar for best lead actress in March, she wore a custom look from Dior.A Calvin Klein billboard featuring the actor Jeremy Allen White in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, photographed in 2024.© Richard B. Levine/AlamyWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Best Red Carpet Fashion at the 2025 BET Awards: Doechii, GloRilla and More

    The BET Awards, held on Monday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, honored achievements across cultural mediums: filmmaking, music, television. The ceremony — which featured appearances by superstars like Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey and Kendrick Lamar — and the red carpet before it also put the spotlight on style.Overall, the fashion was vibrant and joyful: On the carpet, there were saturated colors and bold prints that, along with a large floral installation, set a lively mood. Several surprising accessories — big hats, video game consoles, baby bumps — made the spectacle even more fun to look at. Of all the attire on display, these 11 looks were among the most memorable, for myriad reasons.Law Roach: Most Bowler!Bennett Raglin/Getty ImagesThe stylist’s pronounced headgear evoked other oversize styles that caused stirs on red carpets past, like the big hats worn by Zendaya, one of Mr. Roach’s clients, and Pharrell Williams.Flau’jae Johnson: Most Slam Dunk!Bennett Raglin/Getty ImagesSeeing the college basketball star and rapper in her glamorous burgundy gown approximated the pleasure of taking the first sip of a fine wine.Snoop Dogg and Shante Broadus: Most Royal Couple!Bennett Raglin/Getty ImagesThe married rapper and entrepreneur would have probably stood out in any matching attire, but the royal blue palette of their ensembles gave them a regal presence.Doechii: Most Y2K!Bennett Raglin/Getty ImagesSlim rectangular glasses, stacks of chunky bangles and a Miu Miu bandanna top were elements of the rapper and singer’s ensemble that harked back to early 2000s style.Wale: Most Prepared!Emma Mcintyre/Getty ImagesA Nintendo Switch peeking out of the pocket of the rapper’s Prada jacket suggested he would not lack for entertainment should the awards ceremony drag on.KJ Smith: Most Revealing!Bennett Raglin/Getty ImagesThe pregnant actress not only showed off her baby bump in a chartreuse gown with stomach cutouts, but also revealed the child’s gender (it’s a girl!) in an interview on the carpet.GloRilla: Most Skunk Stripe!Michael Tran/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesThis year, dark hair with pale streaks has made its way to the White House, the big screen, the small screen and now, thanks to the rapper, the awards season circuit.Vic Mensa: Most Nude Illusion!Emma Mcintyre/Getty ImagesIn a shirt that resembled a toned and tattooed bare chest, the rapper undoubtedly made many people look (and a few stare).Kai Cenat: Most Debonair!Bennett Raglin/Getty ImagesThe Twitch streamer looked the part of an old-Hollywood star dressed up in a classic double breasted tuxedo replete with bow tie and pocket square.Da Brat: Most ‘Derelicte’!Emma Mcintyre/Getty ImagesThe rapper’s tattered attire, which was bleached and pre-distressed, brought to mind a certain runway collection from the film “Zoolander.” More

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    Tony Awards Unforgettable Looks: Cole Escola, Nicole Scherzinger, and More

    On Sunday night, some of the biggest names in theater gathered at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan to celebrate the Tony Awards.From Hollywood royalty like George Clooney to Broadway legends like Audra McDonald — neither of whom won in their categories — there was no shortage of stars at this year’s awards.There was also no shortage of fashion. On the red carpet, there were sartorial references to past Tony winners and nods to current roles, all conveyed through cloth, beadwork and color.And, of course, it wouldn’t be live theater without at least a few costume changes.The event’s host, Cynthia Erivo, slipped in and out of at least a half-dozen outfits before the curtain closed as she belted out a parody version of a “Dreamgirls” song in a purple sequined number. That was another homage, lest you forget, as Ms. Erivo won a Tony in 2016 for her star turn in “The Color Purple.” Showbiz — it isn’t always subtle!Of all the stars who graced the seats of Radio City on Sunday, here are a dozen whose attire stood out among the ensemble cast.Cole Escola: Most ’90s Nostalgia!Evan Agostini/Invision, via Associated PressWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Why Luxury Brands and Performers Like Beyoncé Are Seeking Willo Perron’s Designs

    Perhaps you’ve seen Beyoncé soaring over crowds in a floating horseshoe at her Cowboy Carter tour performances, or riding a metallic mechanical bull. If you’ve wondered who came up with those stunts, the answer involves Willo Perron.“She really is, in my eyes, the last of a type of an entertainer-performer,” Mr. Perron, the tour’s stage designer, said over tea at Corner Bar, a restaurant on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, in April. “Really, I’ve never seen somebody work so diligently.”He was speaking with the perspective of someone who has also worked with Rihanna (on her Super Bowl LVII halftime show), with Drake (on the Aubrey and the Three Migos tour) and with Florence and the Machine (on the group’s High As Hope tour).“It makes you have to kind of show up at such a high level all the time,” Mr. Perron said of working with Beyoncé. “And it’s good, it’s like playing a sport with somebody who is much better than you. Hopefully, it makes you a little bit better yourself.”Mr. Perron, 51, is one of those people who is hard to put a label on professionally — the type of creative mind whose fluency in various mediums has led some to call him a cultural polymath and others a world builder.“What I do is like planting seeds with no expectations,” he said. “Just constantly planting seeds and planting seeds. And then if something grows, then I give it attention. And then simultaneously, this thing will grow over here and I’ll give that a little bit of attention.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Everything Millennial Is Cool Again

    JNCO Jeans, big hair, “Sex and the City” and recession pop: Peak Millennial is back and the era’s trends are taking on a new life.They trolled us for being old when we hit our 30s, old-fashioned for remembering a time before email and for being “cringe” as we kept wearing our skinny jeans and ankle socks.Oh, how the tables have turned.Gen Z and younger generations are picking up where we, their (slightly) older counterparts, left off in the 2000s.The Gen Z girlies are watching “Sex and the City” and living their best Carrie Bradshaw lifestyles. Those Facebook albums of blurry photos of a night out? They’re back, repackaged as an Instagram “photo dump.” Ditto for big hair and wired headphones.“I do like seeing how a younger generation interprets an older trend when it comes back around,” said Erin Miller, 35, a TikTok creator and self-proclaimed 1990s and 2000s historian. She wasn’t surprised that many trends loved by millennials were making a comeback. “Does it remind me of my age? Yes.”But that’s not to say everything is the same. Millennials (typically those born from the early 1980s to the late ’90s) had infomercials and mail-order. Gen Z and Alpha have TikTok makeup tutorials and fast fashion. Bradshaw’s cosmopolitan has been exchanged for an Aperol spritz.Members of generations Z and Alpha are putting their own mark on once-ubiquitous phenomena, and according to Ms. Miller, they’re the winners: “I think they are doing it better.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More