About Town : Rambling Reporter

Black Swan Feathers Flying There’s a long history of fashion designers creating costumes for stars above and beyond what a film’s costume designer does — and not getting the credit they crave. The most famous example: Edith Head winning an Oscar for 1954’s Sabrina, leaving Hubert de Givenchy empty-handed. The French couturier designed all of Audrey Hepburn’s wardrobe for the film, and really, what else was there? The most recent example is Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy creating Natalie Portman’s ballerina looks for Black Swan and getting a backend credit, while costume designer Amy Westcott received the “costumes by” front credit. Have you noticed the trio has done no press together? It seems feathers were ruffled. A source tells us the Mulleavy sisters were “naive about movies” and didn’t negotiate credits in their initial deal. They also weren’t members of the Costume Designers Guild (they are now). We hear Fox Searchlight wanted to submit both parties for Oscar consideration, but guild rules say only the official designer is eligible for a nom. Now the sisters are repped by WME and seeking movie projects outside of producing the chic Rodarte line — and this time, they want their names up front. Neither Westcott nor Rodarte were available for comment.