From The Straits Times    |

There’s no doubt about it, the movie of 2013 will be Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. As if it wasn’t enough that Luhrmann – best known for the breathtakingly beautiful Moulin Rouge – is directing it, the titular characters will be played by Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire, more reason to watch the movie when it opens here on May 16.

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Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. Photo: The Great Gatsby

But beyond the stellar cast and director, all eyes are bound to be on the costumes of the flapper-era movie, and when the news broke that Prada would be designing the cocktail gowns, we knew almost instantly that there was no way we would miss the movie for the world.

In this three-way collaboration between Miuccia Prada, Baz Luhrmann and costume designer Catherine Martin, 40 Miu Miu and Prada dresses were specially designed for the movie, all of which were inspired by runway looks from the past 20 years.

According to Martin, the costumes are a reflection of the European flair that was taking the aristocratic East Coast glitterati by storm in the 1920s.

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From left: Multi-striped sequins dress with a plastic and trimmings embroidery at the bottom (inspiration: Prada SS’11), Orange organza dress enriched with plastic fish scale-like sequin embroidery (inspiration: Prada FW’11), Miu Miu knee-length dress in octane-coloured tulle lined with matching silk cady.

“The fashions of the time saw the development of a dichotomy between those who aspired to the privileged, Ivy League look of wealthy Long Island and those who were aspiring to European glamour, sophistication and decadence. Our collaborations with Prada reflect the collision of these two aesthetics,” says Martin.

We are already in awe of the shimmering costumes and bejewelled headpieces that the characters sport in the trailers and the fact that these are bespoke Prada makes us just want to see them in high-def on the big screen.

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Radzmire dress with bustier embroidered with pearls, stones and sequin fringes. Inspired by a revisited silhouette of the 1920s, it is made contemporary by the use of modern fabrics and embroideries of the 1950s.

But until May comes around, we’ll have to contend with these sketches and imagine them in all their finery. There’s one thing we’re sure of though; our lives won’t be complete until we watch The Great Gatsby.