Another Simple Favor, the sequel to the 2018 thriller-comedy A Simple Favor, premieres on Prime Video on May 1. Paul Feig returns to direct Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, who also starred in the first film.
Also returning to the franchise is Renee Ehrlich Kalfus, who designs the dishy and dapper outfits in the film, with Another Simple Favor, being set in Capri, requiring the veteran to go big and bold.
Over a video call recently, t2 chatted with the designer behind seminal films like Chocolat, Hidden Figures and many more big-ticket films, about her latest project.
Another Simple Favor premiered at the South By South West (SXSW) film festival last month. What has the feedback on the costumes been like?
There is a very big fanbase for the franchise from the first film and everyone is very thrilled with the costumes and looks of the new film. For me and my team, it has been a pretty amazing ride. We shot Another Simple Favor in Rome and Capri, and it was a beautiful experience. The story of this film is interesting, convoluted, mysterious, beautiful and glamorous and it all takes place during the course of a weekend wedding.
That must have made for a great palette for costume design...
Yes. So one of the things that Paul (Feig, director) told is that because of the first film, the expectations from Another Simple Favor were sky-high in every department.
He had a very specific storyboard in mind, and it was the wedding of Giovanna Bataliga (the global creative director of the Swarovski group) which took place in Capri in 2016. He loved the look and feel of that wedding and wanted something similar in the film. It was quite an over-the-top wedding exactly at the spot where we shot the film. I had to work on making it opulent, bold and beautiful.
The idea for the costumes in the second film was that they should be known for their boldness. It should be kind of on the surface when you see it, in your face and not subtle.
The palette is full of bold prints, bold colours and giant silhouettes. Emily’s (played by Blake Lively) skirt is big, and the veil of the wedding gown is 40ft long, when she walks down. It was dripping red crystals and was dipped in red dye. It is very, very dramatic!
What was the best piece of praise that came your way for the work on the first film?
Prior to A Simple Favor, I was known more for character-driven movies where the costumes were heightened to be always something that you aspire to, but within a framework of storytelling. I asked Paul if I could go all out in this film. And he said: ‘Oh, absolutely!’ It was fun to take it from the tailored suits and then contrast it with the sweetness of the mommy vlogger, Stephanie, which is Anna Kendrick’s character.
One of the things that evolved was the tension between the two of them (Stephanie and Emily) and the gaze that they had on one another, in the sort of way of: ‘Okay, let’s see what you are wearing’. Even as a viewer, we all could hook on to that.
One of the most attractive and compelling elements of the film was the tension and the friendship, the love-hate, the chemistry between the two.... In the second film, we were able to revisit that chemistry, trust, distrust, drama... I think that draws in audiences. The costumes, of course, then go on to help to build that, depending on the emotions that are playing out.
Were there any elements from the first film that you wanted to retain in the second?
In reintroducing her in the second film, what Emily wears when she walks into the bookshop is a direct reference from the first film. She wears a horizontal striped suit which alludes to the prison aspect of the story. She also wears very big earrings that look almost like handcuffs. She has chains around her waist. I took a direct reference from her being in prison, also because Stephanie goes: ‘Wait, aren’t you in prison?!’ But there she is, in this very beautiful suit, but it does have horizontal stripes, referencing her days in jail. It is a way of setting something up but also keeping the audience unclear about what is going on.
It has been more than 30 films for you till now, many of which have been huge projects. Is there anything specific about the work that you do that has kept you excited over the years?
The most interesting thing about my career, and maybe anybody’s career as a costume designer, is that each project is completely different. No matter what you do, no matter how many years you are at it or how many crews you put together, it is always different and exciting.
It is an esprit de corps. I don’t do any work solo. It is always a big group of people with me on any project. It is a very, very collaborative big crew, generally speaking. Or even a modest crew, I would say, at some point.
The challenge is always in staying fresh and looking at who these characters are... keeping the storytelling in mind, pushing it when needed — colour-wise, palette-wise, silhouette-wise, bravery-wise — and trying to raise it to an inspirational level so that viewers can look at it and say: ‘I would like to look like that’.
You spoke about how ‘bravery’ plays a big role in the work that you do. Is there a particular film that required a lot of courage to work on, one that made you go out on a limb?
There is probably a point in each of my projects when I have felt like that. Somewhere, somebody might say: ‘I don’t agree with this’ and then I have to decide, with maybe the actor in question and the director, that do we go with what there is or is this idea worth fighting for? The work that we do involves a lot of problem solving and you are never going to know which problems will arise. There is always a challenge, but that is what makes it such an interesting career.
The first Oscar for Costume Design was awarded in 1949, while stunt work will only make it to the Academy Awards in 2028. Despite that, do you think costume design has got the recognition it deserves?
No. And that is why I talk to everybody about what we do. It is a very underrated aspect of filmmaking, though costumes are at the forefront of every film. Costumes are something that, more often than not, influence the whole movie. I wish we were better recognised. Let’s fight for some visibility here!