‘How Executives Dress’ Brings Filmmakers’ Trend to the Frontline

Hayao Miyazaki is renowned for putting off white aprons on top of any outfit he’d chosen for the Studio Ghibli movies, including a white blazer and a wool vest. And almost earned a sports hat as a signature in his most recognizable film roles, such as Malcolm X and Do the Right Thing.

When it comes to Hollywood clothing, there’s no question that the government has its vision trained strongly on celebrities ‘ styled, curated, very remarkable looks on and off the red carpet. But behind the scenes, managers have their own sense of fashion that’s worth their salt, to. Input: How Managers Dress: On Set, In the Edit, and Down the Red Carpet, a fresh coffee table book created by @directorfits Instagrammer Hagop Kourounian, Screen Slate editor in chief Jon Dieringer, style contributor Charlie Porter, and movie critic Caitlin Quinlan. The tome, published by A24, features over 200 images of directors sticking out on set in their everyday outfits, which are still immediately recognizable against the sea of costumes. The book includes essays from fashion journalists like Lynn Yeager and Lauren Sherman as well as a foreword from The Souvenir filmmaker Joanna Hogg. Yohji Yamamoto, who was the subject of Wim Wenders ‘ documentary Notebook on Cities and Clothes, whose afterword is all about the designer’s life and personal sense of style, is included in How Directors Dress‘s afterword. Yamamoto, therefore, is in a unique position to speak from both sides of the aisle:” Wearing a well- cut jacket and pants, a white tie, and a white shirt is typically formal”, he writes. Because of how strong the formal component is, it becomes difficult to identify who they are or what they do. It becomes boring. Wearing those clothes at the Cannes Film Festival signifies,’ I’m successful. I’m walking the red carpet.’ That does n’t appeal to me.

A look at some of the best “fits” from How Directors Dress is provided below.

Sofia Coppola on the set of Marie Antoinette—wearing her signature Charvet button- down.

David Lean on the set of Ryan’s Daughter.

Marielle Heller and Tom Hanks on the set of her 2019 Mister Rogers biopic, It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

Pedro Almodóvar with his cast on the set of Kika.

John Singleton on the Shaft set.

Steven Spielberg on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’s 1984 set.

On the Boogie Nights set, Paul Thomas Anderson.

Andrei Tarkovsky

A look inside How Directors Dress: On Set, In the Edit, and Down the Red Carpet.