Starring Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson, “Respect” charts the rise of the Queen of Soul. Ahead of the biopic’s release, its costume designer discusses the thinking behind Franklin’s wardrobe.
‘Respect’ Costume Designer Clint Ramos On Aretha Franklin’s Soulful Style
In the song “I Say A Little Prayer,” Aretha Franklin contemplates the love she is feeling for someone; she’s just woken up, fresh-faced, as she is combing her hair and “wondering what dress to wear.” It’s these types of intimate and unseen moments in Franklin’s life—away from the glare of the spotlight and her inimitable public persona as the Queen of Soul—that Tony Award-winning designer Clint Ramos honed in on, seeking to understand her sartorial decisions when creating the costumes for Respect.
The new biopic stars Jennifer Hudson, who was personally chosen by Franklin to portray her, with Liesl Tommy directing and a screenplay by Tracey Scott Wilson—both of whom Ramos has previously collaborated with on stage productions. Spanning around 40 years of Franklin’s life, Respect is bookended by the singer’s deep-rooted relationship with the church; starting with her father Reverend C.L. Franklin, who took his daughter on the road from the age of 11, and ending with her legendary live album recording of Amazing Grace at Los Angeles’s New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in 1972.
This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Liam Freeman
