1. As the costume designer what sort of preparation was required before creating outfits? Did you read the book? Were you given a certain direction from producers? I did not read the book for I was told it was quite different.

The starting point is ALWAYS the same…I collect random ideas and make mood boards. Those mood boards inspires me when designing new fantastic of futuristic costumes and serve as guide lines when choosing costume of the rack or when renting period ones from costume rental houses.

For a non-contemporary kind of show, which is the case with MAZE RUNER, I always start by collecting images… all sorts of images, from all sorts of medias. Books, magazines, Internet… They don’t have to relate to costume… they can be anything as long as they remind of something interesting, original and inspiring for the show or the characters and their environment. Those references can be colours, textures, vintage photos, lines, shapes, stitches, fabrics, yarns… rotten pieces of fabric… decaying pieces of wood… anything.

Then, I divide them in groups and make specific mood boards, which will eventually inspire me, and the crew when it is time to design, cut, sew, dye, distress the costume. During the whole process of getting the costume done, I always go back to those initial mood boards. They are of a great help to visualize and share my ideas. They also serve very well as example and selling pieces. Since I’m not so “fluent” in any languages, “One image means 1000 words”.

… I usually use them when I first meet the director.

My first guide always comes from the director. He’s the one who either describe what kind of world, images, and vision he wants to achieve. Sometime what also help when direction has not found yet its “revelation” is to know what he does NOT want or dislike. Then you can play around that. I just finished a show with Roland Emmerick who can NOT stand BROWN. So everything was possible but BROWN!!

After, there is also the time I spend with my actors… That helps a lot. I usually am the first person they get to meet when they get out of the plane. They very often have NO idea what so ever they are about to jump in. That is why I never try much during my first fitting session. Most of the time, I show them my mood boards and explain them my vision… the director’s vision. From there, they have a better understanding and they even some times make suggestion. I love t when they do that. It makes them in a way responsible of their own look and costumes, making it easier to morph in to their character.

Sometimes, it can be tiny details that only me and the actor knows about.  For example putting a ring in his necklace reminds him the wife or the mother it belongs to. Or leaving a small object in a pocket… as simple as that

The tricky thing on MAZE RUNNER was to respect not only Wess’s vision but also the producers who were showing a completely different approach with the costumes. Negotiations were not easy.

There was no specific theme to follow but more guidelines I wanted to respect and most of all sell to Wess and producers. It was important that the show was going to age well visually. Dressing the characters with popular brands and fashionable cuts was something I wanted to avoid. When watching the show in 10 years from now has to feel as is the movie has not aged at all. I wanted it to feel timeless making the audience wonder who are the boys, when is this happening, where are they?… puzzling them visually.

Also, the boys are meant to be survivors with excellent skills, which makes them perfect candidate in recycling what ever has been shipped through that elevator. Every bags, container, tin can, animal feathers or skin is recycled and transformed to become something useful. Based on that, thousand of ideas came in mind.

If you look at what they are wearing, you’ll realize that it could be set any time during the 20^th century until today. They are wearing Henley tops which are in facts reproduction of 19^th century men underwear. Chino pants have existed since the early 20^th, their running shoes are Palladium shoes which were invented also in the early century.

3. Where were most of the Gladers other items of clothes from? Boots, pants, Theresa’s outfit etc.

Chinos were DOCKERS
Henleys were from HOMESPUN
Sneakers were PALLADIUM
Hooded tops are ZARA men

4. Most of this clothing worn in the film have been aged and distressed heavily. What were the main processes the costuming crew did take part in to create this look?

During the MAZE RUNNER we went through weeks of clothes distressing testing and sampling until we reached the right level. The Gladers did not have much when arriving in the Glade, therefore every piece of clothes they had was repaired, transformed, stitched and re-stitched… even passed on younger boys who were smaller in age and size. When you’re 12 you grow fast and your clothes soon don’t fit you anymore.

Original colours were “fakely” sun bleached to different degrees depending on when the boys had arrived. The longer the more bleached and faded.

This sort of treatment does not happen very often in contemporary movies.

5. It is reported that the leather holsters and breast plates were custom made for the film. What were the main considerations related to making these?

As for their hand made harnesses, they are timeless. I have designed these particular pieces for practical reasons as well as because it looks so cool! The runners needed at all time to have their hands and feet free for climbing, grabbing things, run and defending/escaping them self against the Grievers. Their harnesses served to hold and carry whichever accessories, water, map, and tools they needed without being a burden or in their way.

During fittings the harnesses were the very first things each boys wanted to put on… It was quite funny… They felt like they were wearing some sort or armour or chest plate. It was some sort of a competition of who was wearing the cooler stuff. They all wanted more but Wess kept it simple.