Colleen Atwood shares SWATH sketches

You may not know her name, but chances are, you've admired Colleen Atwood’s work. The costume designer has won three Oscars for her contributions to Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha and Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Most recently, she applied her wardrobe magic to , ELLE cover star Kristen Stewart’s forthcoming film.

The familiar story takes on a darker, more militant cast in the new retelling. Walt Disney’s wicked queen becomes Charlize Theron’s Ravenna, a sorceress of a monarch motivated by resentment of men and fear of her mortality. As Snow White, Stewart transforms from the pretty daughter of the fairytale into an escaped prisoner destined to avenge her father’s death. Atwood’s costumes played a significant role in redefining the characters.

‘It was exciting to know we had some [different] dimensions to explore,’ she told us. ‘The fantasy level as well as the depiction of non-cliché queens and princesses was liberating for all of us, so we took it from there.’

Atwood drew inspiration from library resources, museums, books, web research and raw materials to create costumes that are striking in their intricacy. Ravenna wears a raven-feather cape, weapons-grade crowns and at least one gown with a bird-skull-adorned neckline.

Snow White’s garb evolves in a more warrior-like direction as she gains confidence, moving from a puff-sleeved gown to a tunic and breeches, and finally, to a fierce yet flattering coat of armour. ‘It is armour that is pieced together by the people of the kingdom, so it has a lighter feel than most,’ Atwood explained.

Not that her work was limited to Stewart and Theron. Challenges of the project included outfitting peasants, knights (enchanted and real), archers and dwarves.

‘We had so many levels of society