SHOPSTYLER JOURNAL
Will a biopic on Maria Callas start a trend dedicated to Callas?
In the shoes of Maria Callas Who was Maria Callas? Many of us wonder. Pablo Larraín's latest film, scheduled to premiere in theaters in February 2025, attempts to lift the veil on the mystery of "La Divina." Focusing on the last years of her life when she lived in Paris. The lead role is given to Angelina Jo…
In the shoes of Maria Callas
Who was Maria Callas? Many of us wonder. Pablo Larraín's latest film, scheduled to premiere in theaters in February 2025, attempts to lift the veil on the mystery of "La Divina." Focusing on the last years of her life when she lived in Paris. The lead role is given to Angelina Jolie, who for the occasion dresses up in a thousand and one costumes, each of which reveals in its own way something of the diva's intimacy. "Fashion is an art form. Maria Callas was a fashion icon: it was important to do a good job with the costumes," says Pablo Laraín, after promoting Maria at numerous festivals.
Maria Callas - 1957.
This is not the first time Pablo Larraín has dedicated a film to a famous woman. In 2016, he dedicated his biopic to Jackie Kennedy, and in 2021, he dedicated his feature film Spencer to Lady Dee. To bring Maria Callas to life, the director turned to Italian costume designer Massimo Cantini Parini, who has one of Europe's most impressive archives of historical clothing. "Lucky for me, Maria Callas was one of the most photographed women in the world: that helps!" explains the costume designer. Massimo Cantini Parini designed no less than 60 outfits for the film. Some of them are reproductions of iconic looks, like the dress worn by the diva at John F. Kennedy's birthday party. Kennedy, or the costume worn for "Medea" at Milan's La Scala.
Angelina Jolie
Maria Callas maintained close relationships with the greatest designers of her time, from Christian Dior to Yves Saint Laurent. "She had strong opinions about what she wanted to wear on stage," notes the director. However, as Massimo Cantini Parini points out, the process of creating the costumes was "long and difficult", given the limited access to the star's original clothes. "I'm a perfectionist. I'm a real stickler for details." The other big challenge facing the film? The paucity of images relating to the last days of Maria Callas' life - the days during which much of the film takes place. "I had fun being her stylist during the last week of her life," says the costume designer, who ultimately relied on a black palette, coats and wide-brimmed hats.
Angelina Jolie
For the scenes in which Maria works with her vocal teacher, Pablo Laraín wants her to wear a kind of camouflage: "It's a process that remains in the shadows. She wants to be invisible." In the golden corridors of her apartment - adds the costume designer - she wears a fluffy crocheted outfit, something like a chrysanthemum. In the last few weeks of her life, she wasn't doing very well. I wanted to show how her clothes were trying to protect her."
Callas -1959
However, a costume is nothing without the actor or actress wearing it. After sending his sketches to Angelina Jolie, Massimo Cantini Parini traveled to Los Angeles to meet the actress, which he described as a "magnificent meeting." "Angelina Jolie particularly liked the softer ensembles. The opera looks were impressive, but in truth I particularly liked the hand-knitted dress. It's one that reminds me of Maria, who I love so much." As the costume designer points out, today's stars don't dress like they did in Maria Callas' time. Instead of borrowing pieces or asking for tailored fits, the diva has collected clothes: "What you wore in those days represented you. At that time, both Maria and I knew how to dress to go out. We wore something special and personal at the same time."
Image from Erdem's Autumn-Winter 2024-2025 show, inspired by Maria Callas
Image from Erdem's Autumn-Winter 2024-2025 show, inspired by Maria Callas
A fashion icon for generations, Maria Callas continues to influence designers. Presented in front of the marbles of the Parthenon at the British Museum to the sound of the diva's voice, Erdem's autumn-winter 2024-2025 show featured a new interpretation of Medea's wardrobe. And between the Greek draping of Maria Grazia Chiuri's couture collection inspired by the Olympic Games and Richard Quinn's Spring-Summer 2025 show, Calas Cor seems to be gradually establishing itself as a trend. "I was always fascinated by the connections between the characters Maria Callas played on stage and her personal style, the contrast between her greatness on stage and her personal vulnerability," explains designer Erdem Moralioglu.