Written by Lilli Donohue, Photos by Madelyn Conlin-Day and Meg Aki
Clint Ramos’s relationship with Aretha Franklin’s music goes way back. His mother was a huge fan and his parents would dance to her songs every Sunday. “[It was] the soundtrack of my childhood,” he said. The connection to Franklin and her music inspired Ramos and it really shows throughout the entirety of ‘Respect.’
A lot of research goes into documentaries. Getting the costuming right for Franklin’s youth was particularly difficult. Even though she came from a “gentil” family, there are hardly any photos of her pre-fame. Ramos envisioned what she would have worn, getting cues by researching Black church’s photo archives from the 1950s and 1960s. “African Americans are independent dressers,” Ramos said, “They have an exuberance and uniqueness that can be found even today in church settings.” He wanted to dramatize this in Franklin’s early days, pumping up period ware and moving closer to the clothing of the 1950s rather than the 1960s.
Another challenge the costume designer faced was abstracting Franklin and channeling that into Jennifer Hudson, who exquisitely played “The Queen of Soul.” In response to this challenge Ramos said, “The pretty gowns, we can do that. How do we have Jennifer also have ownership over it?” Hudson was very involved in character research but also made the role her own.
A big part of Franklin’s wardrobe was the Amsterdam Dress.
The Amsterdam Dress, one of her favorite pieces in her wardrobe, was important to get right. Ramos had only seen black and white photos of the shift dress, so the color was a guessing game. He envisioned it as a pale pink, almost peach color when later they found a copy of the same dress in metallic gold. It was actually a piece off the rack but they decided to make one special for Hudson and keep the pale pink. The fabric was recreated using a grid of silk ribbon and intricate beading, so intricate it was finished just days before shooting Hudson’s scenes.
The costuming was a huge part of this movie. It carried the timeline seamlessly through Franklin’s life. Ramos also described it as a sort of “armor” for the singer. As she envelops herself in furs and success, she also creates distance from her demons. This was an important aspect of her wardrobe for Ramos.
About costuming, he said, “I fell in love with storytelling.” Through clothing, people are able to send a message, or in this case another layer to a beautiful and inspiring movie. For more on Clint Ramos’ perspective and process, watch our full interview with him here.
