Interview: Tom Davies on creating 120 eyewear designs for the film ‘Cruella’
Disney’s most fashionable villain gets her turn in the spotlight in the live-action Cruella, in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access today. The titular character, played by Emma Stone, seeks to make a name for herself in the cutthroat world of high fashion, working at the atelier of the intimidating Baronness von Hellman, played by Emma Thompson.
Accompanying the couture-level costumes by Jenny Beavan, Estella (who becomes the notorious Cruella de Vil) and the Baroness face off in bespoke eyewear created by Tom Davies. The London-based eyewear designer hand-crafted the custom frames, ensuring that the glasses worn by the leading ladies were perfectly suited to their features—both physically and in terms of their drama-inclined characters.
Working with Beavan, Davies ultimately designed 120 glasses for the film, not only creating a suite of frames to reflect the evolution of Estella to Cruella but also providing frames for nearly every cast member. The glasses seamlessly top the costumes, which channel the ‘70s punk revolution that defined the period of the movie. From retro cat-eye silhouettes to statement sunglasses, the frames reference the era while maintaining a modern feel.
Known for his bespoke eyewear, which requires precise measurements so the glasses fit perfectly for the individual, Davies’ attention to detail shines through in Cruella’s glasses. The designer personally crafted a number of the frames for the movie, and he also innovated with an old-fashioned acetate press that allowed him to handmake the raw materials, a technique that he has now incorporated into his design process.
To go along with the film’s release, Davies is holding a competition in which contestants can channel their own Cruella and submit a sunglasses design to be handmade by his top craftsperson. Twenty runners up will also get a valuable prize in the form of sunglasses worn by Cruella in the movie.
Here, Davies speaks with L’OFFICIEL about how he reflected the personalities of the main characters through eyewear, how ubiquitous glasses were in the 1970s, and more.
You created multiple pairs of glasses specifically for Emma Stone’s character. How did the frames reflect her transformation from Estella to Cruella?
Tom Davies: I was privileged to read an early version of the script and what first struck me is how likable Estella is as a character, especially at the start. Being a Disney fan, I imagined that as an origin movie you are not going to like this character. But I did and so I went for an open and soft round frame which is a bit younger, cooler and approachable for when we first spend time with her. There is an innocence about the shape. As the movie progresses and Estella starts to become Cruella, the frames become a little more spikey like a cat eye. This reflects her growing confidence but it's a very subtle change. A few frames I created for her caricature were there to help disguise her but I don't want to spoil the story line.
What did you create for Emma Thompson’s Baroness? How did you want her glasses to juxtapose Estella/Cruella's?
Tom Davies: The Baroness was the original reason I was called in. There is a sequence which calls for a glamorous and extravagant sunglass. There is a real hero shot you can see in the trailer where the entire screen is filled with these frames. The sunglasses needed to be epic. The Baroness is a world famous, highly creative fashion designer and the frames needed to live up to that. They loved them so much that I was asked to make more frames for the Baroness and instinctively I went for very pointy and sharp cat eye frames. When I'm bespoking for a real customer, I always think about the emotion of a frame and with the Baroness it was so much fun helping communicate her character through eyewear. As the movie progresses, the Baroness gets more nervous and her eyewear reflects this, getting more severe and exaggerated.
What was it like collaborating with costume designer Jenny Beavan?
Tom Davies: Everything I mentioned about the journey for both lead characters was led by Jenny. She is an Oscar-winning designer for a reason and this was her vision for the characters. Jenny is someone who really understands the power eyewear has to communicate and enhance characters. She also knows when not to use it. There are a lot of eyewear in this film because of Jenny, but if I'd had my way, every single character would be in spectacles [laughs]. I was definitely part of Jenny's team and took her lead. It was an honor to work with her.
The movie is set in London in the '70s—what was the significance of eyewear during this period? What were the popular styles?
Tom Davies: I was looking through archive footage from Liberty department store from the 1970s for inspiration. I was amazed at how many customers were wearing glasses in the photos. In the 1970s there were no contact lenses, no laser surgery, and therefore almost everyone over the age of 40 and at least half the 30 year olds wore glasses. They were far more fashionable than you see today. So many statement pieces of all shapes and sizes. The sharper cat eye frames were mostly seen on older ladies, as frames kept going from the previous decade. The younger ladies wore larger oversized glasses which have more in common with today's sunglasses. I fell in love with 1970s eyewear and it's already had an influence on my 2021 collection.
Will any of the frames in the movie go into production with your brand or are they one-of-a-kind?
Tom Davies: Some of the frames in the film were based on styles in my collection, so yes, you can already buy them. However, the majority were bespoke to the characters and the period. Most people are not ready for the drama in these frames.
You've worked on other films where glasses have been central to the characters' costumes, like Clark Kent's in Superman V Batman: Dawn of Justice—what sets galsses apart from other accessories/fashion in creating a character's visual identity?
Tom Davies: Glasses define you. I say that to my customers as much as costume directors. There are so many subtleties which your average customer is not aware of but help communicate emotions and personalities in a way no item of clothing can or ever does. Movies are not willing to compromise on this in a way most people do. Your brain can and does instantly place a character based on how they are dressed, and especially in movies, the eyewear is a major part of this. The sort of eyewear people have usually reflects their personality, so getting this right in a movie is critical. What was unusual about Cruella is that at first, eyewear was not on the agenda, but after a few meetings with Jenny, she agreed with me that it would be a missed opportunity not to embrace eyewear as part of the overall look and feel of the film.
