Tech-Savvy Designers Are the Ticket in Hollywood

Andy Wilkes, owner of Syren apparel in Los Angeles, said he feels like a firefighter sometimes. At any moment, he may receive a phone call from a movie studio or costume designer asking him and his crew to come to the aid of a fashion emergency on the set. In one case, a leading actress had quit her role and a wardrobe for the new actress was needed—right away. In another case, a stuntwoman damaged a costume, which needed to be replaced or repaired—also right away.

Wilkes is one of several Los Angeles apparel designers who supply the entertainment industry with garments that are produced locally and quickly. He is able to respond promptly partly because of his adeptness in technology. A master of computer-aided design software and various other 3-D and graphics applications, he can pump out the most intricate costume in a few hours if needed. “We work all night if necessary,” he said.

In most cases, Wilkes and his five-member staff have a few weeks to produce garments for Hollywood. That is still a fast turnaround compared with the production time required for his Syren line, a specialized collection of handmade alternative fashions featuring form-fitting latex dresses, corsets and other numbers popular with boutiques, special-order businesses and, of course, the entertainment industry.

Wilkes provided the sexy corset Angelina Jolie wore during the dominatrix scene in 20th Century Fox’s current release “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” He was also responsible for Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman suit in 1992’s “Batman Returns” and provided the slick blue rubber dress for Jennifer Garner in “Alias” that is now featured on action figures and trading cards.

Designing such garments on a computer allows Wilkes to make alterations with the click of a mouse. He’s mastered 3-D applications such as Haute Couture from Montreal-based PAD System Technologies Inc., animation applications from Maya Technologies and cloth simulators from Syflex LLC.

“He’s overcome the myth that you can’t do haute couture or high fashion on a computer,” said PAD vice president Kristine Gloviak. “He can drape like Narciso Rodriguez does and can use our made-to-measure [application] to the utmost.”

Wilkes said his technological know-how is rooted in his education at the London School of Fashion. He has 25 years of experience in the industry. “I’ve always been interested in design and look at how to use an analog skill and make it computerized,” he said.

Wilkes is one of PAD’s beta testers, a user who tries out new applications before they are released to the general marketplace.

His advanced 3-D techniques had him in New York recently designing outfits for 120 animated characters in an upcoming movie that some say is expected to outdo Disney/Pixar’s “The Incredibles,” the Oscar-winning animated film that utilized PAD’s pattern design program to design clothing for the characters. “The Incredibles” broke ground because it was among the first movies to use CAD and animation technology to make clothing more lifelike. For the first time, audiences saw creases and ripples on the clothing of animated figures. Wilkes is among those hoping to pioneer animation principals for apparel design.

“3-D is a new thing. There’s going to be a learning curve,” he said. “It’s part of a new paradigm where you can view all the iterations before you make a sample. You can use it for display and merchandise by making a 3-D model of your fit model or mannequin. You can share it between designers and sales staff [who] might be on the road. It’s a new way of communicating.”

While Wilkes touts the use of technology in apparel manufacturing, he said the human element is the foundation. “The best patterns made on a computer come from the best pattern-making. Technology is a set of tools to help improve accuracy,” he said.

Wilkes expects to remain in demand both with his retail accounts and Hollywood’s movie makers, but he said his profession is under threat as many film companies migrate to Canada, North Carolina and other locales in search of generous tax incentives. Wilkes and others have been pushing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to return those incentives to California but are still waiting. —Robert McAllister