The exhibit begins with looks from Powell’s earliest costume work —
Caravaggio (1986), her first film, and
Orlando (1993), the first feature she was nominated for — to her more recent projects like
The Irishman. Some of the visual standouts include the dress that 11-year-old Kirsten Dunst wore in
Interview with the Vampire and Jonathan Rhys Myers’ glam-rock looks from
Velvet Goldmine that have been in and out of costume rental companies for the last 25-plus years (which Powell notes is the reason why the costumes look “a little bit worn”). The literal jewel of the room is the ballgown worn by Lily James in Disney’s 2015 live-action remake of
Cinderella which required a team of 20 people, 550 hours, 10,000 Swarovski crystals, and 270 yards of fabric to make, the latter of which earned a
Guinness World Record. (Powell’s work on Robert De Niro’s wardrobe in
The Irishman also had a
record number of costume changes, though she jokingly hesitates to take credit: “That’s a testament to [De Niro] because imagine having how many fittings he had to have?!”)