NeoL

＠Jimmy Marble


――”Everything Everywhere All At Once” is such an incredible ride. It’s a really crazy, wild film, but could you understand the script when you first read it?


Shirley Kurata: It was really difficult at first because there was so much information. And it was funny because I asked other people, too. I even asked Michelle Yeoh and other department heads like, “Did you fully understand the script?” and they were all like, “No, not really. But I think the Daniels know what they’re doing, so we’ll figure it out along the way.” [laughs]


――There must have been so many costumes for you to prepare since the film is set in multiverse. How did you start tackling on the project?


Shirley Kurata: So the Daniels had sent me inspiration photos, and then from there, I also created inspiration photos. They told me, “Please be creative and do what you think will work” and trusted me to come up with ideas. So I did a lot of research looking at books, magazines, blogs and movies. We knew that we were going to start off in the IRS world and be there for almost like a month, so I focused on getting all the IRS stuff together. And while we were shooting, I finished up all the costumes for some of the bigger scenes like the bagel universe and the movie star universe that we were going to shoot later on. That was very helpful because we only had about a month and a half of prep before we did the movie. We didn’t have a lot of money, either. So it was pretty challenging, especially because there are so many stunts I also had to get multiples. So it was definitely challenging getting everything, and trying to make sense of the scripts was also a whole other process [laughs.]


――How many different looks did you have to create all together?


Shirley Kurata: Definitely in the hundreds. It’s hard to say because there were some scenes that were cut, and we also had other characters and extras. Yeah, there was a lot.

――The costumes are very important in this film in a way that they kind of give the audience clues to which verse the characters are in. Were any of the costumes specified in the script?


Shirley Kurata: The Elvis suit was specified in the script, and we came up with some of them together. Some were shorter scenes, so I could reach out to designers and borrow pieces. And a lot of it for Jobu, I sort of came up with some looks in talking with them. Oh, and the golfer look, they had that scripted.


――I’ve noticed that Jeremy Scott/Adidas jacket with teddy bears that Jobu was wearing, but I assume that a lot the costumes were made from scratch?


Shirley Kurata: We had pieces made from scratch, not the entire head to toe. So like for Jobu’s bagel universe, I had the collar and the bodysuit that she wore from scratch, but then there were some pieces like the skirt that I borrowed or were already existing. Because for some of the costumes, I needed to get two, three sets of them, so I just didn’t have the time to make things from scratch. So I had to really figure out a way to customize pieces. It’s kind of some of the short cuts that I’ve learned in the low budget music video days [laughs.]


――I love Jobu’s costume in the bagel universe. Some of my other favorites are Jobu’s tartan cape-trench that she wore when she came out and Evelyn’s red sweater that says “Punk” on the back in the party scene. Which one is your favorite?


Shirley Kurata: There are so many and it sort of changes from time to time, but I do love the bagel universe costume. I also do love that punk sweater. So many people were like, “Who made that sweater? What designer is it?” And I’m telling people, I went to Chinatown and I found it there as is. That’s how I found it!


――Wow, I thought you made it!


Shirley Kurata: I thought it was very important for Michelle for her character. Evelyn doesn’t have a lot of money and I wanted to make it look real. And I thought that she would be the type of person that would shop in Chinatown, because the clothes fit Asian frame. For her and for Waymond, a lot of them were just like regular clothes, so I shopped there because it just felt right.


――That punk sweater fits Evelyn’s personality so well.


Shirley Kurata: Yeah, when I found it, I thought it was perfect. We knew we wanted her in red because it was for the Chinese New Year party. And fortunately, it was around Chinese New Year when I was shopping for it, so they actually did have a lot of red pieces. And that was one of the pieces that I found.


――It’s amazing, I feel like I’ve seen Evelyn and Waymond in Chinatown.


Shirley Kurata: Right? [laughs]

――How was working with the cast?


Shirley Kurata: They were all amazing, wonderful. Michelle [Yeoh] was so easy to work with. I was just very scared, because I was like, “This is not very glamorous outfits that I’m giving you…” But she was like, “No, this is perfect. I see this woman. Evelyn is the woman that you see walking on the street and that’s who she is.” So she understood.


――Stephanie Hsu plays Evelyn’s daughter Joy and Jobu Tupaki. What were some of the inspirations to create the costumes that communicate who each character is?


Shirley Kurata: For Joy, I just wanted her to look like a young girl that has a lot of angst and issues with her mother, and sort of rebelling. She’s more of like someone that would just shop at Urban Outfitters or thrifting and stuff like that. But then for Jobu, we could go in so many different directions. I think that I turned to a lot of Japanese fashion.


――Like Harajuku girls?


Shirley Kurata: Yeah, Harajuku style, and also the elegant gothic lolita style. And Jobu K-Pop Star, that was just kind of studying different K-Pop bands. I’m also a big fan of the costume designer, Eiko Ishioka who did “Dracula,” so I studied her designs when I was trying to come up with something for the bagel universe look. And then, of course, all those sorts of kung fu worlds that we had, I definitely had to study a lot of the movies like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and of course, Wong Kar-Wai, and just watching those looking at the colors and trying to have a world that would work for them for that.


――It’s very exciting to see that the film about an Asian immigrant family that is made by Asian crew and cast is so successful.


Shirley Kurata: It is so exciting. When I said yes to this film, I had no idea how well it would do, precisely for the reason that it’s an Asian cast. Is this film going to do well? Is it going to reach the population? Or is it going to be something that’s going to just be shown on a few theaters? I had no idea. And I think people went to go see it in the theaters by word of mouth and they all really were affected by it, and it wasn’t just Asian people. I think a lot of Asian people did though respond to it because they identified so much with it. It kind of showed Hollywood, too, that these movies can be very successful and make a lot of money and affect a large population. It doesn’t have to be just Asians watching this. So many non-Asians watch this and are very affected and profoundly affected by the movie.


――I notice that there has been a rise of Asian representation in the entertainment industry in the last few years. I read that you also designed the costumes for the Linda Lindas’ music video “Growing Up”? I was so happy to see them perform last summer here in Japan. I wish there were a band like them when I grew up.


Shirley Kurata: That’s what I said when I saw them! I definitely have wanted to start a band if I had seen them.








――How did this movie resonate with you?


Shirley Kurata: As a daughter of immigrant parents, I felt very connected to Joy. It definitely is my story, and is sort of about generational trauma. Because not only being unable to communicate in the languages that we are fluent in, but then also they are from a different generation, so they don’t always understand what’s going on. So it is definitely sometimes a challenge sort of navigating life.


――This story is so hard to explain. For Japanese movie fans who are very excited to see this film, how would you describe it in your own words?


Shirley Kurata: That’s a good question. That’s very true. I guess it is… Maybe like it’s a story about an Asian mother and her daughter trying to find sort of meaning in this sea of chaos.


――What surprised me about this film was, it’s so crazy and wild but there is a great message about kindness and empathy and it made me teary at the end.


Shirley Kurata: I knew that it was going to be really challenging to edit this film and still have it make sense. When I watched it, I thought that they did a great job because on paper it was so difficult [laughs.] They did such a great job of making it where there was a lot going on, but it was still enough to understand the main message of the movie.


――As a costume designer, which scenes would you like the audience to really pay attention to?


Shirley Kurata: There’s just so much to take in that I think the best thing is to go in not knowing anything. It’s like going on a roller coaster, so just enjoy the ride. There might be times where you don’t know what’s going on and you start wandering, but just go in for the ride and take it in that way. I think that watching it multiple times is very helpful. I’ve talked to so many people that have seen it 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 times. And for me watching it the second time and the third time was better than the first time. So I recommend doing that, too [laughs.]


――You’ve been to Japan many times. Is there any place that you always visit?


Shirley Kurata: I was just actually in Tokyo two weeks ago. Of course, I love Kyoto and Osaka, but there are so many areas just in Tokyo alone that I love, like I love shopping in Shimokitazawa. Also, there was a new area that I had never been to that’s known for used bookstores.


――Jimbo-cho?


Shirley Kurata: Yes. I just went there for the first time and there were so many cool magazines of like Olive, Popeye and some old FRUiTS issues and amazing books. I also saw some great art shows. I could go on and on [laughs.]


――What is next for you?


Shirley Kurata: I’m going to be starting a movie early next year [2023.] And it’s with an Asian female director which I’m very excited about, because I feel like there’s not enough female directors out there, especially Asian female directors. So I’m looking forward to that. And that too, will have an Asian lead in it, so that’s very exciting. I’m hoping that I continue this sort of path of just working with great creative directors, actors and talents.

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