Oscars 2015: Costume secrets from award-winning designer Colleen Atwood
The 66-year-old Hollywood veteran could win her 4th Oscar at Sunday's Academy Awards
You may not know Colleen Atwood, but you most certainly know her work.
The three-time Oscar-winning costume designer is the creative hand behind Hannibal Lecter's terrifying mask in Silence of the Lambs, and she's behind many of the fantastical outfits in Tim Burton's weirdly wonderful films, such as 1990's Edward Scissorhands and 2010's Alice in Wonderland, for which she won her third Academy Award.
Several of the movie's costumes, including Meryl Streep's memorable witches costume, are on display at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, giving fans an up-close look at the intricate creations.
"It's layers of textiles sprayed with paraffin and it's leather cording and [it's all] sewn onto a very sheer crinkle chiffon," said Atwood describing the elaborate construction of Streep's dark gown.
"Then it's layered over leather that has been laser cut and backed on to a metallic to give it a little bit of kick from the back, to lighten it up in the environment that she was in that's very dark."
In the video above, Atwood walks CBC's Kim Brunhuber through the secrets of Streep's transformation, and explains how bondage played a role in the creation of another costume.
Kim is in Los Angeles for the Academy Awards and will be live blogging from the parties, the red carpet and behind the scenes starting Saturday. Watch for full coverage, including photo galleries and all the winners on CBCNews.ca/arts.