How "A Wrinkle in Time" designed trio of characters' elaborate outfits By Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.20.18 Word Count 726 Level 840L Image 1. "It was a lot of metal and silver - all these things that reflect a powerful woman," says costume designer Paco Delgado of Oprah Winfrey's character. Photo by: Atsushi Nishijima/Walt Disney Pictures Oprah Winfrey is known as a strong woman in business. It seems fitting that she plays Mrs. Which in Ava DuVernay's movie based on the book, "A Wrinkle in Time." The character's skills match Winfrey's level of influence. The movie's costume designer and makeup team worked together to give the character an air of power. LaLette Littlejohn, head of the makeup department, said, "We tried to make her look as strong as possible." Mrs. Which appears with Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling). They lead young Meg (Storm Reid) and others on a journey. Their mission is to rescue the girl's scientist father (Chris Pine) from evil forces in space. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1
The three Mrs. W's dress in elaborate outfits with heavy makeup and big hairdos. Each look represents their personalities and stories. Here are some of their most interesting looks and the inspiration behind them. Oprah Winfrey (Mrs. Which) This look is one of costume designer Paco Delgado's favorites. Mrs. Which appears as a shimmering light most of the time. Delgado drew from ideas like volcano explosions while dressing her like a human. "It was a lot of metal and silver, all these things that reflect a powerful woman," he said. They put a special type of light-up cloth in some dresses to make them glow from inside, he said. Derrick Rutledge, Winfrey's makeup artist, designed rhinestone eyebrows for each Mrs. Which outfit. He created them by setting metal pieces and jewels on lace. Rutledge chose colors to go with Delgado's designs. Each eyebrow pair took about an hour and a half to make. "I always started with the left eyebrow, and once that was done," he explained, "I'd say, 'Now I have to take a little break.' And then I would do the same for the right eyebrow." Delgado came up with a cage-like structure for Mrs. Which, which he described as "almost like armor." It was like clothing to protect the person wearing it, he said. Mrs. Which's shiny makeup showed her ties to the stars. "That's why her eyebrows were rhinestones and everything was glitter," Littlejohn said. Mindy Kaling (Mrs. Who) Kaling plays Mrs. Who and quotes famous thinkers and literature. Delgado saw her as a "super librarian of the universe." Her garments showed this worldly view. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2
"Japanese ideas or South American embroidery or African prints were basically the idea," he said. "All these different cultures in the world that she knew so well." It's not unusual to see Kaling in crazy prints. Her character on "The Mindy Project," which ended in November, wore bright outfits on the show. Mrs. Who's makeup has less glitter than Mrs. Which's. Her painted lips, dark eyelashes and rosy cheeks give a doll-like appearance. That was the idea, said Littlejohn. Mrs. Who is in close-up shots as she quotes poetry to Meg and her companions, she said. The makeup team chose a less harsh look that the young characters and audiences would like. "So I said, a doll," Littlejohn explained. Mrs. Who's detailed hairstyle was designed by Kimberly Kimble. The hairstyle copies her quilted clothing. Reese Witherspoon (Mrs. Whatsit) Mrs. Whatsit is good at spending time with children because of her motherly nature. She changes into a winged creature on the planet Uriel. Her dresses were made of lighter fabrics like silk. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3
"When she moved, everything moved with her in the wind," Delgado said. "I was looking up images of the tails of goldfish and how they were waving with the water, and butterflies and flowers." Mrs. Whatsit has bright hair. However, her makeup is often just shiny lips and matching eyeshadow. Delgado said he worked with Littlejohn and Kimble on the looks. They would see each other's plans and keep sharing ideas, he said. The settings affected their decisions as well. The characters went to a number of planets, each one different in its appearance. Their looks had to fit them all. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4
Quiz 1 Read the section "Oprah Winfrey (Mrs. Which)." Which sentence from the section shows WHY Delgado wanted Mrs. Which to be dressed in metallic clothes? Delgado drew from ideas like volcano explosions while dressing her like a human. "It was a lot of metal and silver, all these things that reflect a powerful woman," he said. He created them by setting metal pieces and jewels on lace. Delgado came up with a cage-like structure for Mrs. Which, which he described as "almost like armor." 2 Read the selection from the section "Mindy Kaling (Mrs. Who)." "Japanese ideas or South American embroidery or African prints were basically the idea," he said. "All these different cultures in the world that she knew so well." Which of the following is the MOST accurate explanation of this paragraph? Delgado thought it was important for Mrs. Who's costume to look like a map of the world. Delgado thought Mrs. Who's costume should look like she was not from the U.S. Delgado wanted Mrs. Who's costume to reflect her knowledge about the world. Delgado wanted Mrs. Who to be dressed like people from all over the world. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5
3 Read the paragraph from the introduction [paragraphs 1-6.] The three Mrs. W's dress in elaborate outfits with heavy makeup and big hairdos. Each look represents their personalities and stories. What is the meaning of the word "elaborate" as it is used in the paragraph above? expensive beautiful detailed formal 4 Read the sentence from the section "Reese Witherspoon (Mrs. Whatsit)." Mrs. Whatsit is good at spending time with children because of her motherly nature. Which sentence uses "nature" in the SAME way as the sentence above? Her mother thought the drawing was true to nature. The hikers found it peaceful to be among nature. It was her generous nature that he admired most. The wolf does not usually live alone in nature. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 6