Streisand / Movies

Designer Ray Aghayan spoke with writer Ellie Schultz in March 1974 about beginning his work on Funny Lady costumes. “Funny Lady for Barbra Streisand is set in the late 30s and early 40s. We had to capture that look, but also had to show Fanny Brice's personality. Since Streisand is the actress portraying Brice, the final look has to be a meld of the two. I have to bring the two together,” he explained.

As for working with Streisand, Aghayan said “We're working well together. She's like most women. She knows what is best for her.”

Ray Aghayan and Bob Mackie described the task of creating forty complete outfits for Funny Lady as “herculean.” They also had to create 1930s-style dresses and suits, hats, gloves, scarves and shoes.

“We had the shoes specially made,” Aghayan stated, “and the styles of that period are highly flattering, with their high heels and graceful, natural toes. We concentrated on hats, too. They can be so glamourous and smart, it's a shame they passed out of favor for so long.”

Bob Mackie added that “Fanny Brice was a most interesting woman. Onstage, she was a garishly dressed comedienne; offstage, she was a cultured lady with elegant taste. So, in effect, we had to design two separate wardrobes for Barbra. Her stage clothes are done in bright hues, and her personal clothes in the film are in subdued colors. We used only natural fabrics because that was the kind of material available in those days, and the costumes received the finest workmanship.”

The beading in Streisand’s costume for the number “Great Day” took one and a half weeks, and the bodice was so ingeniously cut that only one seam was needed.

“[Barbra is] fantastic,” Aghayan remarked. “She pre-planned for days ahead and came in with just the right shade of nail polish or eye shadow or lipstick. Sometimes the color difference is very subtle, but the little change can actually mean a lot.”

Mackie said that Barbra is “very critical of herself and has done a lot of self-study. She really knows, for example, which are her best colors.”

Mackie and Aghayan were nominated for an Academy Award in 1976 for their costume design for Funny Lady.

 END / FUNNY LADY.