Jean-Pierre Dorléac(1943-2026)

The diversified costumes of designer Jean-Pierre Dorléac have enlightened audiences worldwide with their visual concept of the 18th and 19th centuries; provided them with an accurate and honest visual history of this century and our present day; and propelled them into the futuristic galaxies of tomorrow, ... all filled with details of authenticity. Dorléac's prolific career in costume design has encompassed feature films, television, theater, rock-videos and private couture. His provocative and challenging creations range from the exotic rags and tatters assembled for The Blue Lagoon (1980), the mad, institutional designs for the West Coast premier stage production of Peter Weiss' "Marat/Sade". The gallantry and pageantry of the American Revolutionary War was seen in the television movie, The Bastard (1978), earning Dorléac his first Emmy nomination, followed by its sequel, _"Rebels, The" (1979) (mini)_. The beauty and romanticism of turn-of-the-century America, has been honestly captured in a quartet of films that include Horton Foote's Lily Dale (1996); the biographical films, Mae West (1982), and A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994); and finally, Somewhere in Time (1980), the feature that garnered him an Academy Award nomination. His depiction of the South Pacific in the 30's was nominated for an Emmy for Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982), while the 40's were explored in another woman's biographical film, Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story (1982). The 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's costumes for the NBC series, Quantum Leap (1989) were Emmy nominated for four consecutive years for their factual depiction of the quaternion. The enduring Heart and Souls (1993), showed us San Francisco in the late 50's and present day, while Universal's feature, Leave It to Beaver (1997) gave us a 'today', reminiscent of the late 50's. His striking creations for the cover of NEW YORK magazine caused a fashion media frenzy and the beguilingly-styled, high-tech Bond-ish glamour, Elizabeth Hurley wore in the television special, "THE WORLD OF JAMES BOND" was 'simply drop-dead', so said television's EXTRA. Fantasy and science-fiction have been represented through the punk, sociopathic madness of Max Headroom (1987); the vampy, cartoonish camp of _Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979)_; and the Emmy Award winning simplicity of the retro, look-into-the-future of Battlestar Galactica (1978). Dorléac's collection of work has been exhibited world wide. Benefits for AIDS Project Los Angeles have celebrated his designs, as well as the Mannequins Auxiliary of the Assistance League of Southern California with fashion shows. The Los Angeles County Museum of Arts showcased his costumes in their exhibition and book, "HOLLYWOOD AND HISTORY: COSTUME DESIGN IN FILM", as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City; La Palais de la Civilization, Montreal, Canada; and La Place Vendôme, Paris, France.