Elvis’s leather look lives again
A new biopic on Elvis has just been released by director Baz Luhrmann, starring Austin Butler as ‘The King’ and Tom Hanks as his long-time manager Colonel Tom Parker.
In addition to the narrative, culture, and nostalgia in the movie, something that stands out are the fashions and costumes.
The climax of Elvis as a performer was, arguably, in his return as a rock-and-roller in his 1968 ‘Comeback Special’. The Luhrmann film tells how, on December 3 that year, NBC aired this special show and how Elvis took matters into his own hands and sang rock-and-roll, rather than the Christmas carols expected by his furious manager.
To cap it all Elvis appeared on stage dressed from head to toe in black leather. The outfit was originally created by designer Bill Belew. For the 2022 film, the outfit was recreated for Butler, but fabricated from bovine leather, whereas the original 1968 outfit was made from horse leather.
Elvis’ decision to wear leather on this occasion took him back to his roots and continued the inherent rebel-streak synonymous with leather jackets.
