Blood & Couture: Dracula by Eiko Ishioka (石岡 瑛子)

Abstract

In this paper, through a bibliographical research and debate, we intent a filmic and artistic analysis of the feature film ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ (Francis Ford Coppola, 1992), specifically its costume design, signed by the Japanese designer and art director Eiko Ishioka 石岡 瑛子 (1938 – 2012). The film’s critical reception as well as its consequent elevation to a ‘canon’ status among the adaptations of the homonymous novel by Bram Stoker were taken into consideration. This paper proposes a new approach of Ishioka's costume design legacy, that flirts significantly with the Parisian ‘haute couture’ for its uniqueness. Our intention is to develop an in-depth study on the elements that make the costumes of this movie so singular, such as its intentional lack of historical accuracy and the ode to an overly exaggerated symbolism and decay.