“This is Not Your Grandmother’s Camelot”: Costume Designer Jennifer Moeller Explains Her Approach

For this piece, Moeller turned to expert hands of Eric Winterling, whose costume shop in New York’s Garment District has made costumes for Wicked, The Cher Show, and HBO’s The Gilded Age among others. Winterling studied embroidering techniques at Lesage about ten years ago so he could embroider on site in New York as opposed to outsourcing overseas, which is the common practice. “Everyone asks if it was done in India, and I answer no it was done here on 35th St.” 

Winterling grew up listening to the Julie Andrews and Richard Burton original Broadway cast recording, but was energized by Moeller’s more modern point of view: “You don’t want to do a show that has nothing to do with the audience. You don’t want to do a history piece. It wants to be contemporary looking with a period vibe,” he explains. The design legacy of the first 1960 production is storied if a bit poignant; the original costumer was the famed stage and screen designer known as professional name Gilbert Adrian or just Adrian who, upon his sudden death of a heart attack during preparations, was replaced by Tony Duquette. 

The other secret weapon on Moeller’s team is Lavonne “Lonnie” Richards, a New York based tailor who started her career at the famed Barbara Matera costume shop in New York and recently worked with Moeller on the Apple TV series, Dickinson as well as Netflix’s political drama, House of Cards. “I’m lucky enough to not have any design ability,” says Richards self-effacingly.  “I know where lines should go. Someone else has to spark it.” Richards, who works independently, with no shop, describes herself as a mechanic: “The designs all have to be someone else’s idea.” 

Richards’ pièces de résistance for Camelot is a red velvet gown for Guenevere—she built five of the character’s costumes while Enterling’s shop built the rest of the show. The crimson gown floats easily with Soo’s regal gate among Michael Yeargan’s spare set, but it belies an intricate ecosystem of handsewn velvet and hidden corsetry holding everything up.”

Winterling describes the directive from Moeller and Sher as “medieval couture,” making him and Richards the show’s indispensable petit mains. “There is so much fast fashion in the world, but here, every piece is a result of this masterful artistry and craftsmanship from multiple people,” says Soo. “There is care and imagination and whimsy and love put into each piece and detail on every dress.”