Madly Marvelous - by Donna Zakowska (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Step into the wardrobe of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning series from Amazon Prime Video set in the late 1950s about a young Manhattan housewife whose life taken an unexpected turn when she discovers she has a gift for stand-up comedy. Costume designer Donna Zakowska reveals her early sketches, fitting photos, and finished costumes in this survey of spectacular looks from the show's initial seasons. Explore the array of outfits that accompany the marvelous "Midge" on her journey from a seemingly perfect life on the Upper Side to Paris to summer in the Catskills, and from her first performances in Greenwich Village to a glamorous tour with stops in Las Vegas, Miami, and New York's Apollo Theater. With a nuanced color palette and bold style, Zakowska's award-winning costumes pop onscreen and off the page, and set a fashionable tone for this witty, brash, and poignant comedy."--Back cover.

Book Synopsis

From the award-winning costume designer of Amazon Prime Video's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, a collection of the show's costumes, with never-before-seen photography, sketches, production stills, and more.

The Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel centers on Miriam "Midge" Maisel, a 1950s New York City woman whose seemingly perfect life suddenly takes an unexpected turn, taking her from a comfortable life on Riverside Drive through the basket houses and nightclubs of Greenwich Village as she embarks on a groundbreaking standup comedy career. Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (creator and showrunner of Gilmore Girls), and starring Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Borstein, and Tony Shalhoub, the series has garnered fan and critical praise alike, with much of the attention focused on the exquisitely designed period costumes.

Madly Marvelous: The Costumes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel explores the inner workings of Donna Zakowska's process, as well as the many inspirations for the show's wardrobe, including period photography, American and European fashion trends, and the various cultures and countercultures of late-1950s New York. The clothes of Mrs. Maisel are gorgeous, authentically detailed, and carefully crafted.

Illustrated with sketches, photographs from Zakowska's workspace, behind-the-scenes shots, and production stills, the book follows the series from season to season, showing how the vocabulary of fashion--context, style, color, cut, accessories, and more--is integral to defining and developing the characters in the show.

Madly Marvelous is a must-have for fans of the show and fashionistas alike, providing readers with a curated and well-informed look at a vital period in fashion history.

Review Quotes

"Bountiful swatches and sketches accompany the many stills, illuminating the tools of her trade. Just like the series, this is a visual feast."--Publishers Weekly

"Filled with eye-popping images and inspirations, this stunning coffee-table tome explores the show's sartorial evolution through sketches and photographs from Zakowska's workspace, as well as sumptuous behind-the-scenes shots and episode stills."--TVInsider

About the Author

Donna Zakowska is an award-winning American costume designer. She has designed for film, television, theater, circus, opera, music, and puppet theater. Her costumes for the HBO miniseries John Adams (2008) earned her both an Emmy and a Costume Designers Guild Award, and her work for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel received an Emmy Award in 2019, as well as a Costume Designers Guild Award nomination in 2018 and a win in 2019. She lives in New York.