Dressing Cinema: Preserving the Dreams of Cinecittà

Beneath the cinematic brilliance of directors like Fellini, Pasolini, and Scorsese lies a world of handcrafted precision—the legendary Roman artisan workshops making costumes, wigs, hats, shoes, and special effects. Dressing Cinema is a high-end editorial and exhibition project dedicated to documenting these "hidden wonders," ensuring the heritage of the Italian artistic craftsmanship is preserved for the digital age.

By partnering with world-leading maisons, Fortunato Productions has transformed private artisan warehouses into temporary galleries, capturing the meticulous craftsmanship that has earned dozens of Academy Awards and defined the "Made in Italy" aesthetic.

The Heritage of the Atelier

Dressing Cinema functions as a bridge between the physical archive and the global stage. By cataloging iconic costumes from films such as Casanova, Marie Antoinette, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the project documents the technical mastery and specialized craftsmanship inherent to the workshops.

This effort serves as the bedrock for a Virtual Costume Museum, offering students, designers, and film enthusiasts worldwide an unprecedented look into the artisanal soul of cinema. Through this digital preservation, the "dreams" of Cinecittà are no longer confined to the warehouse—they are accessible to the future of the industry.

Anatomy of the Project

• Artisan Partnership: Direct collaboration with the masters of the craft: Farani (costume sculpture), Pieroni (handcrafted armor and millinery), and Rocchetti & Rocchetti (wig-making and special effects).

• On-Site Documentation: A strategic photographic archiving of hundreds of unique pieces, from the futuristic silhouettes of Barbarella to the period grit of Gangs of New York.

• Digital Editorial Series: Production of a prestigious DVD box set detailing the history, technical secrets, and cultural impact of each participating maison.

• Virtual Museum Foundation: The creation of a comprehensive digital database, providing a scholarly resource for the study of historical fabrics, embroidery, and philological reconstructions.

The gallery below is only a small part of the digital catalogue.