Kudos for a Colleague: Susan Lyall Receives NYWIFT "Designing Woman" Award

On May 25th New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT) recognized this year’s Designing Women honorees. This award has recognized the creative accomplishments of noted costume designers, hairstylists and makeup artists for the last ten years. This trio’s collaboration contributes the base line look of a film. They can make or break a film and most often they do it invisibly. In all but the most serious period pieces you aren’t looking at the clothes, but if the designer doesn’t “nail” the character, then – oh boy, you notice. This year’s honoree for costume design, Susan Lyall, joins the likes of Patricia Field, Rita Ryack and Colleen Attwood – with good reason. Since her first design job on 1989’s Fear, Anxiety and Depression Susan Lyall has been “nailing it” through talent, hard work and a collegial spirit.

The honorees may be nominated by any member with the winner being chosen by a select panel of NYWIFT members. This isn’t a mere “pat on the back” for the most active members of the organization. Indeed, Susan admits to having only minor association with the group. “I’ve just been to a couple of meetings,” she admits, “that’s why I was so surprised when I was notified that I won.” She said that she was in Canada on a film when a Fed Ex package, forwarded by her husband arrived. “I can get three or four Fed Ex’s a day so I often just throw them on my desk until I get a chance to open them. I’m pretty sure I flushed pink when I saw I had won.”

Susan Lyall came to New York from Southern Ontario in Canada to pursue a career in fashion design. As she immersed herself in the industry she soon found the business to be more tedious than challenging. One night at a friend’s party she met a casting director who suggested that Susan consider theatrical costume design. Intrigued, she became an intern at the iconic Circle Repertory Company. After only two film design assistant jobs, under the guidance of Cynthia Flynt, whom she considers a mentor, she struck out on her own, first designing the Uganda portion of Mississippi Masala. She and Cynthia Flynt remain close friends; not surprising since her career is marked by personal rapport and friendship since that first conversation at her friend’s party.

Indeed, her association with Rachel Getting Married was born from her meeting producer Neda Armian at a dinner party more than a year before the film began. According to an excellent interview she did with the web blog Frocktalk, the two kept in touch and eventually Neda asked to contact Susan’s agent. Once again her charm and talent won Jonathan Demme over when they first met. He later said that he didn’t consider it an interview, but there first design meeting, so prepared was she, having seen all his films and appearing with “look-book” in hand. Among the photos in the book were ones of Elizabeth Hurley wearing saris, a look that would become the design plan for the wedding scene.

It is part of the tradition at the “Designing Women” Awards for the honoree to suggest their presenter. Susan’s choice was Jodie Foster with whom she has done four films – including the three the star has directed. Of all the presenters and winners, there was an ease between the two. It was a clear rapport marked by good natured chiding, both in Ms Foster’s introduction and Susan’s acceptance that showed a definite fondness. “Few know,” Ms Foster said, “that Susan likes to try on all the clothes before the actor gets them.”

Susan is quick to point out that she is alluding to the film Nell, their second together, the first with the star as the director. Ms Foster was on the other Coast and since Susan and she are the same size she became her “fit model”, posing for photos in wardrobe to be e-mailed to the star. Ms Foster has teased her about that ever since. Not to worry, Susan got her digs in as well.

The two have just completed Ms Foster’s latest project, The Beaver, which is currently in post-production. “We started as colleagues and have grown into being friends,” says Susan. We would hope they are friends as only a pal should declare, “Susan Lyall is a sick, sick woman,” as Jodie Foster said in her introduction at the ceremony.

Another of Susan’s favorite directors is the legendary David Mamet. While famous for his obscenity laced dialogue, she knows him as a soft spoken pro with a penchant for, “jokes so bad, they’re funny,” and a keen sense of fashion and the technical side of the craft. While filming State and Main the two would have long conversations about “plackets and fabric holes,” says Susan.

After all these years in the business, Susan has lost patience with, what she refers to as, “cattle calls” for designers. “You go into this room with all these designers and and get called in to  meet the director,” she says, “then you have minutes to sell yourself and build a relationship with the director. Unfortunately, even with the solid body of work she has built she finds herself in that “corral” too often.

Susan says that receiving the award gave her pause to reflect on her career and that is one of the things she most appreciates about it. “Two volunteers from NYWIFT came over and we went through all these sketches and it just made me think about all the work I’ve done.”

Even with 33 films to her credit, Susan doesn’t have a difficult time selecting her favorites. “Hands down Rachel Getting Married is the contemporary costume film I am most proud of.” However, on another level her most recent project gets top billing. “The experience of working on The Beaver was incredibly satisfying given my relationship with Jodie,” she says.  “I truly felt like a filmmaker.”

For now Susan is happy concentrating on fund raisers for her twelve year old son’s school in her artistic Manhattan neighborhood and being a Mom and wife. There will, no doubt be more films in her future and she may well want to  amend her list of favorites because the best may be yet to come.

Cheryl & Tommy (with roger kimpton)