Moulin Rouge was a high budget movie directed by Baz Luhrmann and released globally in 2001. Set in the 1890s in the Moulin Rouge in Paris, the film is a 'red carpet' theatrical production starrring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Luhrmann and his partner Catherine Martin were first inspired by Bollywood movies when they conceived the project.

The fourteen key Moulin Rouge costumes, props and continuity books, are a magnificent example of the work of a talented team of Australian designers and costumiers working under director, Baz Luhrmann, with his partner Catherine Martin and costume designer Angus Strathie. In all 450 costumes were designed and made for the production and another 350 costumes were hired or 'found' for the eighteen principals and seventy dancers. The film involved many levels of complexity in its development and a large number of talented people in all areas of cinematography, choreography, musical composition, sets, props and costumes. The movie was heavily promoted online, in magazines and publications. The characters represented in this costume selection are Satine played by Nicole Kidman, Christian played by Ewan McGregor, the Unconscious Argentinian played by Jacek Koman, Harold Zidler played by Jim Broadbent, Toulouse Lautrec played by John Leguizamo and five can can dancers. This costume for the Evil Maharaja was worn by Jim Broadbent.

The Moulin Rouge costumes are the second group of Luhrmann's film costumes represented in the Museum's collection. The complete set from Luhrmann's first movie 'Strictly Ballroom' was featured in a Powerhouse Museum exhibition in 1991. The exhibition of these costumes, 'Spectacular! Spectacular! On the set of Moulin Rouge', held in 2001 was an enormous success with 10,000 people visiting during the first weekend. The costumes are extravagant and beautifully made and they admirably represent the skills and talents of the many Australians involved.

450 new costumes were designed by Catherine Martin and Angus Strathie. Catherine Martin came up with a conceptual idea of each character which was then interpreted and developed by Angus Strathie. Martin referred to long term fashion forecasting to decide on themes and colours. Costumes combine a professional theatrical approach to quality and historical silhouette juxtaposed with contemporary fashions and colours. The costumes were not designed to be reproductions of costumes from 1899, but to give enough flavour of contemporary western trends to capture interest and entice us into the past at the Moulin Rouge. Eliza Godman co-ordinated the project, supervising a Sydney team of 40 costumiers, cutters, shoemakers and milliners. Millinery was organised by Rosie Boylan, with Rick McGill and seven milliners. The hair and 85 wigs were designed by Aldo Signoretti. All the main characters wore wigs except Ewan McGregor and John Leguizamo. Make-up was by Maurizio Silvi, costume art finishing by Jason Gibaud, shoes by Jodie Morrison and Donna-May Bolinger.

The costumes, though made in Australia, were owned by Fox Studios who funded the film.

Film costume, Evil Maharaja, from the movie, 'Moulin Rouge', various materials, designed by Baz Luhrmann / Catherine Martin / Angus Strathie, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000

Evil Maharaja outfit worn by Jim Broadbent, consisting of turban, coat, shirt, cummerbund skirt, trousers, boots, and a ring.

A red velvet turban decorated with feathers and beading. The turban is round with a flat top, where the red velvet is plaited in the centre and dips down slightly. Around the head runs gold and red silk brocade, which rises up slightly at centre front and forms a pleated fan behind a large round onyx or jade like stone, which is mounted in gold filigree and surrounded by yellow diamante and turquoise effect stones. A group of iridescent green, gold and dark red feathers are fixed behind this jewel and extend up above the top of the turban. Around the turban are swags of 3 chains of gold, purple and green beads, with some faux pearls, which a fixed at 6 points around the turban with a smaller jade or onyx like stone mounted in gold, with a gold bead below. There is a small amount of curly ginger hair fixed at the centre back. The turban is lined with cream cotton.

Coat of dark purple damask with a circular pattern, with a highly ornate collar and cuffs. There are wide triangular lapels of purple satin, edged with hot pink and decorated all-over with gold thread chain-stitch embroidery, gold sequins and appliquéd motifs of green satin embroidered with gold elephants. There are extremely large padded rectangular cuffs of red velvet decorated with hot pink motifs in the shape of onion domes, edged with gold damask, gold pearling and red beads and sequins, the edge of the cuff is also trimmed a gold pearled fringe. There are huge pointed stiffened shoulder pieces which rise above and beyond the natural shoulder line, and continue down into pointed collar at the back - these are in the same style as the cuffs, of red velvet with hot pink onion domes and Paisley motifs trimmed with gold pearling, red sequins, red paste jewels and gold damask.

The shoulder pieces and cuffs are lined with red satin, the sleeves with pinky-purple polyester and the main body of the coat is lined with dark purple polyester. The coat fastens with 7 alternating hook and eyes down the centre front. There are 6 halves of press studs in a line above the waist.

Cream loose-weave cotton shirt with an oriental twist. It has a stand-up collar, which is shaped to fit under and around the chin; at each side of the centre front opening there is a paste diamante, surrounded by gold pearling (coils). There is a large onyx or jade effect stone, with a golf filigree decoration stuck on it, at the neck which is mounted on a stamped gold oval and surrounded by paste diamante. The shirt opens down the front and the back. The top three buttons at the front are diamante edged with gold pearling and the lower buttons are round mother of pearl. The cuffs fasten with cufflinks made from 2 gold plastic heart beads strung on a piece of elastic. The back of the shirt fastens with Velcro at the collar and white cotton tapes all the way down. The front of the shirt is lined with the same fabric.

A wide cummerbund with large skirt panels attached. The very wide cummerbund is of red and gold Indian silk brocade, which is pleated and arched to curve up over the stomach and down over the crotch, but narrows over the hips and back. The cummerbund is edged with scalloped red braid decorated with gold pearling and sequins and red and green beads. There are 4 swags of gold metal and plastic beads hanging from the centre front top edge of the cummerbund, which loop up at each end to a large green plastic jewel filled with green and iridescent glitter, which is edged in a moulded gold mount. Suspended from the centre front bottom edge of the cummerbund there is a huge matching green glitter jewel of 10"/25.5cm by 7"/18cm, also edged with an ornate moulded gold frame. Below this a large red silk and gold plastic tassel with the knot decorated with diamante.

There is a skirt panel hanging over each hip, which is split at the front and back, which reach sharp points at the centre front and centre back, with the back points being longer than the front, but rise up high over each hip. These panels are in red velvet, trimmed with gold pearling and decorated all over with a design matching that on the coat, of hot pink onion domes and Paisley patterns edged with gold and silver pearling, red beads, sequins and paste jewels. The cummerbund is lined with black velvet and the skirt panels are lined with red velvet. It fastens with 2 large press studs and 5 hook and eyes at the centre back. There is padding covered in red velvet at each hip and there are press studs running along the inside top edge of the cummerbund, to attach it to the coat.

Arabian style trousers of red polyester satin covered with dark purple chiffon. There is a wide waistband of the chiffon covered satin and the trousers are gathered into this and are extremely full, but are gathered into a wide band around the ankle, which would make the trousers blouse out over the top. The trousers are scattered with 'V'-shaped gold plastic decorations, which are bordered with clusters of gold beads and gold sequins. The trousers fasten at the centre back with 5 press studs and 3 hook and eyes and there is a pair of black braces attached to the waistband with buttons. The bands around the ankles open and fasten with 3 press studs.

Gold leather mid-calf-length boots in an Arabian style decorated with gold passementerie. The toe of the boots are pointed and curl up at the end and around the leg the top of the boot is turned back on itself and forms a point over each ankle. There is a 1½"/4cm heel on each, which are also covered in gold leather. Gold pearling in a foliage pattern has been applied down the either side of the foot and around the turn-back around the leg, also with several diamantes. There is a gold pearled tassel with a painted metal, diamante and faux pearl jewel at the top, hanging over the outside ankle on each boot.

A ring of a large circular red paste stone mounted in a narrow gold setting on an adjustable gold band.

Designed: Luhrmann, Baz; Sydney, New South Wales; 2000

Designed: Martin, Catherine; Sydney, New South Wales; 2000

Designed: Strathie, Angus; Sydney, New South Wales; 2000

Used: Broadbent, Jim; Sydney, New South Wales; 2000

Owned: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation;

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2008/199/13

2000