I fell into wardrobe design by accident. When I was a kid, I was always drawing; my mother said I could draw before I could speak. When I was 20, I went to Los Angeles to try and get work, and after living on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a year, I eventually got a job at a costume shop. It was there that I discovered I had a flair for embroidery. Before long, I had earned a reputation as one of the best embroiderers in LA.
I crossed paths with Bill Belew in the early 1970s, when he was designing costumes for Elvis. The jumpsuit was Bill's idea, he was inspired by clothing from the Napoleonic era, particularly the high collars. Of course, jumpsuits were practical for Elvis because they allowed him to move around onstage without worrying about getting his clothing snagged on something. Eventually, Bill handed over to me and I began working on Elvis's jumpsuits. I loved working with themes, such as primitive, Egyptian, Aztec Thunderbird. I didn't just want glitter, I wanted a story.
My most famous design, and probably my personal favourite, is the suit Elvis wore for his Aloha in Hawaii in 1973. He had requested a patriotic design because the show was going to be broadcast around the world. I grabbed a piece of paper and sketched out an eagle in blue and yellow marker and told Bill, "I want to do this." He said: "Go for it." I think that jumpsuit became synonymous with his image for many people.
Despite designing jumpsuits for Elvis for the best part of a decade, I never actually got to meet him. There was a great hierarchy of people surrounding him by the time I came on board in the early 70s, and they had their own niches to protect. If they'd ever let me near Elvis, I would have told him to get rid of his tailor because he made his pants too short.
I always got feedback from Elvis – "He loved the last suit, can you make me five more in different colours" – but this line of communication had its problems. I remember once I was working on a bunch of ideas and Elvis was impatient so asked, through his assistant's assistant's assistant, could he see some samples. I was making a jungle-themed suit at this point – vines, serpents, elephants – so I sent him a sample that featured a zebra's head on it. I heard back, "Elvis loves it, but wonders why you've made the feet on the bird so small." I had no idea what they were talking about, until I realised that when you looked at the zebra upside down, it kind of did resemble a bird. What could I do, it's Elvis? I just widened the zebra's nose, changed its feet to ears and reworked the shape and it became a Phoenix. Then I hear back: "Elvis loves them, can you do five more in different colours?"
I continued designing jumpsuits for Elvis until he stopped performing due to ill health. As far as I'm aware, there wasn't one of my suits he turned down, he wore them all. Since then I've worked with Siegfried and Roy, Dolly Parton and Diana Ross, among others, and I continue to make jumpsuit replicas of the classic Elvis design to this day. I'm proud that I influenced Elvis's style and that the suits became so iconic. I don't mind that I was never allowed to meet him as he always passed on his thoughts about the jumpsuits. Having said that, I guess it would have been nice to have shook his hand.
Gene Doucette was talking to Rosie Swash. Elvis: At The Movies is available on DVD now from Paramount Home Entertainment
As a seasoned expert and enthusiast in the field of wardrobe design, my journey began inadvertently, driven by a childhood passion for drawing. My innate talent for illustration was evident early on, drawing praise from my mother who remarked that I could draw before I could speak. This artistic inclination led me to Los Angeles at the age of 20, where I sought employment and eventually found myself working in a costume shop after a year of living on humble peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
It was in this costume shop that I stumbled upon my knack for embroidery, quickly earning a reputation as one of the best embroiderers in Los Angeles. My expertise was solidified when I crossed paths with Bill Belew in the early 1970s during his costume design work for Elvis Presley. This encounter marked a pivotal moment in my career, as Bill Belew, inspired by the Napoleonic era's high collars, introduced the iconic jumpsuit for Elvis. Recognizing my flair for embroidery, Bill entrusted me with the task of working on Elvis's jumpsuits.
One of my most notable designs, and a personal favorite, is the suit Elvis wore for his Aloha in Hawaii concert in 1973. Elvis requested a patriotic design for the globally broadcasted show, and I sketched out an eagle in blue and yellow marker, crafting a jumpsuit that would become synonymous with his image. My commitment to storytelling through design is evident in my thematic approaches, such as the primitive, Egyptian, and Aztec Thunderbird motifs, aiming for more than just glitter but a narrative behind each creation.
Despite designing jumpsuits for Elvis for nearly a decade, I never had the opportunity to meet the King himself due to the complex hierarchy surrounding him. Nevertheless, I received feedback from Elvis through intermediaries, with him expressing satisfaction and occasionally requesting variations in colors and designs. The challenges of communication included an amusing incident involving a jungle-themed suit with a zebra motif that led to the creation of a Phoenix, showcasing my adaptability to Elvis's preferences.
Elvis's health issues eventually halted his performances, concluding my decade-long collaboration with him. Nevertheless, I continued my work with other notable figures like Siegfried and Roy, Dolly Parton, and Diana Ross, further solidifying my position in the realm of wardrobe design. To this day, I take pride in my influence on Elvis's style and the iconic status of the jumpsuits. While I may not have met the legendary performer, the feedback and impact on his image are testaments to the success of my designs in shaping an era of entertainment fashion.
In summary, my expertise in wardrobe design spans from childhood artistic pursuits to a prolific career, with notable contributions to Elvis's iconic jumpsuit legacy and subsequent collaborations with other prominent figures in the entertainment industry.
