'Air' costume designer put accurate Michael Jordan style on body double

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Though Air is all about Nike landing Michael Jordan as the athlete to endorse their Air Jordan sneakers, he never appears on screen in the film. Still, costume designer Charlese Antoinette Jones had to dress body double Damian Young as if he were the real Jordan.

"Even though we didn't see him, it needed to match Michael Jordan's actual style as a high school kid," Jones told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. Amazon is submitting Air for awards consideration in costume and other categories, and Jones gave new interviews to support the awards campaign.

Director Ben Affleck obscured Young in scenes in which Nike executives meet with the Jordan family. Jordan never speaks in the film and the camera never shows his face.

"We didn't know what part of his body was going to get shot," Jones said. "It could be his sleeve. It could be his feet."

Jones said she had to ensure that everything Jordan wore in the film was accurate for the way people dressed in 1984. She said she also based Jordan's wardrobe on research of what he wore off the court, even when he had meetings with competing shoe brands.

"The one scene where they got to Adidas, he's in a leather jacket," Jones said. "I thought that was appropriate because he thought Adidas was so cool, he wanted to dress cool to that meeting."

Adidas was actually Jordan's preference before NIke won him over. Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) persuaded Michael's parents, James (Julius Tennon) and Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis), that their son should sign with Nike, which was then a last-place brand.

"There were a lot of photos of Michael Jordan in high school and his family when he was in high school," Jones said. "They're a very public family that was in the public eye in the '80s."

Jones said the photos helped her understand James and Deloris through their clothes and dress them accordingly. She said she observed James was casual.

When Sonny first visits North Carolina, James is working on a truck in his driveway. Jones said she imagined the summertime heat of the Southeast.

"That's why I chose to put him in a short-sleeved, plaid shirt, jeans and those Red Wing boots," Jones said. "He's working on the truck, and that just felt really believable for a Saturday."

Deloris negotiated Michael's groundbreaking deal for a percentage of profits in every shoe Nike sold with his name on it. Jones said Deloris' wardrobe showed her business savvy and her Christian faith.

"[Deloris is] always wearing a cross to show her religious side and her dedication to her spirituality," Jones said.

Jones also captured the look of the Nike executives in 1984. Vaccaro did not wear business suits and Jones said his attire contributed to Vaccaro's fatherly reputation.

"His vibe and his look just feels like a dad and feels warm and comforting," Jones said. "If he came and started telling you how he felt about you and how amazing you're going to be, you would trust him and believe him."

Jones said research showed Nike executive Rob Strasser, played by Jason Bateman, was not concerned with the latest fashion.

"[Strasser] wouldn't have bought the latest Armani suit," Jones said. "He's wearing the same suiting he's had since the late 70s, early '80s."

By contrast, Michael's agent, David Falk (Chris Messina), was fashion-conscious, Jones said.

"My inspiration for David Falk was Wall Street -- that really angular Armani trapezoid suiting, double-breasted, all the bells and whistles," Jones said. "I wanted him to be the most fussy because he is a pretty fussy character."

Nike CEO Phil Knight, played by Affleck, wore colorful tracksuits in the office. Jones said she custom-made Affleck's suits based on archival footage of Knight, including his 1991 60 Minutes appearance.

"The hardest part was finding the white nylon waterproof fabric that wasn't shiny," Jones said. "A lot of that stuff comes out of China. It's just not readily available in the U.S."

Air is now streaming on Prime Video.