Leesa Evans on Styling Amy Schumer and Costuming ‘Snatched’
“We were all going to the beach, and kayaking and paddle boarding,” says Leesa Evans. “It was great to have that island lifestyle for a little while.”
No, the stylist is not discussing a recent vacation, but rather, a typical day on the job as Amy Schumer’s go-to wardrobe woman.
Evans is behind the costumes for Schumer’s new film with Goldie Hawn, “Snatched,” which stars the two actresses as mother-daughter duo Linda and Emily. After Emily gets dumped by her boyfriend, the contrasting characters set out on a lavish-turned-adventurous vacation for two.
“We went to Hawaii for ‘Snatched,’ and everybody was always together, even on the weekends,” says Evans of working with the star-studded cast.
It wasn’t the first time Evans’ job required a trip to the Aloha State. She previously worked on the film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” which was filmed on Oahu.
But one thing about “Snatched” differed from most of Evans’ past work. “This is actually one of the first times I’ve ever done [a movie] where it was an actor’s request,” she explained. “Usually, I work with the director or the producers, so that was kind of fun.”
Schumer requested Evans’ expertise after having worked closely since meeting on the set of “Trainwreck” — from then on, Evans has assumed the role of Schumer’s personal stylist. “I think in the beginning, she didn’t realize how much clothing might influence her,” says Evans of Schumer’s style evolution. “Amy loves clothes now, and knows how much they can make her feel confident, strong, and able to do and accomplish anything.”
For “Snatched,” Evans thought about what the characters would realistically bring on their vacation to Hawaii. “Linda, Goldie’s character, would be traveling with some pieces that she had maybe traveled with before and things from a life when she was more of an adventurer,” she says. “Amy’s character, Emily, is really planning on going on this romantic getaway, so she’s not brought necessarily, like, adventure clothes.”
This contrast is seen in one of the first scenes of the film, when the characters arrive at a resort. “Amy is out sunbathing in a bikini, and Goldie is all wrapped up,” Evans says. “It’s just understanding their attitudes even going into it before all of the hijinks and adventure begins.”
And what about after the hijinks ensue?
“They get kidnapped…and they just get dirtier and dirtier,” she says. “It seems so easy to just slap on some mud, but instead what I did was hand-painted this sort of diptych from dye and from mud, so in some weird ways the costumes become incredibly beautiful by the end.”
The costume variety “adds to the sweetness of the story,” according to Evans. “There’s this generational gap, but also this closeness that they [the characters] have. It plays out so well, and Goldie and Amy do it so perfectly.”
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