ELEGANCEPEDIA
  • HOME
  • ICON
  • PEOPLE
  • MODE
  • Culture
    • Film & TV >
      • Charade 1963 screenplay
    • Book
    • Chanson
    • Music
  • ELOG

film & tv

El tiempo entre costuras(tv series, 21 October 2013-20 January 2014)

21/12/2019

0 Comments

 
best Spanish tv series El tiempo entre costuras(tv series, 21 October 2013-20 January 2014)
“Me llamo Sira Quiroga y soy costurera…nunca imaginé que mi destino sería jugarme la vida cruzando la ciudad de un país extranjero con un traje de pistolas sobre mi piel. Pero ahora sé que el destino es la suma de todas las decisiones que tomamos en nuestra vida…incluso las que en su momento nos parecen insignificantes. En mi caso, por lejano que me parezca ahora todo comenzó con algo tan pequño como aprender a enhebrar una aguja.”
​

“My Name is Sira Quiroga and I am a seamstress…I would have never imagined my destiny would involve risking my life while crossing a foreign city with a gun frock over my skin. But I know now that our destiny is the sum of all those decision we take in our life…including those that seem meaningless at the time. As for me, though it seems so far away now, it all started with something so small as learning how to thread a needle.”

Thus starts the book and the tv série: el tiempo entre costuras, and an extraordinary story of an extraordinary woman......

Elegant Personage

Picture
Sira Quiroga by Adriana Ugarte

It's her story, the story of love, loss, deception, the story of survival, but most importantly, the story of transformation of a woman, not of cinderella to princess, but rather the transformation of an ordinary girl from a humble family background into a woman of class and courage, both because of fate, and her own choice. And as a costurera (Spanish: seamstress), Sira Quiroga's transformation is best told by the evolution of her wardrobe: in the 11 episodes, Sira dressed more than 230 outfits(it's said she wore 34 outfits just in the first episode alone), from the shapeless flowered patterned cotton dresses to the much more fitting and sofisticated suits and dresses, all well made, almost always transmitted the sense of elegance Sira acquired along her adventure.
Picture
Picture
Picture
 Sira Quiroga by Adriana Ugarte
Sira Quiroga by Adriana Ugarte

Rosalinad Fox by Hannah NewRosalinad Fox by Hannah New
Rosalinad Fox by Hannah New

The real Rosalinda Powell Fox came from a British aristocratic family, when she was young, she liked to drive a small red Austin car along the beach in North Africa, and when she was old, she had to keep a red Coco Chanel lipstick with her in South Spain.

Beautiful, elegant, intelligent, strong willed, well read, well traveled, she is like a prototype of femme fatale spy. Her character took her to North Africa, and fate made her meet the love of her life, the Spaniard Juan Luis Beigbeder, and lived the life of a permanent exile.
​
The actress Hannah New with her sweet clean look and impeccable Spanish with a very charming accent revived this English upper class woman who made the first prime minister of Franco government willing to sacrifice his career for love.
Picture
Picture
Book cover: The Grass and the Asphalt, written by Rosalinda Powell FoxBook cover: The Grass and the Asphalt, written by Rosalinda Powell Fox
Biography of Rosalinda Powell Fox in Spanish written by Domingo del Pino:


Marcus Logan by Peter VivesMarcus Logan by Peter Vives
Marcus Logan by Peter Vives

In another popular Spanish TV Series Velvet, Peter Vives had the misfortune of   playing the bad guy Carlos who was trying everything to get Ana Ribera(played by Paula Echevarria), the girl forever in love with her boss Albert Marquez(played by Miguel Angel Silvestre), and it seems Peter Vives acted somewhat awkwardly, perhaps he is one of those actors who can only play heroes, so in the serie el tiempo entre costuras, he not only did much a better job playing Marcus Logan, the James Bond like character, and also made a much more pleasing pair with Sira. He looks suitably elegant in the epoque outfits, such as suspenders, and the bigote(Spansish for moustache) does not kill it.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Manuel da Silva by Filipe Duarte


Manuel de Silva by Filipe Duarte
Manuel de Silva by Filipe Duarte
Picture
Picture
Picture
The most engaging and tragic character in the serie, the Portugese entrepreneur Manuel da Silva, who wanted to take advantage of the war to multiply his wealth and ended losing his own life. But he did enjoy the most elegant wardrobe among the men in the serie, and unlike Marcus Logan who was supposed to be on the run and travel light, Manuel da Silva as a Portugese wealthy business man had more varied outfits: from single breast navy suit to double breast grey coat, from wide lapeled black dinner jacket to the also wide lapeled dark grey business suit, in the short time he appeared in the serie and in Sira's life, he shined.

Claudio Vazquez by Francesco GarridoClaudio Vazquez by Francesco Garrido
Claudio Vazquez by Francesco Garrido

He is always in control, even when he slowly fell in love with Sira. Only when he said farewell to Sira for the last time, his hands on the staircase railing said everything. It was still a time when a chief police officer dressed well, and Claudio carried those conservative and well matching 3 piece suits very naturally.
Picture

Juan Luis Beigbeder by Tristan UlloaJuan Luis Beigbeder by Tristan Ulloa
Juan Luis Beigbeder by Tristan Ulloa

It was not obvious. He was not tall, not handsome, he worn those boring black eyeglasses which made him look more like the last Chinese Emperor than a Spanish prime minister, and he did not have a distinguished voice, but Juan Luis Beigbeder(31 March 1888-6 June 1957), the romantic high ranking official whose sentiments carry more weight than his political career played by Tristan Ulloa,  has a sutble elegance to him, in the way he spoke and carried himself.
Picture

Alan Hillbarth by Ben TampleAlan Hillbarth by Ben Tample
Alan Hillbarth by Ben Tample

Alan Hillbarth(7 June 1899-28 February 1979) is one of the main characters not created by Maria Dueñas but existed in the real history and figured prominently during the Spanish Civil War, the most important period in Sira's life in the serie. Like Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, Alan Hillbarth also worked for British Naval Intelligence and was an author, though he ranked much higher than Ian Fleming and played more significant role.

​In his book Men of War, Hillgarth wrote that "adventure was once a noble appellation borne proudly by men such as Raleigh and Drake . . . [but is now] reserved for the better-dressed members of the criminal classes.", interestingly, it can almost serves as footnote for the wardrobe of this MI6 like British intelligence officer in the serie played excellently by Ben Temple: it seemed containing just one suit, a conservative dark grey striped suit of wide lapels, with a few different colored ties, with or without a white pocket square, neatly tucked.
Picture

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Félix Aranda by Carlos Santos

He is as campy as it is possible, but yet funny, intelligent, understanding. He is guardian angel of Sira.

The costumes

"Llena de vitalidad, fuerza, color y glamour"(full of vitality, force, color and glamor). This is how Bina Daigeler imagined Sira's wardrobe would be, and how we have seen in the serie. And they were made by Maison Cornejo in Madrid.
Bina Daigeler
Bina Daigeler
For Sira
Picture
Picture
Picture
For Rosalinda
The false Delphos dress made by Sira for Rosalinda Fox
The false Delphos dress made by Sira for Rosalinda Fox
a red sleeveless delphos dress created by Mariano Fortuny in 1936
a red sleeveless delphos dress created by Mariano Fortuny in 1936
Delpho dress of Mariano Fortuny(1871-1949): Delphoe dress or Delpho Gown is a pleated silk dress created by Spanish designer Mariano Fortuny in his studio in Venice, Italy, inspired by and named after a classic greek statue, the charioteer of delphi. This type of dress was first created by him in about 1907 until his death, when his widow destroyed both the formula of fabric dyeing and pleating technique.
Picture

The story

The serie is based on novel of same name written by Spanish writer María Dueñas

The story begins in 1934. Sira Quiroga is a young and attractive seamstress living a humble life in Madrid with her single mother Dolores. During a festival she meets Ignacio, an aspiring gentleman applying for a position in the Spanish civil service who encourages her to learn skills like typing to secure a better future in the unstable time they are living in. 

At the typewriter shop, she falls in love with the handsome salesman Ramiro Arribas and lives with him. Meanwhile, Gonzalo Alvarez, one of the wealthiest men in Madrid, decides to recognize Sira as his lawful daughter by giving her money and jewels before abandoning Madrid.

Ramiro persuades Sira to elope with her with her new fortune to look for a better future in Tangier, Morocco, where he spends her money willfully and abandons her when she is pregnant, taking all her money, leaving all bills unpaid.

With the help of a police officer, Sira is given a year to pay the hotel before she is sent to prison and is given shelter in the guesthouse of Candelaria Matutera, a woman loves her and helps her building a new life in Morocco by becoming a seamstress again.

As the war goes on, Sira, a very successful seamstress is now also a woman of  value for Spain who wants to keep neutral. Sira return to Madrid, where she takes on a new identity to embark upon the most dangerous undertaking of her career. As the couturier of choice for an eager clientele of Nazi officers' wives and mistresses, Sira becomes embroiled in a twilight world of espionage and political conspiracy rife with love, intrigue, and betrayal.
Sira and Rosalinad in tv serie El tiempo entre costuras
Sira and Rosalinad in tv serie El tiempo entre costuras
Picture

The ambience

Time: 1930s-1940s
​Places: Tangier and Tetuan Morocco, Madrid, Spain, Estoril and Lisboa Portugal
Morocco
Morocco
Picture
Madrid Spain
Estoril, Portugal
Estoril, Portugal

The music

The music of the serie is composed by Cesar Benito who was born in Granada and grew up in Marbella, in Southern Spain.

“The theme is Spanish, but I do not want it to be outdated Spanish, but rather modern Spanish. Thus said the composer Cesar Benito about theme of Sira: It will be played almost always when Sira appears in a scene or when she is sewing, and I try to make some variations for times like when Sira is in hospital...” - Cesar Benito.
Picture

Further interest

Articles
  • Interview with John Mansell in English on July 31, 2013
Books
Videos
View the full episodes of 
el tiempo entre costuras, please go to:
  • Amazon Prime Video
  • Atresplayer
  • Dailymotion
Websites
Official website of María Dueñas: http://www.mariaduenas.es/
0 Comments

Gran Hotel (TV series,2011-2013)/Grand Hotel

11/12/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Year: 2011-2013
Writer: Ramon Campos
Directors: Carlos Sedes, Silvia Quers
Music: Lucio Godoy
​
Costume design: Helena Sanchís
Stars: Yon González, Amaia Salamanca
Country: Spain
Language: Spanish

The story

1905,  Northern Spain.
A young boy of humble background Julio Olmedo  came to the luxurious Grand Hotel to look for his sister Cristina, who worked there as a maid and had not written to him for too long. Although he was told Cristina was fired for theft, Julio thought something has happened to her and was determined to find her.
He mader himself a waiter under the name Julio Espinosa to investigate his sister's disappearance, thus met Alicia Alarcón, the younger daughter of the hotel's owner Doña Teresa who decided to help him. 
​And they fell in love.
Best Spanish tv series Gran Hotel about the love story of Julio and Alicia
Best Spanish tv series Gran Hotel about the love story of Julio and Alicia
Best Spanish tv series Gran Hotel about the love story of Julio and Alicia
Best Spanish tv series Gran Hotel about the love story of Julio and Alicia
Best Spanish tv series Gran Hotel about the love story of Julio and Alicia
Original idea and screenplay
 Ramón Campos Ramón Campos
1975, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain 
producer, writer
He is co-founder of 
Bambu Producciones, which is the creator of some of the most elegant spainish tv series including: Gran Hotel, Velvet, Seis Hermanas, Gran Reserva.

"Dicen por ahí que el cine es como las carreras de coches de época y la tele la Fórmula Uno, a toda ostia, y eso es lo que me entusiasma".

Gema R. NeiraGema R. Neira
1982,  Ferrol, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain

Teresa Fernández-ValdésTeresa Fernández-Valdés
1980, Galicia, Spain, producer, writer

​She is co-founder of Bambu Producciones, which is the creator of some of the most elegant spainish tv series including: Gran Hotel, Velvet, Seis Hermanas, Gran Reserva.

The personage

Alicia Alarcón by Amaia Salamanca
Alicia Alarcón by Amaia Salamanca
Julio Olmedo by Yon González
Julio Olmedo by Yon González
Javier Alarcón by Eloy Azorin
Javier Alarcón by Eloy Azorin

The ambiance

Picture
The time: 1905-1907
​The place: The story took place in a fictional place in Northern Spain called Cantaloa, which is in reality Cantabria Province, and the main location for Gran Hotel is the Palacio de la Magdalena in Santander.

The costume

 ​​Helena Sanchís ​​Helena Sanchís
Helena Sanchís is the director of costume design for the series, whose seamstresses make most of the outfits of the characters in her workshop in Villaviciosa de Odón, a small town close to Madrid.

According to her, her main inspiration and reference point are the artworks of Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla (Valencia; 27 Februray 1863-Cercedilla, 10 August 1923), which is most obvious in the wardrobes of Alicia.

Joaquin Sorolla portrait by Jose Jimenez Aranda, 1901Joaquin Sorolla portrait by Jose Jimenez Aranda, 1901
Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida ( 27 February 1863 – 10 August 1923) was a Spanish painter. Sorolla excelled in the painting of portraits, landscapes and monumental works of social and historical themes. His most typical works are characterized by a dexterous representation of the people and landscape under the bright sunlight of Spain and sunlit water.

painting by Joaquin Sorolla
painting by Joaquin Sorolla
painting by Joaquin Sorolla
painting by Joaquin Sorolla
painting by Joaquin Sorolla
painting by Joaquin Sorolla
painting by Joaquin Sorolla
painting by Joaquin Sorolla
painting by Joaquin Sorolla
painting by Joaquin Sorolla
painting by Joaquin Sorolla
painting by Joaquin Sorolla

The music

 ​​Lucio Godoy ​​Lucio Godoy
Spanish-Argentinian film composer & music producer

Watch Gran Hotel

Watch full episodes on Amazon Prime Video
0 Comments

    Categories

    All
    A
    B
    C
    D
    E
    F
    Film
    French Film
    G
    H
    I
    L
    M
    N
    R
    S
    T
    TV Series
    V

    Archives

    July 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    May 2019

HOME PAGE/ICON/
Alain Delon/Audrey Hepburn/Bernard Arnault/JKO/Gianni Agnelli/Diana Princess of Wales/Edward VIII Duke of Windsor/Grace Kelly/Maria Callas/Sophia Loren/Catherine Deneuve/Catherine Middleton/Brigitte Bardot
Support Us

    Your questions and suggestions

Submit

LEGAL: All written contents are either original and copyrighted or free of copyrights, all images are sourced from internet for entertainment and educational purpose only, and are or will be credited properly whenever possible, and if you are owner of any photos on this site and wish us to remove them or credited more correctly, please let me know. Thank you.
Copyright © elegancepedia
  • HOME
  • ICON
  • PEOPLE
  • MODE
  • Culture
    • Film & TV >
      • Charade 1963 screenplay
    • Book
    • Chanson
    • Music
  • ELOG