While I was re-reading book one I started imagining the characters as real life fashion designers. To celebrate the movie being released in theaters on Friday I'm doing a sort of count down- sharing a character and their designer counterpart each day this week.
Today we're looking at District 12's Capitol appointed mentor, Effie Trinket.
The epitome of disgusting excess, Elizabeth Banks' has described her character as "basically a villain." I tend to disagree with this assessment. Yes, she works for The Capitol, is motivated by fame, and helps to send children to gruesome deaths but she also comes to genuinely care for Katniss and Peeta. As Katniss explains to Gale about her prep team in Mockingjay, "They're not evil or cruel. They're not even smart. Hurting them, it's like hurting children." That's kind of how I feel about Effie.
Some might say Effie's real world counterpart would have to be Donatella Versace, and while I agree to an extent, I think you'd have to roll in 90% Roberto Cavalli to really understand Effie.
With his Fall 2012 collection Cavalli took opulence and excess to a whole new level trimming looks with miles of fur, creating sequined animal print pants, and using python skin as the primary "fabric". If anyone in the real world would fit comfortably in to life in the Capitol it would have to be Roberto.