Laurie Kratochvil, former photo editor at Rolling Stone and In Style, in conversation with Melody Barnett, owner of Palace Costume, and photographer Mimi Haddon, author of the newly released book, Palace Costume: Inside Hollywood’s Best Kept Fashion Secret. (Chronicle Books, 2024)

Envisioned and curated by owner Melody Barnett, Palace Costume is a 30,000-square-foot treasure trove of over half a million pieces and a beloved and legendary collection exclusively for costumers, stylists, and designers. Barnett's journey in retro clothing is movie-worthy itself. Her first boutique in Los Angeles in the early 1970s attracted the likes of Diana Ross and Joni Mitchell and many other legends from the era. This inspired her to transition the business into a to-the-trade-only rental service enabling her to hold onto and care for these vintage gems.

Since then, award-winning costume designers and stylists from around the world have sought her services, and hundreds of classic films have featured clothing from Palace over the years, including Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, and The Godfather, to name just a few, along with recent films such as La La Land, Babylon, Malcolm X, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Frida, Black Panther, Don’t Worry Darling, Mary Poppins Returns, and Everywhere All at Once.

Los Angeles–based photographer Mimi Haddon has been artfully photographing the vintage gems at Palace Costume for many years. Over 300 of her stunning, stylized, and saturated images are featured in this visually comprehensive and delightful celebration of this one-of-a-kind archive.

Mimihaddon.com

palacecostume.com

lauriekphoto.com