“Up” director Ben Affleck has never shown Michael Jordan on screen. File photo: Jim Ruymen/UPI
Delores Johnson (Viola Davis) explains the terms of her son’s contract with Nike.Photo courtesy of Prime
Deloris (Viola Davis) and James Jordan (Julius Tennon) meet with Nike.Photo courtesy of Prime
Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) signs Michael Jordan for Nike sneakers.Photo courtesy of Prime
Charlese Antoinette Jones makes Phil Knight’s (Ben Affleck) tracksuit from scratch.Photo courtesy of Prime
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 8 (UPI) — idea Air Although Nike hired Michael Jordan as an athlete to endorse their Air Jordan sneakers, he never appeared in the movie. Still, costume designer Charles Antoinette Jones had to make stunt double Damian Young look like the real Jordan.
“Even if we don’t see him, it needs to fit the style of Michael Jordan as a high school kid right now,” Jones told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. Amazon is submitting Air for awards consideration in apparel and other categories, and Jones gave a new interview to support the awards campaign.
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Director Ben Affleck glossed over Young’s perspective in a scene where Nike executives meet with the Jordan family. Jordan never speaks in the film, and his face is never shown on camera.
“We didn’t know what part of his body was going to be hit,” Jones said. “Maybe it’s his sleeves. Maybe it’s his feet.”
Jones said she had to make sure everything Jordan wore in the movie fit the way people dressed in 1984. She said she also identified Jordan’s outfits based on research on what he wore off the court and even during meetings with rival shoe brands.
“One scene where they arrive at Adidas is he’s wearing a leather jacket,” Jones said. “I thought it was appropriate because he thought Adidas was so cool and he wanted to dress cool for that meeting.”
Before Nike won over Jordan, Adidas was actually Jordan’s favorite. Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) convinces Michael’s parents, James (Julius Tennon) and Delores Jordan (Viola Davis), that their son should Signed with Nike, the bottom brand at the time.
“There are a lot of photos of Michael Jordan from high school and photos of his family from high school,” Jones said. “They were a very public family and were in the public eye in the ’80s.”
Jones said the photos helped her understand James and Delores through their clothes and dress them accordingly. She said she observed James being casual.
When Sonny first visited North Carolina, James was working on a truck in his driveway. Jones said she imagined the heat of summer in the Southeast.
“That’s why I chose to put him in a short-sleeved plaid shirt, jeans and Red Wing boots,” Jones said. “He was working on the truck and it felt really believable for Saturday.”
Deloris struck a groundbreaking deal with Michael that gave Nike a percentage of the profits on every pair of shoes sold with his name on it. Jones said Delores’ clothing showcased her business acumen and Christian faith.
“(Delores) always wore a cross to show her religious side and her devotion to spirituality,” Jones said.
Jones also captured what Nike executives were wearing in 1984. Vaccaro didn’t wear a suit, and Jones said his attire gave Vaccaro a fatherly reputation.
“He had the demeanor and appearance of a father that was warm and comforting,” Jones said. “If he came and told you how he felt about you and how great you were going to be, you would trust him and believe him. .”
Jones said research shows Rob Strasser, a Nike executive played by Jason Bateman, doesn’t care about the latest fashions.
“(Strasse) isn’t going to buy the latest Armani suit,” Jones said. “He was wearing the same suit he had been wearing since the late ’70s, early ’80s.”
In contrast, Michael’s agent David Falk (Chris Messina) is very fashion-conscious, Jones said.
“My inspiration for David Falk was Wall Street—the angular Armani trapezoid suit, double-breasted, all the bells and whistles,” Jones said. “I wanted him to be the pickiest because he’s a very picky character.”
Affleck plays Nike CEO Phil Knight, who wears colorful tracksuits in the office. Jones said she custom-made Affleck’s suit based on archival footage of Knight, including his 1991 appearance on “60 Minutes.”
“The hardest part was finding white nylon waterproof fabric that wasn’t shiny,” Jones said. “A lot of stuff comes from China. It’s just not easily available in the U.S.”
Air Now streaming on Prime Video.