JOHN WATERS - COSTUME DESIGNER VAN SMITH DIES

COSTUME DESIGNER VAN SMITH DIES

VAN SMITH, who created the costumes and makeup for the films of JOHN WATERS, has died. He was 61. Smith died Tuesday (05DEC06) at his home in Marianna, Florida of a heart attack. He became a regular part of Waters' film repertory group, Dreamland, starting with PINK FLAMINGOS, a movie starring 300-pound (136 kilogram) transvestite actor DIVINE. Working on a tight budget, Smith found simple ways to make the stars look outrageous. He shaved Divine's hairline deep into the actor's forehead to make room for excessive eye makeup and dressed her in a red fishtail gown. His destructive makeup techniques included using dirt to obscure a natural glow or letting egg white dry on an actor's face. He also designed a shower curtain dress for actress LIZ RENAY in DESPERATE LIVING and put MELANIE GRIFFITH in a Chanel jacket that he reformatted with a biker mystique in CECIL B DEMENTED. Smith was also a New York City fashion illustrator, Baltimore antique store owner and Florida animal rescue volunteer.