Exclusive: Magic Mike's Costume Designer Dishes On His Inspiration & Tear-Away Cop Outfits

CP: Well, all of the thongs that are out there are just the most ill-fitting, not film worthy things ever. We tried a million different thongs and none of them worked. So we found this great company called Pistol Pete who custom made all of them. They came in and we found fabrics for them, they printed fabrics for me, and everything was custom made, which took away some of that awkwardness with the fittings.

STF: And then the actual try-on process? How did that go?

CP: It was a little odd at first. My first fittings were with Channing, who brought a lot of knowledge to the table because of his history early on as a stripper, so that made it easier. The interesting thing about a cast of beautiful men is, one is okay, two is fine, but once you have seven beautiful men in a room, it takes on its own kind of energy. They're all playing along. But because Channing was so game, everybody came to the table equally as game and nobody was akward about it. You get a group mentality going and with everyone wanting to make the best possible film. At the beginning of each fittings, I'd say, "Okay here's the thong, I'm going to leave the room and let you get comfortable and dance around a little."

STF: Did you custom-make all of the clothes in this movie, or did you guys shop for some stuff too?

CP: It was a combination. We made a lot of Matthew McConaughey's clothing, because it was such a specific thing we wanted to do. The inspiration was an amalgamation of Jim Morrison and two strip club owners I'd seen in real clubs. A lot of leather, just wild, out-there, kinda ridiculous stuff, but as with lot of the boys, in just with keeping with Steven's style, reality is the jumping off point for everything.

STF: What was the most memorable moment or look you created for this film?

CP: Well, one of the most joyful collaborations on the project was with Matthew--he was such a joy to work with and really went out on a limb in so many ways with this project. His contribution to the picture at large…it's pretty daring and kinda out there what he did. He created this completely mad, sexy, troubled, interesting, egotistical, fantastic guy. There are very bold choices there. His final strip number, which is something to behold...I'm not going to tell you about it, but it will go down as one of the greatest things captured on film.

If this trailer is any indication, we heartily second that:

So yeah...how excited are you gals to see Magic Mike!? It hits theaters June 29, so gawking at the trailer will have to suffice until then. Discuss...

PLUS...See the NSFW version of the trailer

Photos: courtesy of Warner Bros.