Carnival for MASTERPIECE

Real-life people frequently inspire designs for on-screen characters, says Susannah Buxton, Downton Abbey's costume designer. She thought of Britain's Queen Mary while designing costumes for Maggie Smith, who plays the acerbic Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet Crawley. The queen, Buxton says, was extremely dominant and had a strong shape that translated well for Violet.