It’s no easy feat humanizing a global icon such as Elvis Presley. Consider, he still has impersonators officiating at endless kitschy Las Vegas weddings 25 years after his death.

Part of that humanizing fell to costume designer Catherine Martin, who showcased in the summer-release “Elvis” just how sartorially stylish this young Southern boy was, how original and rebellious he appeared in what he chose to wear and perform in.

The riotous and colorful film stars Austin Butler as Presley, Olivia DeJonge as his wife Priscilla, and Tom Hanks as his manager Colonel Tom Parker. It’s directed and co-written by Martin’s husband and longtime collaborator, Baz Luhrmann. The couple live in Australia.

Martin excuses herself at the beginning of our transatlantic call: It’s Luhrmann, and he needs help trying to rendezvous with his daughter in Sydney. The conversation is so normal and soft, which belies the over-the-top flamboyance of the film. “OK, bye then, love you,” says Martin, who then returns to the topic of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Elvis truly was his own stylist, as he lived long before fashion stylists even existed. Ponder that amazing feat: conquering the world not just with his music but with his look — the one he created on his own as a working-class Memphis teenage boy.

Black performers always had a strong…