FIRST LOOK
re two suits, with the green
ptain Marvel himself), while
community about whether
peroxide blonde mohawk
ny of the comics (she wears
costume was a painstaking
Hays – an industry veteran
dTotal Recall– more than
together I was just staring at
motional. I was like... This is
Tonight.
has
of
nd
nly
uch
py/
lso
ten
wof
she
ent
tos
me
eist
ulti-
necklace while dressed in
Gala” inOcean’s 8.Inone
Killing Eve, Villanelle dons
ss by British designer Molly
chologist (accessorised with
se) – a sartorial reminder of
hole enterprise to be.(film buffs are speculating therea
one relating to the history of Cap
debate ragedin the comicbook
Larson should have worn the p
helmet the superhero wears in man
it in the trailer). The creation of the
process that tookSanja Milkovic
who hasworkedonStar Trekkand
a year. “When I finally put it all ont
myself in the mirror and I did get e
crazy!” Larson toldEntertainmentT
Of course, costume design h
always been an essential element
TV or film – but these moviesa
shows feel different. Not o
because theendproduct is so mu
more finessed than the heist/sp
horror movies of the past, but a
because the clothing is literallywritt
into theplot. Theron makes a show
how badass she is when s
methodically removes her pate
leatherred ChristianDior stilet
before beatingthe hell out of som
bad guysinAtomic Blonde; the he
crew work together to steal a mu
million dollar Cartier diamond n
custom designer looks at the “Met
ofthe most iconic looks from K
a bubblegumpink,puff-of-tulle dres
Goddard for a forced visit to apsyc
chunkyBalenciaga boots, of cours
how ridiculous she considers the wJodie Comer
as Villanelle
inKilling EveBrie Larson as
Captain MarvelBalmainNone of this is a coincidence. As female roles in Hollywood
have transitioned from tokenistic to increasingly intricate and
complex, costume designers are being given more room to
experiment. Designers are hired to bring new dimensions to
a character, so the more depth and complexity the character
has, the more interesting and engaging their costume will be.
“Generations of costume designers have been working away
at producing costumes that define characters with depth, so
there’s nothing new there!” says De Gaye. “It’s certainly true
that television, specifically, is evolving into a very exciting
medium with ever more ambitious projects, and perhaps the
female characters themselves are becoming more complex
than they were at one time. This presents a challenge I’m sure
many costume designers working today relish.”
You don’t have to be a fashion obsessive to applaud the
fact that the film and television industry is starting to take its
female characters more seriously. Style chops aside,
productions likeKilling EveandCaptain Marvelprove strong
female characters are more than a passing fad. And in a world
that tends to underestimate or play down the power of clothing,
it’s exciting to see the full storytelling potential of fashion brought
to life. If we can now enjoy brilliant work by brilliant women
writers, directors and actresses, while also name-spotting
new-season Chloé, what’s not to love?
We strongly suggest you use a fictional assassin as your
sartorial mood board going into autumn.
Stella McCartney’s long-sleeved mint-green
dress paired with heavy-duty footwear is an
unequivocal #mood. A feminine ruffled Celine
top should be worn with a micro mini and
buckled boots, if you ask us. And a pretty lemon
Proenza Schouler midi-skirt, worn with a fierce
leather shirt, is among the chicest get-ups
a working woman can muster. Just hold off on
assassinating mobsters with a lethal hairpin
while you wear them.E“We strongly
suggest
you use a
FICTIONAL
ASSASSIN as
your SARTORIAL
MOOD BOARD
going into
autumn”Proenza SchoulerWords: Grace O’Neill. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans; Captain Marvel courtesy of Disney