“The Hux” costume designer Kathleen Felix Hager has found the script for episode three of the show’s final season. There was one sentence that left an impression on me. “Deborah shows up wearing a dress made of playing cards.”
Because it was in the early stages of preparation, Felix Hager had time to think about what it would look like. After conversations and sketches with showrunners Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, she arrived at the red dress inspired by the Queen of Hearts. Workroom Director Rory Cunningham created this dress. The dress consisted of three parts: a strapless gown with corset, a bolero jacket, and a hooked skirt. “There are real playing cards sewn into that dress,” Felix Hager explained.
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In “The Comeback,” costume designer Tom Brecker reads the season 3 opening script and learns that Valerie Cherish (Lisa Kudrow) will play Roxie Hart on “Chicago” as part of the storyline. However, the creators did not have permission to use copyrighted costumes from the Broadway show.
Fortunately for Brecker, he knew one of the stage managers from the long-running show and worked with them to brainstorm ideas about what might work. However, he continued to encounter obstacles. The more obstacles that stood in his way, the more creative Brecker became. “I went back to the original made by Patricia Zipplot (who created the original costume for Bob Diane in 1975) and had a version of it made for Lisa.” But legal restrictions meant Brecker had to tweak the design further. He eventually found a way to turn this challenge into a positive. “We added more sparkle, so it looked better for the camera.”
Felix Hager and Brecker spoke about their process as costume designers during HBO’s “Sketch to Screen” panel discussion last week at the Audrey Armas Pavilion in Los Angeles.
“Euphoria” costume designer Natasha Newman-Thomas realized she needed to make several wedding dresses for Cassie. In episode 3, Cassie (Sidney Sweeney) and Nate (Jacob Elordi) finally get married. However, the night ends in a bloody disaster, with Nate being beaten and having his toes cut off.
Newman-Thomas realized she would need multiple versions of the dress. “Cathy was going to be really bloody…we knew we had to make eight dresses,” she explains.
Budget constraints limited what she could do. Her solution was to create variations of the dress while remaining true to Cassie’s character. “We’ll have a long version with a huge train for the ceremony and have her change into something shorter. That way you can have eight (versions) of one dress, which makes it much more affordable.”
Newman-Thomas wasn’t the only costume designer working on the wedding. Each episode of the six-part limited series Half Man concludes with Niall (Jamie Bell) suiting up to marry Albie, but just as he’s about to say his vows, Reuben (Richard Gadd) arrives and interrupts the ceremony.
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When designing Niall’s traditional Scottish wedding outfit, Miller wanted to include a personal homage to Gad, who is also the show’s creator. “This is his clan’s tartan,” she said of the gun tartan plaid texture used in the fabric.
In contrast, Ruben is dressed in black from head to toe. “It cuts through the atmosphere and is a good demonstration of how costume can really help change the tone, change the mood, tell a story and sell.”
Knight of the Seven Kingdoms costume designer Lorna Ó Riordine also incorporated a nod to kilts into her work. At the end of episode 3, Egg’s true identity is revealed. He is Prince Aegon V Tagaryen. “There’s a little nod to Scottish kilts to show that this is a family and how deep it runs.” Texture was especially important when O’Riordain finally donned the Targaryen costume. “They were referring to the rocky volcanic terrain that the Targaryens come from, so everything could be from that surface and had a very harsh aspect to it. There are shots of red and this molten lava design running through all the costumes,” she added.
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In “The Gilded Age,” Kasia Walicka-Maimone expands on New York luxury style. Bertha’s look was drawn from the colors of the time and was inspired by 19th century painters. In one scene, Bertha wears greenish-yellow clothing. “This is a day outfit, but I found the fabric at a modern store,” Waricca-Maimone said. Her team often creates up to 5,000 pieces each season, and for this one, the organic drapes captivated her. “It really resonated with the abstraction and boldness of the time.”
Meanwhile, Meghan Kasperlik (“Tusk”) custom-made all the rings for the show’s bikers. In the case of biker gang leader Jason (Sam Keeley), his ring had an Easter egg on it. “His ring is engraved with ‘DH’, which is a tribute to Dark Hearts,” Kasperlik explains. “He wore it as a wedding ring, because even if he is married to a woman, his marriage to the club comes first.”
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