Exclusive: Frankenstein costume designer on ‘fever dream’ film – and ‘dedicated’ Jacob Elordi
When you think of the story of *Frankenstein*, Mary Shelley’s terrifying monster immediately comes to mind. Yet in director Guillermo del Toro’s new film adaptation of the novel, it’s the vivid dresses worn by actress Mia Goth—who plays both the love interest Elizabeth Lavenza and the late mother of the monster’s creator, Victor Frankenstein—that steal every scene.
The Emmy-nominated costume designer Kate Hawley is the mastermind behind the outfits. For her, designing the costumes and selecting the accompanying Tiffany & Co. jewellery for Guillermo’s “big passion project” has been a dream come true.
Kate first met the director 15 years ago in her native New Zealand through *The Lord of the Rings* producer and director Peter Jackson. She went on to work with Guillermo on his hit films *Crimson Peak* and *Pacific Rim*.
“He’s such a wonderful, deeply knowledgeable person to work with, and he’s an artist first and foremost,” Kate tells *HELLO!* in this exclusive interview at the Corinthia London hotel. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. It was Guillermo’s massive fever dream and his lifelong project. That doesn’t happen very often, that you’re getting to work on someone’s big piece.”
### A Victorian-Inspired Palette
Based on the 1818 Gothic novel by the British author, the film is set in the 1830s and 1850s. Kate explains how the vibrant hues of Mia’s costumes pay homage to the Victorians’ love of colourful clothing, as well as Shelley’s own interest in nature.
“Guillermo was always clear about colour,” Kate says. They were inspired by the Hammer horror films, the Italian filmmaker Mario Bava, and the painter Caravaggio—whose work carries “a deep, dark, romantic tone to it.”
### Playing with Colour
In her role as Victor’s mother, Mia wears a scarlet dress with a flowing veil as she welcomes her husband home with their young son. This bold colour theme continues with Mia’s first appearance as Elizabeth, where she meets Victor (played by Oscar Isaac), dressed in a beautiful blue gown, a feather headdress, and a rare glass scarab necklace from the Tiffany & Co. archive.
The choice of headdress supports the character’s portrayal as a “heavenly angel,” Kate explains. “Guillermo wanted her to feel ephemeral, so we had saturated colour, but a lot of it was in those transparent fabrics. Then we layered patterns and things underneath.”
In the film, Victor is captivated by Elizabeth’s beauty and character, but she is married to his brother, William (played by Felix Kammerer). Mia’s dual roles reflect Victor’s ongoing obsession with his mother, who died when he was a child. The situation becomes even more complex when Elizabeth later falls in love with Jacob Elordi’s “creature”—Guillermo’s interpretation of Frankenstein’s monster in the film.
### Illustrating a Life Through Costume
Kate also created outfits for the male characters. Oscar Isaac’s Victor undergoes quite the transformation: “from someone young to old, beautiful to ugly,” Kate notes.
“Oscar was a dream—wonderfully collaborative,” she adds. “It was a big dress-up box for Victor. His character came from an older ancestry, an aristocratic history, and yet he’s the artist of privilege. We were looking a lot at Picasso and Francis Bacon for inspiration.”
And what was it like working with the heartthrob of the moment, Jacob Elordi?
“Jacob was a delight and really dedicated,” Kate says. “You had to respectfully give him space because that was a huge make-up process: ten hours in the chair. He’s working through the night getting that all on, then on set during the day it’s a lot. I haven’t got nicer words to say about him and Oscar.”
### A Film to Watch
With such a stellar cast and stunning visual style, it’s no surprise that *Frankenstein* is already being tipped for Best Picture at the Academy Awards next year.
Del Toro’s passion, combined with Kate Hawley’s extraordinary costume design and the powerful performances from Mia Goth, Oscar Isaac, and Jacob Elordi, promise a *Frankenstein* like never before.
https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/865626/exclusive-frankenstein-costume-designer-interview/
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