Every time I gaze at Kate Hawley’s costume design for Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, I feel like I discover something new. Maybe The Creature’s hunt for humanity and compassion can be translated into our own curiosity for the exquisite Oscar-nominated work. One of the reasons why Hawley’s designs have dominated this season is because every piece is driven by character but also steeped in drama. Hawley’s work is robust, meaningful, and hypnotic.
One might assume that a man of science like Victor Frankenstein doesn’t care about what he wears, but that is not the case in this new iteration. Oscar Isaac brings such a sexy swagger to the role but he allows his intelligence and passion for science do the talking. Hawley, though, translates that into how the doctor wears his clothes. His red gloves (I need…) are something that he has carried with him from his childhood, but notice how the camera captures the shape of his hats or how he wears his robes or jackets open. In the anatomical lecture scene, I love the knotted red tied around his neck and the dangling silver chain that hangs from his vest.
Mia Goth’s Elizabeth has her curiosity almost sewn into all of her designs. The way that she looks at Jacob Elordi’s Creature is different than how she looks at Victor, and Hawley gives each elaborate, gorgeous piece different layers–as if you could dissect or peel back different materials to inspect them. This is a perfect example of how a designer doesn’t design just to make the costumes big or boistrous. Everything carries meaning even if the character isn’t yet aware of it. Elizabeth’s wedding gown is an event unto itself.
Hawley and I gush over how Felix Kammerer wears clothes–his golden mustard waitcoat is to die and his pearly groom tuxedo should not go unnoticed–and that character’s closet obviously varies from how we literally see The Creature building the clothes on his back.
There is so much to celebrate in Hawley’s work in this film. It’s passionate, sexy, bold, and vibrant.
Click here to listen to our audio podcast interview with Oscar-nominated costume designer Kate Hawley as she speaks all the drama and the passion for the designs of Frankenstein.
Podcast Music:
Royalty Free Music from Tunetank.com
Track: Here We Go! by cinematic alex
https://tunetank.com/track/802-here-we-go/
