- Fashion
Styling Killing Eve: The Many Shades of Villanelle
The season 3 finale of BBC America’s Killing Eve aired May 31st, concluding an arc that primarily focused on the psychotically charming Villanelle’s backstory. The story takes Villanelle back to Mother Russia, in all the meanings of the expression, and is reunited with her mother, Tatiana. Throughout the series, Villanelle’s unnervingly quirky personality shines through her elaborate wardrobe, which she uses not only to disguise herself but also to fully express her emotions, utilizing the full spectrum of color, mixing and matching patterns and textures. Costume designer Sam Perry spoke with us amidst the London heatwave to discuss our favorite looks from the season. (Please note there are some spoilers.)
Bright and Scary
“My friend Juliette, that was all her face painting design and the wig. It was a really good color-wise, what she did with the fact that it was still a very beautiful clown but scary at the same time. We had to make multiple copies because of scenes with blood. It was probably one of the most fun costumes to do.”
Blossoming Future
“This dress is by The Vampire’s Wife, which is a very cool British label. It’s quite rock and roll, I like the idea of it just being long and flowing and a little bit flamenco looking as well without being too obvious.”
Dress by The Vampire’
Light and Bright
part of the apartment until we got there. And the print was exactly the same as the tile. So, she really did look like she belonged in that apartment in that world.”
Mini dress by La DoubleJ
Empowering Balance
“I wanted an outfit that was kind of effortless, that wasn’t too overly sexual: where she looks confident. But Suit by Hussein Chalayan
#F7F9FA’>Jodie had lots of input into all of this. She really liked the idea of the apron and just something nice and crazy. It was made from an old eighties skirt that we found on the day of shooting.”
Back to Black
“Obviously, Villanelle doesn’t wear casual clothes and jeans. We were trying to do her version of casual. I mean this plain black jacket clearly it’s not very casual, but it’s a kind of utilitarian sort of army jacket fabric that reveals her depression.”
Jacket by Sakia
“I didn’t want her in too many suits, but I just wanted to try different silhouettes of suits. So obviously we’ve got background:#F7F9FA’>grey suit and this one, I just love the little shoulders. Kind of trying to be powerful, trying to show off and flirting a little bit as well.”
Jacket and pants by DICE KAYAK
“She looks a little bit like the Grinch or, I don’t know, just some crazy monster. And I think that’s what the whole last few episodes are about her mental state. And I just had so much fun with it. So that’s probably one of my favorite ones.”
Jersey pants by Gucci | Aviator jacket by Charlotte Knowles
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“Glitter almost looks like a five-year-old had to go decorating an old man’s jacket. So, it’s that mso-ansi-language:IT’ lang=’IT’>e.
“Originally, I think it was an ‘80s dress. I thought a suit would be more fun. When we see her later, she has the big fight scene, I just wanted her to be full of color. And it was also something I was quite keen on for the dancing with her and Eve, which is also quite a powerful scene between the two actresses.”
Marble-print suit by
I liked the sort of little Hitchcock reference; it was very much the kind of feel that I was after. I just felt it would work really well at nighttime for the bridge shot where everything’s dark and there’s this mustard white coat.”
Coat by LOEWE