The latest version of the classic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly has not left indifferent audiences, and the film directed by Guillermo del Toro was the one that was mostly adapted from the book.
Directed by Christopher Nolan and featuring the star of Australia, Jacob Elordi as The Creature and Oscar Issac as Victor Frankenstein, it is Mia Goth, as Elizabeth Lavenza, in costume by Tiffany & Co. Jewels and 19th-century gowns, who carries the day.
Her massive wardrobe in Frankenstein was based on the mind of Emmy Award-nominated costume designer Kate Hawley, who has also worked on other productions, including The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Crimson Peak. Elizabeth, the character of Goth, is an entomologist and botanist, so Hawley referred to the insects by patterns and shapes of garments. Certain dresses were also designed to resemble beetle wings that were made of paper-thin fabrics in addition to wasp-waisted tight corsets.
Regarding the green dress, Goth says to Refinery29 Australia, the design on the butterfly wings. This was what Guillermo and Kate were experimenting with a lot of Elizabeth, and all the costumes, everything was considered.
Hawley researched the structure of cells as well as beetle anatomy to develop insect-like patterns unique to him. It is all about echoing the beetle and insect-like qualities, but just adjusted to the period, Hawley says in the production notes.
Jewellery also played an important role in the characterisation of Goth as her blue outfit also had a signature piece of Tiffany and Co. which was created in the early 1900s. The Louis Comfort Tiffany necklace consists of beetle motifs in a gold setting made up of blue glass.
In a press video, Christopher Young, the Vice President and Creative Director of Tiffany Patrimony and Global Creative Visual Merchandising, said they wanted to pull pieces that were of that era, Mary Shelley, to study the decisions that they were making back then. The result is what jewellers refer to as blurring the line between jewellery and art.
A very impressive dress that Elizabeth wears is the last one, a white dress with white satin ribbons around her arms.
“Religious language is a big part of Elizabeth’s character, and that bonnet is like a halo,” Hawley explains. “Mia has such an amazing mercurial face- one of the first fittings we had, we put that bonnet on her, abe we put the yellow veil over her, and she just became this other creature.”
Frankenstein is going to be released on Netflix at 6 pm AEST on 7 November 2025.
