The Tamesis
I can’t remember the last time a film’s costumes generated as much attention and discussion as two-time Academy Award winner Jacqueline Durran’s extraordinary creation for Emerald Fennell. Wuthering Heights. Well, the last one was probably Greta Gerwig’s Barbie—Durran also contributed to the cultural phenomenon’s colorful wardrobe; like her Chanel outfits for Kristen Stewart spencerthe March sisters’ ball gown. little womenand Keira Knightley’s unforgettable looks anna karenina, pride and Prejudiceand atonement. (The latter’s green dress remains one of the most talked about screen looks of all time.)
No wonder Fennell and Margot Robbie — our new Cathy, who is also a producer on the upcoming romance and has previously worked with Duran Barbie— hired the talented Brit to film their new epic, even though they couldn’t have guessed before the film’s release how many columns her work would generate. From the moment the first grainy paparazzi photos surfaced from the set, the internet has been abuzz with buzz about the period inaccuracies and general weirdness of the costumes.
Fennell, Robbie and Duran remained unmoved. Wuthering Heights has always been considered a fantastical fever dream – a modern take on 1950s studio melodrama, happily blending historical references with dazzling modernity. As the film’s first trailer suggests, Cathy won’t be a brunette drifting through the wilderness in a low-key high-waisted dress, but a spunky blonde in a German milkmaid-style corset, sparkly eye-catchers, and Elton John sunglasses. And her co-stars – Jacob Elordi as the brooding Heathcliff, Alison Oliver as the angelic Isabella Linton, Hong Chau as the steely Nelly Dean, and Shahzad Latif as the cocky Edgar Linton – will also subvert our expectations.
Ahead of the film’s release on February 13, just before Valentine’s Day, Durran gave Fashion Get an exclusive, up-close look at her incredible work and some of the images from her mood boards, and tell us about the most important looks. From Cathy’s translucent wedding night suit to a giant furry Russian hat and the “latex dress” that got everyone talking (correction: it wasn’t actually latex), there was a lot to unpack.
Fashion: First of all, how many outfits does Margot’s Cathy have? Wuthering Heights?
Jacqueline Duran: Through overlap and reuse, we created 45 to 50 outfits specifically for Cathy.
