Approaching the costumes in Netflix’s “Persuasion,” costume designer Marianne Egertoft looked to “contemporary heroines” to create a wardrobe for the Jane Austen protagonist, Anne Elliot, played by Dakota Johnson.
She said of her design process, “I saw more contemporary heroines that I felt could convey a different feel and look to Anne Elliot.” “Patti Smith, Debbie Harry and Audrey Hepburn were featured on my mood board. It’s the attitude and spontaneity of these amazing women that resonates with me. I think it matters a lot what they actually wear rather than how they would wear something, although that naturally matters.”
“Persuasion”, which tells the story of Elliot, a young woman still grappling with her breakup eight years ago, is set in early 1800s England during the Regency era. Egertoft approached adaptation by incorporating period fashion – particularly for the aristocratic Elliot family – and married it with contemporary style icons to create costumes that would be considered timeless. The film starts streaming on Netflix from Friday.
The film is the latest project to fall under this year’s Regencycore fashion trend, inspired by other period dramas like “Bridgeton,” “The Gilded Age” and more. Unlike the plays of those period—which veered into a regal and lavish aesthetic—”Persuasion” is a more subdued take on Regencycore, primarily looking for Empire waist dresses and lace embellishments for costumes.
Eggertoft explained that his research process for the film was shortened due to accelerated production times, but he made references to historical textiles and museum pieces from the time period for the characters’ wardrobes. He also had a wide range of other Jane Austen film adaptations to work with.
A still from Netflix’s “Persuasion”.
Nick Wall/Netflix
“Director Carrie Kracknell and I were pretty much on the same wave length,” she said. “We wanted to strike a recognizable feel and a visual balance with the period scene without being overly careful with historical costume details and etiquette. We had already decided we would go for the period if we felt it was necessary.” For example, we were going to use the bonnet and cap in some capacity, but not strictly as the etiquette of the time would have dictated.”
As Johnson regularly breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the audience via monologues, Eggertoft wanted to keep her wardrobe uniform and minimal so as not to detract from her narrative.
“A timeless experience was important when it came to being Anne,” Egertoft said. “It’s her story from her point of view, and the directness to the camera means we need to take care that the costume doesn’t get in the way of these exchanges with the audience.”
Elliot’s minimalist wardrobe was also there as a way of showing off his differences from his sisters. While Elliot was more simple and reclusive and wore dark clothing, his sisters welcomed social engagement and attention, and used them as an opportunity to bring out their ornate and bright clothes.
“The overall idea was that Anne would have a favorite outfit than her sisters, who would prefer to make more changes and fuss than her sisters,” she continued. “The minimalist approach was challenged by the flow of the story and required a few more hero garments, but hopefully we’ve managed to gain some sense of favorite clothing.”
As the latest Jane Austen film adaptation, Egertoft believes the late author’s work has resonated with audiences for so long because of the relatability of his novels.
“Jane Austen’s books have a timeless quality about them, which makes them ideal for adaptation,” concluded Eggertoft. “I think Jane Austen hits a nerve within most of us. Oddly, sometimes it can be easy to appreciate it in period drama. Maybe we’re more accepting when our Get away from your reality.
Originally published at Pen 18
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