Spoilers for Materialists forward.
Towards the tip of Materialists, Celine Tune’s exploration of the contradictions of courting and trendy love, pragmatic skilled matchmaker Lucy (Dakota Johnson) reaches an epiphany.
“If you love somebody, it’ll be simple,” she says. “There’s no math.”
Till then, Lucy relied on a quantitative method in figuring out matches for her shoppers — and herself. Her data-driven methodology additionally comes via in her skilled aesthetic, filled with straight strains and formulation of strong neutrals, as crafted by costume designer Katina Danabassis. However, as Lucy permits love into the equation, her wardrobe begins to bloom, typically actually with florals.
Lucy’s stylish, simple lineup of swimsuit separates and basic, fine-knit cardigans is partially knowledgeable by Tune’s personal expertise working as a matchmaker in New York Metropolis — a enjoyable indisputable fact that provides depth to the character’s model.
“It was essential to convey that [Lucy] wasn’t stealing anybody’s shine when it got here to her shoppers. It needs to be skilled, and enchantment to a high-end clientele,” Danabassis, who led costume design for Tune’s final (and really totally different) love-triangle movie, Previous Lives. “If you’re millionaire matchmaking, you must look the half. But in addition not come throughout as somebody who’s essentially obtainable.”
Lucy ultimately permits herself to be obtainable when confronted with two choices: the seemingly-perfect financier Harry (Pedro Pascal) and her ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans), a struggling actor who nonetheless lives with roommates.
Forward, Danabassis takes us via how Lucy’s love story unfolds via her wardrobe.
Lucy’s Energy Go well with
At all times targeted, Lucy targets new shoppers as she commutes to work — and her outfits help the pitch. Within the opening scenes, she confidently strides in a strong-shouldered Aritzia blazer and knee-high Paris Texas boots, practically inflicting finance bro Robert (Eddie Cahill) to have whiplash as he walks in the wrong way.
“I used to be actually within the concept of placing her in an influence swimsuit,” says Danabassis. “Not solely as a result of it’s a bit bit recent, but additionally it appears to be one thing of a bygone period.”
Reflecting a NYC, always-on-the-move sense of dressing, the costume designer teamed the navy pinstripe blazer with a black, wide-striped mini skirt from a Versace swimsuit and a white satin Banana Republic shirt. ”It simply felt very New York; timeless, however highly effective, trendy, however throwback — and iconic,” says Danabassis, referencing a standout reminiscence of a girl in a skirt swimsuit and Dries van Noten-esque thigh-high boots strutting throughout Bowery Road in Manhattan.
Danabassis additionally dropped in an Easter egg.“It’s additionally a nod to Working Lady,” she says, referring to the 1988 basic starring Johnson’s mother, Melanie Griffith, whose character famously wore sneakers with skirt fits to the workplace.
Lucy’s Blue Robe
Lucy’s a prime performer at work — with 9 marriages to her credit score. She’s even invited to the newest nuptials of two high-net-worth (and high-maintenance) people. Lucy opts for a strapless, draped Proenza Schouler gown in a placing peacock blue that pulls the attention of the viewer and Harry, the wealthy, swoon-worthy brother of the groom.
“We want one thing that pops. However concurrently, it shouldn’t be one thing that’s going to steal any shine from the bride,” says Danabassis of her considering, which led to the pairing of the “origami-style gown” with silver Bottega Veneta heels. “Additionally, the gown shouldn’t be too fussy. In actuality, sure, it was a fussy gown. We needed to ensure that it was tied completely [at the back]. Nevertheless it was actually easy. Like, you’ll be able to perform in it.”
Lucy multitasks like a professional: disaster managing the bride’s chilly ft, charming potential new shoppers, and slipping out of the opulent ballroom to reconnect with John, a cater-waiter on the reception. She additionally agrees to a steamy dance with Harry, in alternate for him agreeing to name her company.
“It’s a piece perform, mainly. She’s there to help, however not be a wallflower completely,” says Danabassis. “As a result of she’s nonetheless a girl in New York and doing her factor.”
Lucy’s Date-Night time Appears
She finally agrees to contemplate Harry — “a unicorn, an inconceivable fantasy,” as Lucy describes him — as a prospect for herself, and never her loyal shoppers. Over a collection of dinner dates (the place they strategically assess one another via their methodical view of relationships), Lucy wears refined, uncomplicated items, like a darkish St. John blazer over a Leset tank and a strappy black halter gown from Laundry by Shelly Segal.
“She’s interesting to his sensibilities, which is simply basic, stylish, upscale, and a bit bit minimal,” says Danabassis.
When a beforehand skeptical Lucy agrees to go all-in with Harry, she elevates her signature black monochrome with a sheer Simkhai prime, layered over an Solely Hearts bra, and a classic double-breasted blazer. Her knee-length One other Tomorrow skirt, with dynamic tasseled fringe (a extra enjoyable tackle the business-like skirt she wears earlier within the movie), takes on a lifetime of its personal as she and Harry do a dance of kinds via the hallways of his sprawling $12 million Tribeca penthouse.
“We theorized that it ought to [evolve from] her not making an attempt too, too arduous to ramping as much as, ‘Okay, I’m gonna perform a little bit extra right here.’ However preserve it very New York, stylish, [and] clear,” says Danabassis. “That black outfit popped towards the heat of his house, and the Gucci sneakers have been superb due to the shine and the metallic chain on the again.”
Lucy’s Flashback Florals
A flashback reveals Lucy and John’s emotional breakup, occurring after they have been each cash-strapped actors however chasing divergent targets and life. Lucy’s delicately ruffled floral Dôen prime, Nili Lotan straight-leg denims, and Loeffler Randall mules really feel sentimental and hopeful.
“It’s that cute look that you just put collectively for going out to your anniversary,” says Danabassis. “That’s not making an attempt too arduous or making an attempt to match the identical degree because the man. It’s actually simply her.”
Lucy additionally wears a candy, thrift-store-bought coronary heart necklace that displays a differing mindset from her present-day smooth Spinelli Kilcollin rolo chain that telegraphs geometry.
“When she’s courting Harry, she’s on this metropolis mode,” says Danabassis. “When it’s John, it’s extra naturalistic, grounded, floral, and ethereal.”
Lucy’s “Reveal” Outfit
John lastly lands a task in an off-off-Broadway play and invitations Lucy, who brings her now-boyfriend Harry. Her outfit — an extended ‘90s-style black leather-based jacket by Coach, white MNG cami, and Zara high-waisted, wide-leg denims — suits the venue and post-show dive bar drinks.
“She is aware of what world she’s getting into into, like a dingy Brooklyn playhouse factor. However Harry doesn’t know the place he’s going. So he wears his ‘Oh, that is my nation blazer,’” says Danabassis, about Harry’s ‘match: a tweedy Ralph Lauren jacket, caramel-brown Zegna button-down, Hermès darkish denims, and Bottega Veneta oxfords.
However the casual-cool ensemble additionally appears like a slight reveal of her long-suppressed emotions for John — and harbinger of an impending divide with Harry.
Lucy’s Wedding ceremony-Crasher Gown
A traumatic occasion pushes Lucy to just accept and observe her emotions, as a substitute of crunching the numbers. She exhibits up on John’s doorstep with baggage packed for a now-canceled Iceland jaunt with Harry. Lucy and John then take a spontaneous drive upstate to crash a country marriage ceremony. Fortunately, John retains a cater-waiter swimsuit within the trunk of his beat-up automobile. Lucy presumably plucks a floaty, buttercream yellow Dôen gown out of her suitcase and doesn’t change out of her black Nike sneakers. Though the gown — with a curved empire waistline, watercolor florals, fluttery ruffles, and floral appliqués — evokes nation marriage ceremony greater than the posh trip she was on her option to take.
“I imply, positive, she might have packed that for Iceland. Like, [Lucy and Harry] have been occurring a date someplace, and he or she’s making an attempt to do her particular factor and get extra in tune with herself. That’s the concept there,” explains Danabassis. “Actually, it’s only a romantic gown that hits the hidden theme of flowers as a logo of affection that was carried all through the film.”
Form of like finishing a posh math calculation by sustaining all of the variables alongside the best way.
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