Dissecting the Costumes of Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’
Dissecting the Costumes of Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’
By Sophie Amen — N0vember 26. 2025
The costumes from Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein were nothing short of extraordinary. The costume design was one of the film’s most vital narrative tools, combining elements of symbolism and themes such as identity, grief, and creation. From color palettes to patterns, Emmy-nominated costume designer Kate Hawley had every detail accounted for.
Victor Frankenstein, played by Oscar Isaac
Victor’s costume designs reflect a man obsessed with order and control. At the beginning of the movie, he appears in dingy and worn-down clothing, depicting the time he has put into his scientific practices. After receiving money from Henrich Harlander to fund his project, Victor invests in a lavish pinstripe suit, as if aspiring to be a figure of importance. His red gloves, which he wears at the start of the movie and throughout creating the Creature, could allude to multiple concepts: his connection to his mother, his obsession with control, or even the literal interpretation of blood on his hands. Victor’s costuming gives an almost Mick Jagger feel, with plush, silk velvets and patterns like plaid. Instead of a scientist or a doctor, he is an artist who is excited by the fullness of what life can be.
While creating the Creature, his high-waisted trousers, stained with acid, reflect 1980s London punk. His outfit as a whole—featuring a white blouse discolored with dirt and blood—further shows his descent into obsession with his craft. Throughout the movie, we see the devolution of Victor into a monster. As the Creature becomes more human, Victor becomes more monstrous. This is shown most clearly as he chases after the Creature, covered in furs, blood splattered across his face, and hobbling from his amputated leg. His costumes are a visual arc of his character, with his costumes slowly deteriorating, mirroring his moral descent and emotional collapse.
Claire Frankenstein, played by Mia Goth
Though Victor’s mother only appears on screen for a short time and dies in Victor’s youth, she haunts Victor’s narrative throughout the film. Claire’s blood-red dress stands for the soul of the story. Symbolizing life, death, and the ethereal, her passing marks the start of Victor’s trauma. The color returns in Victor’s gloves, objects in the movie, and memories, showing that she is still present throughout the movie. With her magnificent floating veil and almost ghostly presence, she stands as a symbol of love and guilt for Victor.
The Creature, played by Jacob Elordi
Rather than giving the Creature tailored garments, the designers utilized pieces that hung loosely and unevenly, as if scavenged. In fact, the first real piece of clothing we see on the Creature is a coat belonging to the remains of a soldier on the Crimean War battlefield. Interestingly enough, the Creature was created out of the corpses of soldiers. This coat, with the soldier's spine imprinted on the back, took on a whole new meaning as a new layer of skin. When the Creature gets to the mill, he receives the gift of clothes and food, creating a new purpose for him.
As the Creature progresses, he accumulates more and more layers of clothing, and at the end of the movie, he no longer appears as a thin, spectral being. As he grows and becomes more powerful and knowledgeable, his stature and otherworldly silhouette build as well, with layers of ripped clothing and a bulky, shaggy coat with an exaggerated hood. The combination of raw linens, uneven fits, and textured fabrics depicts displacement, trauma, and innocence.
Elizabeth Harlander, played by Mia Goth
Elizabeth is almost a creature in her own way; she is a bit of an outsider. Her color palette of greens and magentas reflects empathy and compassion, and she is consistently seen in breathtakingly beautiful gowns and patterns. She has an affinity for insects, particularly beetles, which is shown through her wardrobe. Her costumes include a malachite-printed gown, a moth-patterned shawl, details of beetles, and prints of X-rays and microscopic views of blood cells. She even wears an archival Tiffany Favrile glass scarab necklace in which the jewels are actually small beetles, blurring the line between art and nature that Elizabeth’s character so beautifully embodies. Elizabeth also wears the historic 40-carat diamond Wade Family necklace from the Tiffany and Co. archives. Moreover, her feather headdresses perfectly complement her gowns.
When Elizabeth first meets the Creature, she is covered in layers, yet as she approaches the Creature, the layers start to shed. She removes her veil, and it seems as if she has been hiding before meeting the Creature. As the movie progresses, Elizabeth is seen again in extravagant gowns featuring insect-inspired colors, patterns, and textures. The red bonnet, dressed with details surrounding her face, could be a parallel to the coffin design of Victor’s mother, Claire. Her dreamy, sheer seafoam-green night gown reflects her vulnerability, a nod to the 1960s horror trope. Another stand-out costume design was Elizabeth’s wedding gown, paired with a red crucifix, yet again a nod to Victor’s mother. Layered with chiffons, tulles, and satin, her wedding gown moves gracefully. The draping of the satin ribbon on her arms and corset depicts bandages, mirroring the Creature’s bandages as well as alluding to the bandage design on the sleeves of the original 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein.
The costume design, coupled with the cinematography and set design, makes Frankenstein one of the most visually stunning movies of the year. Every aspect of the movie worked together harmoniously.
“These are not isolated ideas that occur at the same time,” del Toro says. “This is a symphony.”
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