Virginie Montel, the costume designer for the future musical film “Emilia Pérez,” shows how clothes can be used as a powerful storytelling tool to follow the complicated journey of characters as they deal with identity and personal change.
The movie, directed by Jacques Audiard, is about a lawyer named Rita (Zoe Saldaña) who helps a drug lord escape and then gets surgery to change her gender to become Emilia Pérez (Karla Sofía Gascón). The story turns interesting when Emilia later goes to London to find her ex-wife Jessi (Selena Gomez).
Montel’s outfit design becomes a language of change that can be seen. She said, “The theme of Emilia Pérez is evolution. “Not only does Emilia transition, but Rita and Jessi transform themselves throughout the film.”
When people meet Rita for the first time, she’s wearing a grey suit, which represents how uncomfortable she is initially. Montel intentionally dressed Saldaña to show a character who was “uncomfortable with her body and movement” before she changed. When the character changes into Emilia, her clothing changes greatly, showing she is “sensitive and delicate, sexy but chic.”
The clothes Emilia wears show how she is becoming herself. “Emilia likes colours and bold prints and has good taste,” he said. She said that while Rita worked as a lawyer and was surrounded by smart women, Emilia needed help figuring out her style and behaviour.
Textiles are a big part of how Emilia shows her increased confidence. The silk and cashmere materials she wears show off her sensuality and confidence. “Once [Rita] transforms, she feels sexy, wearing silk and cashmere to show off her ‘new’ body and newfound confidence,” he said.
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Montel tells a story visually through carefully chosen outfits that go beyond clothes. Costumes are a strong way to explore themes of identity, self-discovery, and personal growth in “Emilia Pérez.”
