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Storytelling in “Euphoria” is not only through writing, music and cinematography, but also through the clothes of the characters.
The show’s costume designer Heidi Bivens told CNN over the phone, “You can use the opportunity to communicate every aspect of the costume.” “It’s the color, the texture, the shape, the image… it’s how something new is worn and how new it looks. They can reveal or hide a person’s state of mind. Non-verbal cues create emotion.”
The award-winning HBO show “Euphoria,” created and principally written by Sam Levinson, unapologetically depicts a group of teenagers struggling with drug, sex, and relationship problems in today’s world of social media and perpetual stress.
(HBO is owned by CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.)
The representation of youth culture — which is a key hallmark of fashion — “made a lot of people appear on the show in a way that others wouldn’t,” Bivens said.
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In the new book “Euphoria Fashion”, the fashion designer reveals her process. The pages include behind-the-scenes details on interviews with the show’s cast members. There’s also a Q&A with fashion designers including Copernicus Sebastian Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant, as well as historical articles on iconic pieces worn by the cast, such as the Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars.
Bivens’ “Euphoria Fashion” features many never-before-seen photos. Credit: Courtesy A24
Bivens’ work on “Euphoria” resonated deeply with fans of the show.
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The series’ fashion has also influenced the brands: in an episode of the second season, Maddie (played by Alexa Demi) picks up a gun from her baby’s nursing closet, wearing a vintage Blumarine T-shirt.
The role of fashion in building character arcs
Bivens casts a wide net when constructing her characters’ wardrobes. She browses clothing and vintage stores, designers and fashion houses and often borrows from friends, such as the outfit Rue (Zendaya) wears in the show’s pilot episode at the end of summer.
“The work pants and silk ’70s vintage disco top are from my dear friend and talented stylist Amanda Merton,” Bivens wrote in her book. “One day when I was making arrangements, I was in her house and she was wearing[them],” I said. “It’s Rui’s look, I want it.” Credit: Eddie Chen/HBO
And she says she frequently finds inspiration from people in the real world.
“Some of the best ideas I’ve worked on in costumes have come from real people I’ve seen when I’m out shopping or walking around New York or Los Angeles,” Bivens explains.
This process, she writes in the book, “is a way of building a closet, which is the way people build their closets in real life.” “You don’t get everything from one place, and you build it up over time.”
In “Euphoria” the clothes are more of a plot device and a psychological manifestation than the fans. Setting the psychological parameters for each character “has a lot to do with being able to … sit with the characters in your mind and think about each scene and what their motivations are,” Bivens said.
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Viewers are first introduced to Jules (Hunter Shafer), a trans character, after she has just moved to East Highlands, the fictional California town where “Euphoria” is set, in season one. Reflecting the youthful optimism that comes with a new beginning, Jules wants to “conquer femininity” – as she describes it in the show’s seventh episode – and, according to Bivens, “wears her own cisgender teenage avatar, a girl who attracts the male gaze.” Delivering this is a vibrant palette adorned with anime and fantasy elements. And it’s a wardrobe of tennis dresses.
Acquired from a vintage clothing dealer in Los Angeles, the floral sweater worn here “showcases Jules’ creative approach to her personal style,” Bivens writes in the book. Credit: Eddie Chen/HBO
As the pains of love and emotions continue to haunt her, and as she realizes that there are other ways to explore her gender identity, Jules transitions into a slightly muted, darker, and more androgynous self between the show’s first and second seasons.
“These nonverbal cues — you can constantly refine while working through dramatic and emotional character arcs,” Bivens said.
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Much of Maddy’s wardrobe pushes the boundaries of what is normally acceptable for a high school student. Credit: Eddie Chen/HBO
For the appearance, Maddie dresses up for the winter formal dance at the end of season one (Pictured above) Bivens wore Rose McGowan’s famous “Nude Dress” on the red carpet of the 1998 VMAs to express both her “don’t care attitude” and her sadness at the breakup, she said.
(Meanwhile, for Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), a character whose relationship with Maddy’s ex blossoms in the second season, Bivens’ clothing choices reflect his acceptance of Maddy’s former style, seeking his approval.)
And as Kat (Barbie Ferrera) gains confidence in her body and sexuality, she trades in retro glasses and collared shirts for body-conscious BDSM-inspired pieces, complete with red and black suspenders, fishnet tights and corsets.
“This Jean Paul Gaultier ‘Soleil’ top is Barbie’s personal piece,” Bivens wrote in the book. Credit: Eddie Chen/HBO
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Teens are figuring out who they are, Bivens said. “It’s a special time to experiment. You can play. It was important to me to keep that spirit.”
But for father-son characters Cal and Nate Jacobs (Eric Dane and Jacob Elordi, respectively) who struggle with ideas of sexuality and masculinity, there’s no outside-the-box thinking. The book’s essay, “Bound: Normcore as Fashion Bondage,” by journalist William Van Meter, highlights how black, navy, white, and brown clothing — staples in any menswear store — practice self-denial and the control needed to compensate. How conflicted they feel.
Cal (back row) and Nate (front center) pose for a family photo. Credit: Eddie Chen/HBO
“Being able to use restraint in creative choices and understand when a character needs to be … more pedestrian and not necessarily grab the audience’s attention equates to creating interesting costumes,” Bivens said.
Connecting the personal and the novel
Bivens takes inspiration from the show’s cast, using some of their personal items and experiences as their characters’ laundry room.
“Because of the nature of the subject matter and the story, it sometimes seemed natural for me to want to know what an actor would bring to collaborate with me on a costume,” Bivens said. “As a costume designer, it’s very important to listen to your actors and respond to the notes they give … (they) always make me better.”
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Following Rue’s style, Bivens created a “slacker vibe referencing rave and skater culture,” she writes in the book. Credit: Eddie Chen/HBO
“We talked about how a piece of clothing from Rue’s[late]father would be like a protective blanket for her,” Bivens wrote. This conversation leads viewers to discover what is known as Rue’s burgundy hoodie, which she wears in episodes of both seasons – though it is not revealed until the end of season one that it belongs to her father.
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Jules’ lavender REI long-sleeve top (underneath a crushed velvet Eckhaus Latta tank) from the show’s third episode, meanwhile, is what Schaefer herself either brought or wore for the first time. Shaffer, a trans woman, also brought the Gogo Graham dress Jules wears into the season two finale—which Bivens chose to use, she wrote, to highlight the trans designer’s work.
“This turned out to be one of my favorite outfits of the season, and how Jules mixes patterns, colors, and textures looks like her own,” Bivens wrote. Credit: Eddie Chen/HBO
The future of ‘Euphoria’ fashion
Bivens has yet to read the scripts for the third season, which she says will begin in 2024. But she told CNN that she hopes to take on a more significant creative role in the show’s development, and has made herself a showrunner.
“I have other ambitions beyond dressing. I want to direct,” Bivens said. “I’d love to still be actively involved in the show, but find a new way forward so I can be more representative.”
“Style is the ultimate form of personal expression,” says fashion designer and former creative director of Moschino, Jeremy Scott, in the book’s foreword. “No one understands this better than Heidi Bivens.” Credit: Courtesy A24
Creator Levinson has been told that there will be a five-year time jump between the second and third seasons, with the caveat that he is “always improving on the idea.”
“It’s very important to Sam not to repeat ourselves,” Bivens said. “My hope is that the audience will be excited to find out where the characters are now and how their style has changed and changed. That will be fun for me to find out.”
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