Designer Michele Clapton talks Game of Thrones’ most iconic costumes
While the riveting story of Game of Thrones is more than enough to keep our attention, the elaborate costumes are a great added bonus. Each season, longtime series designer Michele Clapton seemingly crafts whole new cultures from nothing. How does she do it? Where does she get her ideas? In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Clapton broke down the hands-on process that consistently yields some of the best costumes in TV or film.
For Clapton’s team, inspiration comes from everywhere. She points to this early Daenerys look, commenting that the print was inspired by a “beautiful ornate gate.” While the pattern alone likely would have been enough to sell the piece, Thrones took things a step further: they have an actual armorer on call who etched the pattern into brass to complete the look.
Of course, we have to discuss Jon Snow’s northern furs in any article about costume design. He has long been known as the king of texture, with some outlets reporting that his black cloak was made from an IKEA rug. Turns out, according to Clapton that wasn’t the craziest idea:
"The press got it wrong when they said it was made out of an IKEA rug — that was Samwell [Tarly]’s."
Unfortunately for fans who were hoping they could recreate Jon’s look at their local furniture outlet, a more authentic take would actually require some serious technology. The cloaks were so heavy that “the costume team carried it up the hills” and the vests underneath are modern marvels “We could pump [in] hot water in winter and icy cold water in summer to make them more comfortable.”
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One of the Clapton’s most memorable looks was the dress Sansa wore when she married Ramsay Bolton at Winterfell. It was a horrific moment in the story, but the outfit was immaculate:
“The fastening clasps were in memory of her mother, the fur capelet was a nod to her father and brothers, and the texture was reminiscent of the simple cloths used by the people of Winterfell,” Clapton said. It also had a surprise double use:
"To the horror of the set dressers, her dress acted as a large broom and completely cleared the path of the carefully laid fresh fake snow. They had to reset the path each take."
Clapton’s best comments were about Cersei Lannister’s costumes. Apparently, creating the Westerosi equivalent of a power suit was very tricky, but if anyone would wear one, it would be Cersei. “At this time in Cersei’s story arc, she was feeling threatened by Margaery, and she started to try and emphasize her Lannister power,” Clapton explains. That translated into a lot of heavy fabrics and armored accents, all of it vetted by Lena Headey herself. “She has great taste and an innate understanding of her character’s journey.”
After she became queen in fact, Cersei’s wardrobe moved toward androgyny. The transition was subtle and in keeping with the character, who had always raged against the boxes she was forced into as a woman in a patriarchal society. “I wanted her to wear black as a sign of her deep mourning for her children and father,” Clapton said. “The style of her dresses are [like] armor. She is untouchable — she no longer has to use her sexuality to procure what she wants…She finally has what she always wanted, but was it worth it?”
What has been your favorite look on Game of Thrones so far? Let us know in the comments.
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