Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein has been out for two weeks and so far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The film’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic gothic novel is one that respects Shelley’s original text, while offering up a sense of newness to the devastating story we all know so well. We knew Del Toro would do it justice, given his personal attachment to the story, but overwhelmingly, one thing that's far exceeded our expectations has been the costumes in the film. With the help of costume designer Kate Hawley, Del Toro not only created a work of art that was a delight to witness, but deserves a spot in fashion film canon, too.
From the near-monochromatic opening sequences of Victor’s story—every costume rendered in black and white, except for Victor’s mother in her signature red—to the funeral procession of veiled bystanders, each moment in Del Toro’s Frankenstein is meticulously considered. Mia Goth’s Elizabeth appears in a blood-filled wedding dress, and Jacob Elordi’s Creature arrives almost Rick Owens–esque, standing on the ice swathed in hooded cloaks and furs. Together, these details not only pay homage to the past, but also nod toward the collections of today.
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Fashion is having a particularly gothic phase at the moment, and the film embraces this fully. Veils are spotted throughout the film; we see a sea of them worn by female servants in his family home, then again at the funeral for his mother, where a lineup of veiled and robed women each hold a singular white lily as they process behind her white stone coffin. For Glenn Martens’ Maison Margiela Fall/Winter Haute Couture 2025 debut back in July of this year, similar themes were explored. Martens referenced Martin Margiela’s signature face masks and veil-like coverings and wove them into gowns that felt reminiscent of religion and mythology with their cape-like silhouettes, giving them the same romantic sensibility that's so present in Frankenstein.
The looks, while inherently gothic in nature, took on a modern quality here. This was intentional—Hawley notes that Del Toro “wanted a modern feeling in a classical context” for the film, and her job was to walk this line when it came to costuming the cast.
Maison Margiela FW25 Couture
Maison Margiela
Alexander McQueen FW25
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Maison Margiela FW25 Couture
Maison Margiela
The use of color, too, is also symbolic throughout the film. At his mother's funeral, the lineup of veiled and robed women each hold a singular white lily as they process behind her white stone coffin, symbolizing purity and rebirth. It's a stark contrast again the wreath of bright red flowers around her face—a color that represents her identity throughout the entire film.
Later, we meet Elizabeth. Her bonnet is filled with the same red flowers that surrounded Victor’s mother in her casket, but by contrast, her wardrobe is swathed in rich jewel tones. Bright colors were reportedly important to Del Toro’s vision of Elizabeth, but when it came down to swatches, Hawley wanted to apply it to a gothic context without losing vibrancy. The result was a film wardrobe featuring rich teals, chartreuse, deep crimsons and emerald greens.
The tones are not at all dissimilar from the finale gowns in Anthony Vaccarello’s Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 2026 show in Paris this year, gigantic nylon ballgowns with an excess of volume and ruffle and skirting that was contrastingly feather-light compared to the vast layering of Elizabeth’s wardrobe. This brings us to her bridal gown, made of Swiss ribbon bodices and masses of blood-soaked tulle. On her arms, the sleeves were wrapped ivory silk ribbons, which nod to James Whale’s 1937 Bride Of Frankenstein, and the bandages that the Creature is “born” in—a beautiful reference to the tragic, maternal relationship between the Creature and Elizabeth.
Saint Laurent SS26
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Saint Laurent SS26
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Saint Laurent SS26
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In Victor’s wardrobing, things feel more irreverent and loose. There's a sense of Victorian dandyism, but he is also portrayed, in a sense, as an artist. This feels like an integral facet to Victor’s look, and the bohemian nature of his silhouette has had no shortage of runway references this year.
Netflix
Netflix
At Dilara Findikoglu’s Fall/Winter 2025 show earlier this year, a model emerged in a crimson crushed velvet jacket with lace sleeves poking out of the cuffs, just like Victor’s deep red velvet jacket in the film. Elsewhere at Ann Demeulemeester, hastily layered cotton blouses feature heavily throughout Stefano Gallici’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection for the house, evoking the same bohemian energy that Victor embodies in his cotton shirt as he works in his lab.
Dilara Findikoglu FW25
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Ann Demeulemeester FW25
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We're having a distinctly gothic, romantic, and religious boom in art, music, film and fashion right now. As Rosalía’s “LUX” proves, we're collectively in search of stories that feel transcendental—and the tragic romanticism of Frankenstein fits into this category perfectly. From the intense color palette to the richness of the text to the perennial style references that will always find a way into the trend cycle, Frankenstein reminds us of the beauty in the maximal, the eternal, and the deeply romantic.
