The Wonderful World of Jacqueline West’s Costumes for Dune - Otherworldly Fashion

Yesterday, I went to go see Dune: Part 2 in the cinema, and it’s now Monday afternoon and I am still thinking about it. The actors, cinematography and especially the costumes. Absolutely insane. You know that feeling, when you watch a movie in the cinema that completely sucks you in and you become so absorbed into that world that you ask yourself who you are and what are you actually doing?

That was me after having watched this movie.

I am someone who watches a movie with particular attention to the costumes - it’s something I’ve done since childhood. I think it was born out of me not being able to fully understand what was going on based on dialogue so I averted my attention to what the characters were wearing and how that reflected them, their decisions and their beliefs and ideologies as well as physical location. I pieced the story from the costumes. Because of it, I’ve come to love dissecting costumes and plucking out meanings and deeper, unsaid things about characters.

It’s also so, so satisfying when movies get it fully right. And not only as a costume enthusiast but also as someone who studies literature and thinks about costumes in terms of plot, story and narrative. And essentially, that is the function of “dress”. It is to tell us what isn’t being directly said, what is not written and spoken.

Dune (and I mean both parts) hit this very difficult nail of world and character-building through costume on the head.

The film’s costume designer, Jacqueline West alongside her co-designer for part two was tasked with the very difficult mission of bringing the Dune world created by Frank Hubert to life. Each Character’s essence needed to be captured and portrayed through their costumes, which is more difficult than it sounds when it comes to the costume design of a Sci-Fi movie. Even West had her doubts when first approached with the task, as she says herself. Initially, she declined the offer and it went to someone else.

However, West was persuaded to talk to the director of the movie, Denis Villeneuve, after some rumoured issues with the first planned costume designer. Stating, that she clicked with him instantly, she agreed to costume the movie. And thank goodness she did, for the movie would not be the same without her and the amazing wardrobe team.

The reason why it’s so difficult to do the costume design for a Sci-Fi or Fantasy, in this case, is because there are a lot of things to consider and develop, which you don’t have with movies that are set in ‘our world’. With the latter, they are set in a world that we know and we can pull up historical documentation to use as a guideline. With Sci-Fi and Fantasy, you don’t have this. Everything is built from scratch. You have to think about the development of the people, culture and environment of the planet/world and how it affects the people/beings that the movie is portraying at the moment and what their clothing and “dress” reveal about their lives, attitudes and relationships.

Now, I wish I could discuss all of the looks from Dune, but unfortunately, this could turn into a book itself, seeing as there are just so many things to analyse and talk about. So, I’ve decided to just pick out three looks from both movies, covering different characters, which trust me was extremely difficult. I also decided to stick with female characters (although don’t get me wrong the male costumes were also amazing and analysis-worthy) because they were in general I think more striking than the male characters. Also, the male characters in Dune are mostly dressed in some kind of uniform, which although can be analysed, simply doesn’t reflect them enough as individual characters.

Please note, that since I will be discussing the costumes in relation to the plot, there may be some spoilers. Feel free to cut off here, and return once having seen Dune parts 1 and 2. I strongly recommend watching them both!

Princess Irulan

Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan

Dune: Part 2 introduced us to many different new characters, such as Princess Irulan, the daughter of the galactic emperor of this world, played by the lovely Florence Pugh. Her costumes were simply stunning and choosing a favourite from hers was very difficult but I decided to go with this insane chainmail hooded dress that her character wears closer to the end of the movie. Her character is in a very precarious position at this point in the story, and the choice of chainmail is great because it materializes this layer of protection that she needs through costume. She also literally doesn’t have a say in the political happenings unravelling around her, which her costume also reflects. In addition, the shininess of the metal, also physically shows her social status as a princess, especially in contrast to the other characters around her - she stands out. Interestingly, her father, the Emporer, has lost his power and as such his status at this point, is also reflected in the simple linen gown he wears, which seems very ordinary and less “protective”. For Princess Irulan, West wanted to not only show her Princess status through intricate, rare fabrics and shapes but also portray her as a warrior princess, bought up by the sisterhood of the Bene Gesserit, which is shown through the many (mostly restrictive) headpieces that she wears.

Lady Jessica

Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica

Lady Jessica’s character was one of the most interesting ones for me personally, especially seeing her in Part 2 with her character's role having completly shifted. What I mean is that she goes from concubine and “mother” in part one, to high priestess and almost religious figure in part 2. Her purpose and her priorities undergo a complete 180 from part 1 to part 2 and her costumes play a big part in that visual depiction. However, I have chosen a look from part 1 I adore, which I want to dissect. The look is from when Lady Jessica arrives on the planet Arrakis and wears this stunning satin gown with beaded sleeves and a matching beaded headpiece. The colours of her gown reflect those of the planet showing her allegiance. The soft and silky choice of fabric also contrasts the harsh climate of Arrakis and she presents herself as royalty. Keeping in mind the beaded elements of her outfit, which are also covering her face. This could be an indicator of the connection between her and the Bene Gesserit, who also mostly cover their faces and also be depictive of her role as the concubine and not the wife of Duke Leto, she has no real say in public and is “hidden” by her dress. As West herself put it, “She gets to wear the regal clothes, but when we meet her, she’s still in chains”. I also really like the difference between what Lady Jessica wears on Caladan versus what she begins to wear on Arrakis. One can tell that she uses the opportunity during the move to a completely different location to try and rise in status and gain power, which is reflected through what she wears.

Lady Margot

Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot Fenring

Although we didn’t see much of Lady Margot Fenring, played by Léa Seydoux (who you might know from movies such as Beauty and the Beast or The French Dispatch), she played an important role in the plot of Dune: Part 2. She was the seductress, working as part of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, who was tasked with seducing Feyd Rautha. This role of the seductress is also incorporated into her costume. We can see her dress is made of velvet, a sensual, soft and welcoming type of fabric. It is also in a deep blue, which although very similar to the black that surrounds them in the architecture is still just slightly different, enough to capture someone’s attention. Her shoulders are bare which is unusual for a Bene Gesserit, but makes sense for what she is tasked with. Noticeably, her hair is also covered like that of many Bene Gesserit sisters, but her face is completely unobstructed, suggesting that she has power in this situation. I loved this costume so much, it just felt so couture and refined in a way, and the way the light reflected on the blue of the dress was gorgeous. Probably one of my favourites in part 2!

Because practically every single costume in Dune is wonderful, I’ve decided to put together a little gallery of costume pictures….

Thank you so much for reading!

*Disclaimer* All Photos not mine are given credit to the creator/owner/source. Photos which are mine will be described as such in the caption below the photo.