'Poor creatures': the erotic references that inspired Emma Stone's costumes

The film 'Poor Creatures' has received 11 Oscar nominations, including best film, best leading actress, best direction and best costumes, among others. In addition, it has been positioned as the best film of the year 2024: it grossed 12.83 million dollars in the first week of release in USA.

Throughout the film, like its protagonist, the costumes undergo various evolutions. The director captures the transformation of Emma Stone through their outfits. The different looks that she wears fit each phase of her character, all of them magnificently crafted and full of details. As Bella (stone) grows and enters society, his costumes reflect his social and sexual development.

What did the designer of 'Poor Creatures' say?

Holly Waddington revealed that all the changing rooms used by Emma Stone, like Bella Baxter, tell the story of the character's development. It should be noted that Bella is a young woman who has the brain of a baby, operated on by the film's doctor (William Dafoe). Every outfit her character wears has a message and is even inspired by female reproductive organs.

“We stuck to the idea that she would never be prettily dressed. Like all children (I have two), when you dress them they immediately become disheveled again. So there is always something wrong with Bella. And she wears very elegant clothes: for For example, we see her with a voluminous blouse, but in panties and barefoot. She wanted to use very childish motifs: quilting, ruffles, striped prints and details that refer to diapers. There are also many references to female genitalia, such as the vagina-blouse (that's what we have called it) and the clitoris-blouse. There are many garments with holes, like a kind of central opening surrounded by many ruffles,” he explained.

What was the goal of the designer of 'Poor Creatures'?

Holly Waddington He commented that he sought to send a message about the sexual process of the human being, with the clothing of the time. Likewise, the designer noted that she was given the freedom to contribute through her designs in the film. “I wanted to do without red and black and lingerie of this color: instead, I used flesh-colored. I designed huge wool jackets splashed with latex. None of the women in the brothel wear corsets, which are closely associated with bondage and , therefore, it did not fit with the story. Bella also has a trench-style cape that she always carries with her in case of emergency. When she arrives in Paris and Duncan and she are broke, she puts on this latex-like garment , the color of a slice of cheese. It's very funny because it's freezing cold and she only wears that. And she also wears it during her first sexual relationship in the hotel, as if she were wearing a giant condom. I wanted to evoke the color that a condom from that era would have. It sounds crazy, but it's just what I had in mind.“he detailed