We Are Little Zombies
A with last year, I'm merging two of my dearest personal obsessions, costume design and the madness of list-making, for year's end. From colorful comic book inspired styles to detailed period fashions, 2020 was rich with interesting sartorial choices in both film and TV. To celebrate, here are some of the best-dressed characters from fiction and real-life. Even if this has been an annus horribilis like no other, there's still plenty to admire from the world of entertainment. Because it's 2020, there are 20 entries. One may think there would be a dearth of options to fill so many positions, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, here are some that didn't quite make the cut before we that list of 20...
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Because this list is about individual figures, collective feats of stylishness had to be left out. They include the band members of David Byrne's American Utopia in their simple, yet effective, grey suits conceived by Humberto Leon. Also in the realm of music-focused cinema, the kid rockstars of We Are Little Zombies get to model some kooky outfits of garbage made fashion, courtesy of costume designer Yoshikazu Yamagata. Then there's the matter of the casual 80s glamour of Jacqueline Durran's Lovers Rock costumes and the sharp tailoring of Jeffrey Kurland's work in Tenet. In both cases, I couldn't bring myself to pick just one character.
With that out of the way and with no further ado, here are the 20 greatest style icons of 2020 film and TV:
Abby in HAPPIEST SEASON
Played by Kristen Stewart
Costumes designed by Kathleen Felix-Hager
Not even her girlfriend's insufferable family could cramp Abby's style. Wearing butch chic outfit after outfit, Kristen Stewart is an alluring vision of besuited splendor, sexy and attention-pulling even when trying to be inconspicuous.
Happiest Season is streaming on Hulu.
Allison O'Hara in THE NEST
Played by Carrie Coon
Costumes designed by Matthew Price
The 80s are back and the prevalence of narratives set during that decade in this list is proof of that. Among them, The Nest stands out for its austere take on the period. Structured little black dresses and menswear-inspired numbers make for a beguiling wardrobe worn by Carrie Coon as a character who looks perpetually ready to attend a very fashionable funeral.
The Nest is available to rent from Amazon.
António Variações in VARIAÇÕES: GUARDIAN ANGEL
Played by Sérgio Praia
Costumes designed by Patrícia Dória
This real-life Portuguese queer icon was known for his irreverent style. A hairdresser turned musical sensation, Variações' look drew curious eyes wherever he went, from his bleached-blonde beard to the bits of fetishistic attire integrated into his stage wear. This biopic may leave something to be desired, but the titular character's style is wonderfully recreated.
Variações: Guardian Angel is streaming on Dekkoo.
Aunt Elizabeth in THE GREAT
Played by Belinda Bromilow
Costumes designed by Emma Fryer and Holly Waddington
From post-revolutionary Portugal, we jump to 18th century Russia, where the tsar's royal aunt has taken the guiding principles of Rococo to their limit. For Aunt Elizabeth, there's never too many fussy details, lace trimmings, or anachronistic bling. Her outfits have little to do with historical fashion, but they are delightfully loony nonetheless. Her leopard-print loving nephew would be another good candidate for this list.
The Great is streaming on Hulu.
Beyoncé in BLACK IS KING
Played by herself
Costumes designed by Zerina Akers
Goddess-like, Beyoncé parades through Black is King in wondrous pieces of couture. She's perfectly styled by Zerina Akers who suggests a mix of African beauty and fantastical glamour that's both appropriate for a music video and the walls of a museum. Between bright colors and bold prints, between outlandish silhouettes and opulent materials, this wardrobe shows no fear of tackiness or ridicule, singing its idiosyncratic tune of pop diva magic.
Black is King is streaming on Disney+.
Chang'e in OVER THE MOON
Played by Philippa Soo
Costumes designed by Guo Pei
She might be animated, but Chang'e is one of the best-dressed stars of the year. Trading in silk for pixels, couturier extraordinaire Guo Pei outfitted the Netflix cartoon with some truly jaw-dropping looks whose ties to Chinese culture make for a sumptuous and dramatically resonant spectacle.
Over the Moon is streaming on Netflix.
David Copperfield in THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD
Played by Dev Patel
Costumes designed by Suzie Harman and Robert Worley
Dev Patel looks devastatingly good in Victorian garb, dashing and debonair, a romantic idol of the Industrial Revolution. Exploding historical style with wild pattern mixing and colorful textiles, Harman and Morley made good use of their leading man's good lucks, creating what's probably the best-dressed Dickensian hero in film history.
The Personal History of David Copperfield is available to rent from Amazon, Google Play, Youtube, and others.
Diana Prince in WONDER WOMAN 1984
Played by Gal Gadot
Costumes designed by Lindy Hemming
Whether in her classic Wonder Woman suit or drop-dead gorgeous 80s fashion, Diana looks ravishing at all times. I was particularly fond of the gaudiness Hemming allowed to enter into her designs this time around, both in small details like animal print heels and in major looks like a Saint Seya-esque armor made of gold plate and Amazonian wizardry.
Wonder Woman 1984 is streaming on HBO Max.
Emma Woodhouse in EMMA.
Played by Anya Taylor-Joy
Costumes designed by Alexandra Byrne
As fashionable as she is prickly, Emma Woodhouse is always dressed to the nines, even when the occasion doesn't call for it. Especially when the occasion doesn't call for it. Byrne has foregone modern stylization when making Emma's wardrobe, using the weirdest and most alienating bits of Regency fashion to spin a web of sartorial comedy. That yellow pelisse is to die for and the bonnets are even better. Joy was similarly well-dressed in The Queen's Gambit.
Emma. is streaming on HBO Max.
Harley Quinn in BIRDS OF PREY
Played by Margot Robbie
Costumes designed by Erin Benach
Anarchy has never looked this good. While all of the Birds of Prey team is well-dressed in very characteristic style, Harley reigns supreme among her cohorts, her clownish wardrobe making for a fun and funny explosion of color.
Birds of Prey is streaming on HBO Max.
Jean in I'M YOUR WOMAN
Played by Rachel Brosnahan
Costumes designed by Natalie O'Brien
Julia Hart's latest film starts with her protagonist insouciantly smoking a cigarette in her backyard, dressed in a bright magenta gown and fabulous shades. It's quite the introduction, setting up a feminine reconfiguration of the 70s-style crime thriller. In many ways, the movie's games of subversion are crystallized in its leading lady's costumes.
I'm Your Woman is streaming on Amazon Prime.
Jennifer Hosten in MISBEHAVIOUR
Played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Costumes designed by Charlotte Walter
The most beautiful woman in the world is a challenging role to play and an even more challenging character to dress. Still, Mbatha-Raw and Walter excel in Misbehaviour, conjuring the image of an intelligent woman whose beauty is both a prison and her most useful weapon. The actress looks wonderful in 70s fashions.
Misbehaviour is streaming on Hoopla.
Journey in JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY
Played by Madalen Mills
Costumes designed by Michael Wilkinson
This merry musical re-imagines the second half of the 19th century through a prism of bright fantasy and multicultural textiles. Wilkinson dresses all of his actors with delirious garb, but the best of the best is reserved for Mills whose outfits are an endless source of delight. I especially love her practical pantaloons and festive jumpers.
Jingle Jangle is streaming on Netflix.
Levee in MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM
Played by Chadwick Boseman
Costumes designed by Ann Roth
It's all about those golden yellow wingtips. Levee has major taste in footwear, but his entire outfit is a testament to his stylishness. While well-worn, his pinstripe suit and pattern-mixed pieces make for a dynamic vision of jazzy showmanship.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is streaming on Netflix.
Ned Kelly in TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG
Played by George MacKay
Costumes designed by Alice Babidge
Instead of documenting history, this Australian period piece chooses to present the past in the shape of a punk myth. As the eponymous Ned Kelly, George MacKay looks like a delinquent Rockstar whose androgynous style makes him more threatening, ominous, unforgettable, like an actor for whom crime is a blood-splattered play.
True History of the Kelly Gang is available to rent from Google Play and Youtube.
Phryne Fisher in MISS FISHER AND THE CRYPT OF TEARS
Played by Essie Davis
Costumes designed by Margot Wilson
Realism is all fine and dandy, but sometimes one wants to indulge in glitzy fantasy. Taking TV's most elegant detective to the big screen, Essie Davis looks ravishing in 1920s inspired clothes whose impracticality is all part of the fun. What better outfit for some dangerous sleuthing than a floor-length spangled gown or a scarlet satin frock?
Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears is streaming on Hoopla and Acorn TV.
Princess Diana in THE CROWN
Played by Emma Corrin
Costumes designed by Amy Roberts
A fashion icon in real life and on the screen, Princess Diana brought a whole new level of sartorial expressiveness to The Crown. As season four unraveled the history of the British royal family 1980s, Corrin's costumes delineate the development of her character, from childish innocence and fairytale delusions to the severity of fame and matrimonial misery.
The Crown is streaming on Netflix.
Sylvie in SYLVIE'S LOVE
Played by Tessa Thompson
Costumes designed by Phoenix Mellow, Gowns by Chanel
Whenever a movie includes a "Gowns by" credit, you know you're in for some exquisite sartorial pleasures. Such is the case of Sylvie's Love where, taking her cues from Hepburn's relationship with Givenchy, Phoenix Mellow reached out to Chanel for Tessa Thompson's most opulent 1960s frocks. Shot in beautiful 16mm film, the picture's a dream of midcentury fashion as a costume for romantic melodrama.
Sylvie's Love streaming on Amazon Prime.
Thomas Jefferson in HAMILTON
Played by Daveed Diggs
Costumes designed by Paul Tazewell
Arriving at the start of Hamilton's second act, straight from Paris, Thomas Jefferson is a vision in purple velvet and tailored satin. One almost expects him to start singing “Purple Rain” instead of Lin-Manuel Miranda's jaunty show tunes. One might disagree with the slave-owning politician's boisterous rhetoric, but his style is unimpeachable.
Hamilton is streaming on Disney+.
Walter Mercado in MUCHO MUCHO AMOR
Played by himself
Costumes by Various
Before 2020, I didn't know who Walter Mercado was and what costuming miracles I was missing out on. The loveable king of astrology was as fabulous as he was charismatic, owner of a collection of capes worthy of the title of Eight Wonder of the World.
Mucho Mucho Amor is streaming on Netflix.
What were your favorite screen fashionistas of 2020?