Miuccia Prada Shares a Sneak Peek at the Elvis Costumes
Baz Luhrmann doesn’t play around when it comes to the costuming for his films. For proof of that, look no further than the director’s on the ultra-glam Roaring Twenties wardrobe featured in The Great Gatsby (2013), which earned the film an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. As was the case with Leonardo DiCaprio’s wardrobe in Romeo + Juliet (1996), they came courtesy of the costume designer Catherine Martin and Prada and Miu Miu designer Miuccia Prada. And since the fashion was always going to be one of the most exciting parts of his latest movie, Elvis, it was only natural that the trio to reunite. Mrs. Prada—who was also behind the main cast’s 2022 Met Gala red carpet looks—confirmed their latest collaboration on Friday, sharing a preview of some of the very ’60s- and ’70s-tastic ensembles that Austin Butler and Olivia DeJonge, who play Elvis and Priscilla Presley, respectively, wear in the film.
Working closely with Martin, Mrs. Prada started out by looking back both at the real-life Presleys’ personal style and her own archives, which happen to be full of references to 20th-century fashion. Some ensembles, like the tweed dress, mohair sweater, and suede jacket that Priscilla wore to her husband’s 1968 NBC special, are Mrs. Prada’s reimaginations of looks that the pair wore in real life. But for the most part, the wardrobe is comprised of designs that the maison describes as “an expression of the DNAs” of Prada and Miu Miu.
Mrs. Prada and Martin seem to have put particular focus not on the film’s titular character, but on his wife. “Priscilla Presley’s beauty and iconic style has indelibly marked contemporary culture,” Martin said in a press release. “Accordingly, it was important for Baz and I that we remain true to this legacy by not merely imitating Ms. Presley’s actual clothes, but that we find a modern way of connecting audiences to her distinctive, history-making style.” The end result: ensembles like a groovy dress worn with knee-high boots, a beaded top worn with brocade pants inspired by what Priscilla wore to one of Elvis’s concerts in Las Vegas, and a printed orange skirt suit.
From what we’ve seen so far—including the below sketches teasing what else is in store—it looks like Martin better start prepping her next Oscar acceptance speech.
