‘Bridgerton 2’ Marries The Regency Era With Indian Nuance Through Its Costume Designs. Something To Help Us Look Away From Anthony
Every popular show comes with an even-more popular closet that has much more secrets to spill than trendsetting frills and prints. And the one show that has been ruling on everyone’s binge radar is Netflix’s Bridgerton Season 2. From Anthony’s lovely smile (and a lot of other features, that I refuse to look away from) to the Sharma (perhaps Sh-am-aa, as they call it), sisters’ Regency era mixed Indian references sliding through a cup of tea or in times of being called ‘didi’ make the second instalment more diversely flavoured. Apart from the many things that the show’s loyal audience has to say, Bridgerton 2 is not just flavoured with a diverse casting but reflects a similar nuance in its costume styling too.
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Also read: In Defense Of ‘Bridgerton’ Season 2 And Why Its Slow Burn And Lack Of Sex Actually Made It Better
While the crisp gowns and tulip sleeves remained the least favourite on my list, the collection grows on you as the season proceeds to its finale. Reflection of both Indian and British cultures in the jewellery and costume designs remain evident throughout the show. From the colour palette to the tinsel laden crowns, the Sharma sisters describe their choices both in life and wardrobes pretty distinctly. Opening up about which the show’s costume designer Sophie Canale, shared with The A.V. Club about the Indian references in the character closets and it’s pretty much interesting to know. A well-marinated approach towards the design as mentioned by Sophie was executed through centre-front splits in skirts that remind us of the Indian-born saree, rose-gold jewellery headlined by floral motifs, pashmina jackets, the incorporation of regal silk, and patches of brocade that remain nothing short of a trip down to nostalgia.
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Also Read: Swara Bhasker, Lilly Singh, Simone Ashley And Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Come Together To Celebrate Diversity At Bridgerton S2 Dinner Party
A narrator itself, the much-talked-about fashion of Bridgerton Season 2 travels through the storyline and explores a colour scheme to reflect a character’s journey. While the colour pink stayed dear to Edwina’s closet, muted, dark tones with loads of teal and purple ruled Kate’s closet collectables. Something to think about the latter, deep hues and minimalist designs turn extravaganza and bright, as Kate falls for Anthony (just like us), one episode at a time. And not to forget about the killer corsets, which as Ms Featherington likes to call it–put a lady’s bosom to notice, seem unbreathable accessories for the female cast. The costumes are further paired with Chanel’s tiny jackets and adorned with embellishments by Elie Saab, with diamond brooches, gold belts, and beaded jewels sealing the look for most parts. An important aspect of the costume design process kicked off with detailed research work, that happened when customer designer Sophie and her design assistant visited the textile mills of India, to gather their gadgets of reference.
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Marinating personality traits and the cultural thread, Kate’s taffeta dresses are a message of her rigid persona, while Edwina’s pale peach outfits declare her motive of being accepted in the foreign land. Then be it the strokes on the character’s glittery face makeup, the tulles and collars worn by Bridgerton’s cast or at times even the colour they follow throughout the season, talks about the stories that even their dialogues fail to deliver. Romanticising the bond between the characters, something more that I noticed about Kate’s hair that always come sealed in a tight bun, unwind and are wide open curls as love enters the room, something Edwina was already donning ever since episode one.
Moreover the change in embroidery patterns on Kate’s silhouettes soon develop a fair liking towards delicate florals in the latter half, replacing the geometric lines or at times no embroidery at all, as seen in the first few episodes. Velvet too is seen swiftly replaced by breezy georgettes and chiffons to help navigate the character arc when it comes to Kate Sharma. While just like the many popular shows, with Euphoria always topping my list of references, the world of OTT has turned to fashion as a mode of story telling more aggressively and there’s a lot more to take home from these obsessive binge watch sessions now.
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Indeed a mind-blowing work for detail, Bridgerton‘s behind-the-costume secrets are no more as big as Penelope Featherington’s Lady Whistle….secret, oops I am sorry, I hope no one heard that. All and all as much as I have loved Anthony from the bottom of my heart, these costume designs details are my favourite takeaways from the show.
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