How the 'Babygirl' costume designers portrayed the fetishism of power
Nothing communicates the nuances of power and control quite as immediately as what we wear. Whether or not you subscribe to the idea of fashion’s sanctity, clothing has an indelible impact on how people perceive each other — and, perhaps at a subconscious level, how they perceive themselves.
That much is evident in Babygirl, Halina Reijn’s new psychosexual thriller about a married tech CEO (Nicole Kidman) who embarks on a whirlwind affair with her 20-something intern (Harris Dickinson). Where Romy is polished and glamorous, Samuel is crude and uncouth. While Romy’s visual identity is synonymous with streamlined shapes and elegant tailoring, Samuel’s tends to be ill-fitting and rough-hewn. The contrast in their personal styles only adds to the film’s erotic tension, building a sense of forbidden lust that either party simply can’t resist.
Costume designer duo Kurt and Bart played up this tension effectively, arming Kidman with Armani power suits and silky lace-trimmed slips, and dressing Dickinson in ratty parkas and a Figaro chain necklace. Kurt describes the dynamic as “control and performance rubbing against unaffected nonchalance”.
“The power disparity and exchange is something that isn’t set and changes throughout the film,” Bart adds. “Both Romy and Samuel are exploring something new with uncertainty and a kind of fascination.”
Ahead, the costume duo talk to Bazaar about their work on Babygirl, from the erotic thrillers they used as visual reference points to Romy’s clothes that Kidman wanted to keep for herself.
Where did you both start with your work on this project? What kind of ideas were you initially playing around with?
Bart: Nearly always, after reading a script, our first response is purely visual. First separately and then together, we collect images of what we saw and felt while reading the script. Not just clothes, but mood stories, paintings, historical references, portraits, landscapes, still life, colour stories, cinematic references — anything that reflects what our impression of the script is. While that part of our process is the same for every film, our first read and first visual impression of Babygirl were special and singular.
Were there any particular references that were important to you both throughout this process?
Kurt: I think that Basic Instinct and 9 1/2 weeks are kind of our generational touchstones for the genre, but we actually had other film references in our mood boards.
Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour, Elizabeth Taylor in Psychotic, and Faye Dunaway in Network were all on our boards. We even added Nick Knight’s beautiful flower photographs, but I feel like we reference those at some point in every film we do. Those soft, dusty pastels are unforgettable.
Bart: There were also great Helmut Newton editorials from the '70s with nudes in furs draped over desks. A great French editorial of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin in stockings and office attire.
How did you source clothes for the character of Romy? Was there anything you borrowed from Nicole’s own closet?
Kurt: Having worked with Nicole previously on the film Stoker, we remembered that we had put her in some L’Wren Scott in that film and how beautifully it suited her. We especially loved her incredible high-waisted pencil skirts and Nicole actually still had a few that we riffed on for her black skirt in the hotel room scene with Samuel. That silhouette is so chic and, whether Romy realises or not, it’s actually quite fetishistic!
Bart: Obviously, Nicole is great in clothes and a lot of the silhouettes and looks that were right for the character Romy also suited Nicole. So she ended up wanting some of Romy’s closet in her real life. The striking black Khaite wool coat with the exaggerated hips went straight to her, as did a nude and graphic print Jason Wu dress.
There are layers to the power differences between Romy and Samuel, whether they’re at work or in the bedroom. How did you communicate those subtleties through their respective wardrobes?
Bart: I love Halina’s script and handling of the story because the power disparity and exchange is something that isn’t set and changes throughout the film. Both Romy and Samuel are exploring something new with uncertainty and a kind of fascination. So from a costume standpoint, it was fun to put Nicole in a pale Armani power suit assuming that she is going to walk into the room in the position of power, but Samuel in his second-hand ill-fitting suit and ubiquitous blue shirt ends up flipping the dynamic and takes on the dominant role.
Kurt: That contrast extends into the out-of-office trysts as well. At their first meet up at that ratty motel, Romy dresses as if she’s meeting a lover at a posh hotel in that black pencil skirt, sheer navy lace Etro blouse, and stiletto heels, and Samuel shows up in ratty jeans and a well-worn hoody. Control and performance rubbing against unaffected nonchalance. After exploring each other’s limits, Samuel puts his oversized hoody on Romy and we finally get a glimpse of a real tenderness between them.
Throughout the movie, Romy’s affair with Samuel liberates her, allowing her to see herself and her own desires without shame for perhaps the first time in her life. How does Romy’s fashion evolution reflect the journey she embarks on throughout the film?
Kurt: I love that Romy dresses the part for each role she plays in her life – whether it’s wife, mother, leader, executive, or eventually lover. She really uses all of the trappings of glamour, colour, and texture to clearly project an image. It’s truly a performative approach to dressing and elicits such control.
Bart: What’s amazing is that, on day one of this movie, all of this careful control is blown apart when her world collides with Samuel. Day one, the YSL silk-bow blouse that is usually tied perfectly is already unravelling. It was fun to play with how Romy tries to regain that control when she clearly is also trying to let go and lose control. All of that tension and contrast was so fun to play up – whether she is showing up completely overdressed to her husband’s opening because she wants to meet her lover later that evening or wearing expensive office attire to a rave.
Kurt: There is a quick scene I love when they are at their country house and Romy comes home in a new sexy dress. Perhaps she has bought this out of guilt and wants do something for her husband, but she walks in and is shocked to see Samuel sitting there with her whole family. It is such an uncomfortable scene, and Antonio [Banderas]’s comment — “You look hot” — just makes it even worse. Again, she is attempting to hold on to some control and it’s yanked out from under her.
Is there any specific look from this movie that you’re particularly proud of?
Bart: The look I’m most proud of is actually a transition from one look to another that happens on screen. Romy trying to shed her camel cashmere office trousers and silk blouse, into that amazing sapphire-blue evening gown. It was so over the top and no one would possibly be trying to dress and undress at the same time on their office floor. Jasper, the cinematographer, shot it so beautifully.
Kurt: The absurdity of it was so gorgeous on film. The colour of the dress in that low-lit office was incredible. Halina said it was like a painting and that makes me happy!
You’ve both worked on a diverse range of genres, from dramas to fantasy to dystopian films. What are the challenges associated with doing the costume design for a movie like Babygirl, compared to other movies like Mockingjay or The Crow?
Kurt: Contemporary film, especially at the mid level, has its own challenges as you are really limited by what clothing is currently in stores. Shopping has very real and often narrow parameters. Depending on the budget of the film, that can be even more challenging. When you see current trends reflected across all price points, you can hit a wall really fast and — if you’re not careful — everyone can look the same. We will always end up building costumes because it’s just what the story requires and ultimately the only way to get what you really want. Case in point was Samuel’s suits. We really wanted a boxy and almost '90s silhouette and that is nothing you are going to find in a store. There was a great picture of Brad Pitt from Meet Joe Black that was a touchstone for Samuel’s suit and we had them built for him to get just what we wanted.
Bart: We feel very lucky we are able to jump from one genre to another. The bigger, made-to-order, world-building films like Mockingjay are all-consuming and also very rewarding. We had been saying for a long time, we would really love to do something smaller with a great script and shoot at home. To be able to do Babygirl with such a great cast, a visionary female director and shoot in New York City was a dream.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
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