Punk’s Not Dead: A Breakdown Of Cruella’s Iconic Revenge Outfits

Punk’s Not Dead: A Breakdown Of Cruella’s Iconic Revenge Outfits

By

Lock up your puppies, because Disney’s most fashionable villain is back with a revenge-fueled wardrobe that’s bigger and bolder. 

Related: These Disney Villain-Themed Masks Change Colors And Here’s Where You Can Cop Them

It’s been 25 years since Glenn Close played Cruella de Vil, a fashion designer who’s obsessed with making a coat out of Dalmatian spots but as Disney has shown before even villains have a back story that is worth telling. Over the weekend, the film house released “Cruella,” the live-action origin story of Estella an aspiring fashion designer in the 70s before she became the extreme dog-hating villain we now know her by. 

Played by Emma Stone, we get to see Cruella’s graphic sartorial style during London’s punk rock revolution helmed by two-time Academy Award-winning British costume designer Jenny Beavan. Having worked on Gosford Park, Mad Max: Fury Road, and The King’s Speech, Beaven knew the assignment for “Cruella” and she delivered. Taking inspiration from the designers who ushered in the punk era there were hints of Vivienne Westwood’s love for leather and chains, Alexander McQueen’s shock value in clothes, and John Galliano’s haute couture. 

With a total of 47 costume changes, here’s the breakdown of the villain’s iconic black-and-white ensembles.

Young Estella’s Rebel Uniform

We’re first introduced to Estella as a spunky creative girl who is unafraid to stand out from the rest despite her mother’s wishes. With a natural-born talent to design clothes seen through the many versions of uniforms she creates­–a graffiti-designed blazer and a deconstructed cross-tied vest with matching cuffs, it was clear from the start that Estella doesn’t only have signature hair but a signature aesthetic to match. 

Disguises and Workwear

The film then fast forwards to flame-haired adult Estella, an orphaned girl who designs disguises with her henchmen duo to cause mischief all around London. We see here the designer’s D.I.Y approach and all-back palette but “as she becomes crueler and Cruella-er, she becomes sharper and more tailored,” says Beaven with an addition of white, greys, and red to her color scheme. 

Two designer brands that do appear in Estella’s wardrobe are Tom Davies and Louis Vuitton. Eyewear designer Tom Davies designed a total of 120 custom frames for Cruella that starts with open and soft round frames but she transforms into Cruella it becomes into a cat eye to match her evolving style. 

Louis Vuitton appears into the film with their Capucines bag, one worn by Stone who is an ambassador of the brand as part of her disguise and one in Artie’s vintage store. 

Scarlett Flames

Talk about a dramatic entrance, Cruella makes her debut in a white cape that goes up in flames to reveal a reconstructed blood-red gown of the Baroness’ during the black-and-white ball. Inspired by Charles James’s “Tree” dress housed at the Metropolitan Museum, it had the same wrapped around bodice that flares down at the bottom. 

Making Headlines

A foreshadowing from Estella’s restyling of the front window display design with the use of newspapers, Cruella is literally dumped by a garbage truck in a voluminous gown with a corset bustier crafted from newspapers with headlines about her feud with the Baroness. She then hops on the garbage truck as the extensive tulle follows her and covers the streets of London.

Long Live The Queen

Cruella heightens the feud by locking up the Baroness in her car with an oversize train made with handstitched 5,060 petals. Along with the train is a custom-made jacket with miniature horses and carriages on her shoulders. 

Party Crasher

Crashing into another public event, she dons a glittering black leather jumpsuit with tire-thread shoulders, gold sequin hot pants, and “The Future” illustrated on her face. The font used came from the Sex Pistols’ 1977 album cover Never Mind The Bollocks.

“Born brilliant, born bad, and a little bit mad.”

Let it be known that I almost had a heart attack, when I saw that Cruella wears a spotted-dalmatian coat, thinking that she has done the deed. But don’t worry neither did the character or the costume department harmed any animals for the film, “It was completely fake, printed by our printing department,” Beavan shares. “No animals were harmed in the making of this major motion picture!”.

All The Leather Coats and Boots

Both Estella and Cruella do love incorporating leather into their looks. Whether it be weaved leather blazer dress, a deconstructed half-leather-half-silk coat, or platform combat boots, leather is a punk rock essential. 

Her name’s not Estella, she’s Cruella!

Fully embodying her alter-ego, Cruella takes back what’s rightfully hers while wearing an all-black power suit with draped sleeves and a choker to match. 

Bonus 

Baroness von Hellman

The villain in Cruella’s origin story is the one and only Baroness Von Hellman. Portrayed by Emma Thompson, the world-renowned fashion designer had 33 costume changes that took its main inspiration from Dior and Schiaparelli. With asymmetry as its hallmark, the Baroness wore sculptural gowns in golds and metallics and classic houndstooth patterns, all partnered with several De Beers high jewelry pieces. These include the five-line necklace and three-line earrings in white gold from the Arpeggia collection, inspired by Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, and the Diamond Legends by De Beers Cupid necklace. 

While Estella’s studio was more self-made like Alexander McQueen’s, the Baroness atelier also took inspiration from Dior’s Paris workshop with its glass atrium and clean-cut interior. 

Artie

The London thrift-store owner who becomes Cruella’s main tailor was reminiscent of David Bowie’s eccentric style mixed with Gucci’s modern take on 70’s fashion. 

Anita Darling

Capturing the European bohemian style of the 1970s was Anita Darling with perfectly preppy matching sets and fun pops of color in her makeup and wardrobe.

Order your print copy of this month's MEGA Magazine:
Download this month's MEGA digital copy from:
Subscribe via [email protected]