Having collaborated with some of the biggest names in contemporary cinema like Joe Wright, Greta Gerwig, and Pablo Larraín, amongst other powerhouses, it is most likely that some of the most iconic costume design, wardrobes, and dresses in cinema, some well-recognised films of the last 20 years, have been designed by Jaqueline Durran.

This British costume designer and former vintage store trader has collaborated and helped shape the narratives of films such as Barbie (2023), Atonement (2007), Pride and Prejudice (2005), Anna Karenina (2012), Little Women (2019), 1917 (2019), Jay Kelly (2025), and Emerald Fennell’s upcoming rendition of one of literature’s biggest classics, Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. Early released photos and teasers revealed, to much controversy and discourse, some of the costumes which will grace the silver screen, along with Durran’s vision when bringing to life the characters in this new iteration of the classic story — which has proven quite contested and polemic in itself due to Fennell’s unique approach.

Spencer (2021)

“Wuthering Heights” (purposely written in quotations by Fennel as it is her take on the classic) seems to be the perfect example of the age-old debate:whether filmmaking and filmmakers should stay loyal and faithful to the source material they are using as a base, especially when it comes to such classic and acclaimed source material as is Brontë’s novel, or, if as in any of the arts, the free creative power, interpretation, and vision of the artist allows for interpretation, manipulation, and a canvas for adaptation of the source material into something else — a new take or “piece” that functions on its own creative merit and artistic value (leaving taste judgements aside, of course).

And, when adapting a “period piece,” costuming takes special relevance as it is what, for the view of many, “makes” or “breaks” the film and its historical accuracy. However, Durran has proven to be a master of blending eras, references, and successfully incorporating completely historically inaccurate inspiration into some of the period pieces she’s worked on, including both of the films for which she won an Oscar for Best Costume Design: Anna Karenina (2012) and Little Women (2019), incorporating '50s-inspired silhouettes for the former and ditching all the “era-appropriate” undergarments for the latter. 

In Wuthering Heights, she takes the idea of “Victorian” as a faint inspiration for taking styles, fabrics, and costumes into a completely different realm — one of play, imagination, sensuality, and visual “camp,” exposing décolletages, cinching waistlines, and introducing fabrics that give the impression of being latex or cellophane to somewhat Victorian-inspired silhouettes, which serves the director’s own take of the story and the characters in her POV.

Wuthering Heights (2026)

Costume design is a complex act of “building,” as it is indeed intended as a means to give realism (although, this doesn’t mean that they have to be realistic) and serve whichever universe, timeline, setting, and context the story takes place in, and serve the characters' arc and life within the story. However, costume design also deals with technical issues such as lighting, colour, whether or not something suits an actor or actress, etc. The role of the costume designer is to understand how real-life materials, fabrics, fashion, and clothes will work on screen and on each particular body, whilst also bringing the narratives and characters to life, providing actors with the armours in which their performance comes to life. Costume design not only dresses but, in a way, propels the narrative further, and oftentimes the costumes contain little nudges and hidden information about a character's arc. Such is the case of the V&A-inspired fur coat that Durran created for Keira Knightly as the titular character in Anna Karenina, tailoring the Western superstition that peacock feathers are unlucky, bringing a sense of bad omen to one of literature's most tragic and “unlucky” characters.

Some costume designers do aspire to adhere to as much accuracy as possible, whilst others claim that costume should also be aspirational and inspiring for the viewer (think Patricia Field in Sex and the City), serving as a way to elevate the film into a different realm than the one where reality sits — one perhaps more in tune with that of art. Durran’s work and approach seem to understand this particularly well; her costumes transcend the historical period in which the stories are set and they enlighten and, in my opinion, often delight the eye, transforming the way we experience narratives and the way we look at characters on the screen. 

Perhaps the best example is Keira Knightley’s green dress in Atonement (2007), named one of the most important and iconic pieces of costume in cinema history by Vogue — a dress which incorporated both historically accurate features as well as inspiration from different eras, but that elevated the character, the actress, and ultimately the narrative, striking a chord with audiences and creating instant legacy.

Atonement (2007)

Durran's creations create much deeper conversations between the stories and the people behind the stories, masterfully incorporating as much research as contemporary fashion and couture connections and archives. Her collaborations with Chanel are recurrent: from the heavy diamond jewellery sets that allegedly bruised Keira Knightley’s delicate complexion while filming the dancing scenes in Anna Karenina (perhaps one of the chicest behind-the-scenes stories in film) to Kristen Stewart and Margot Robbie's plethora of Chanel tweed suits used dramatically and carefully selected for Spencer (2021) and the more “tongue-in-cheek” playful whilst deeply researching Mattel's ‘80s Barbie doll clothing construction for Barbie (2023). Her work seamlessly incorporates archival pieces with original design and tailor-made garments, creating a symbiotic dialogue between director, costume designer, performer, and character.

Only time and the court of public opinion will say what the verdict of Wuthering Heights  costumes will be — despised for their disregard of actual historical accuracy, or maybe beloved in their own polysemic, fictional, and subjective historical accuracy.

Wuthering Heights (2026)

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