“Matrix” also achieved its cult status through fashion: That’s why the unique looks know no time.
It all starts with a long leather coat. No, actually it all starts with a pair of rectangular sunglasses. Wait, no: it all starts with the color black. When you think of the fashion in The Matrix, you think of a whole look rather than just a detached element. It is the silhouettes of Neo and Trinity, played by Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, that have stuck with us since the film’s premiere in 1999 (and thus shortly before the start of the new millennium) – and still today, 25 years later later, have an impact. So how did the style that has long since become a cult come about and how can its continued success be explained?
These were the biggest challenges in costume design for “The Matrix”
At this point we have to mention Kym Barrett, who designed the costumes for the first three parts of the “Matrix” saga, which were released between 1999 and 2003. She invented more than just costumes, she invented unique total looks that became synonymous with the films and completed the virtual world designed by the Wachowski sisters. The first challenge the costume designer had to face? The “Matrix” universe is split into two parallel universes – the Matrix and the reality that screams despair. Since the plot itself is complex enough, the audience is guided through the film with the help of the costumes. They help you understand where the protagonists are at the moment.
The recordings of “The Matrix”, which are credited to Bill Pope, are extremely dark. However, the audience should be able to recognize each character, even in the most confusing sequences. To achieve this, Kym Barrett played with materials and textures – from leather to vinyl. Neo and Trinity’s silhouettes are inspired by traditional Chinese robes and dresses worn by clergy and were intended to embody a new kind of superhero. Kym Barrett never cited Yohji Yamamoto as a direct influence, but the Japanese designer’s handwriting (particularly the lines) seems to be the starting point for the “Matrix” costumes. His androgynous looks and the omnipresent black are reflected in every outfit in the film. The coats that the protagonists wear in the film are also reminiscent of some designs from the designer’s fall 1995 ready-to-wear collection. More than twenty years later, Lindsay Pugh, the costume designer of The Matrix Resurrections (the fourth film in the saga), came full circle and took inspiration from the Japanese designer to continue the aesthetic pioneered by Kym Barrett.
2024-01-30 17:10:18
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