Birds of Prey Crew Teases the Film’s Approach to Costume Design

Fans are getting more and more hyped for the release of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), the latest film to enter the DC Extended Universe franchise. The film is expected to revolve around an all-female ensemble of some of DC’s most beloved characters, as they are forced to team-up to take down a notorious crime boss in Gotham City. One of the most talked-about elements leading up to the film’s release has been its costumes, which take comic-accurate cues for characters like Dinah Lance / Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Helena Bertinelli / Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and company and give them a street style edge. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, costume designer Erin Benach spoke about the approach to the film’s wardrobe, which was crafted from a decidedly first-person female perspective.

“In my dreamiest of dreams, what would I want me and a gang of girlfriends to wear to kick butt?” Benach explained.

“I had never seen that before, that level of understanding of the fashion zeitgeist in a superhero film,” Birds of Prey‘s director, Cathy Yan, said of Benach’s costume design. “We thought that was a really interesting way to speak to women without being overt. Just saying, ‘We got you,’ you know?”

One piece that definitely hints at Birds of Prey‘s comic roots is a black and yellow mesh dress worn by Black Canary, which serves as a pretty clear visual nod to the fishnets she wears in the comics.

“I literally designed it on Jurnee,” Benach revealed. “It was one of those organic moments.”

And of course, a lot of the showstopping costumes thus far have been seen on Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), whose post-breakup wardrobe has a colorful and unique approach. Benach cited a desire to embrace Harley’s “punk-rock anarchy sort of vibe”, from the chunky necklaces she wears to her jacket made of strips of caution tape.

“She might have taken caution tape away from some sort of crime scene, chopped it up herself, and made this,” Benach suggested.

Birds of Prey also stars Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya, Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain, Ewan McGregor as Black Mask, and Chris Messina as Victor Zsasz.

Are you excited to see Birds of Prey‘s approach to costume design on the big screen? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Upcoming DC movies include Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7th, Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5th, The Batman on June 25, 2021, The Suicide Squad on August 6, 2021, Black Adam on December 22, 2021, Shazam! 2 on April 1, 2022, The Flash on July 1, 2022, and Aquaman 2 on December 16, 2022.