Wonder Woman 1984 Costume Designer Reveals Power Suit Plans

Usually, when you are talking about superhero movies and TV shows, the phrase “power suit” could reasonably be expected to be about the superhero and supervillain costumes — also colloquially known, especially in the post-The Incredibles world, as super suits. In the case of Wonder Woman 1984, though, “power suit” has a different, and far more conventional, meaning. With any film set in the ’80s, hair, makeup, and wardrobe are all going to be playing a big part in making it feel authentic. And all of those departments are going to have to go, for lack of a better word, “big.”

During a recent interview, set up thanks to the help of the good folks at Sweet Tarts Golden Ropes, who have a promotional tie-in with the film, ComicBook.com asked costume designer Lindy Hemming about designing the dated, over-the-top look of the film.

“Obviously the villain, he is the villain, and obviously he is able to wear very much 1980s, big shoulders…he can take that, and also Pedro [Pascal] is the type of actor who can really get away with all that stuff,” I’m really happy with his look, because he’s a bit edgy, a but maybe you like him maybe you don’t like him kind of look of a guy, but Gal’s clothes, we wanted because she’s in the 1980s and we have seen her in the past and we have seen her in the 1914s in the past film, there has to be something about all of her clothes which are kind of classic. You don’t wan there looking like a fashion model. So we were going for a classic look. I thin you could say there was a touch of the sort of Annie Hall look going on with Ralph Lauren. We were keeping her active, classic. All of her clothes were of the ’80s and we made everything but there always was a little bit of volume in everything. The shoulders were a little bit big and the trousers and pants were a little loose and pleated. Never did we make her into a fashion girl. We always made her into an active woman because sh his an active woman.”

That first villain is Maxwell Lord, who even in the comics was created in the ’80s and was a bit of a dandy from the start. Not so much for the film’s other villain, The Cheetah, played by Kristen Wiig. As Hemming explained, her look has to go on her journey with her.

“Kristen Wiig, we were able to go with, at the beginning of her story, we were able to make her look like the dorkiest 1980s kind of look,” Hemming said. “We were able to do that because her story is going to change into something much more fierce. So she could look really ’80s, college-age, preppy meets fashion in the 1980s. It was really fun. Ti’s not my favorite period or anything but it was very fun to do.”

With director Patty Jenkins back at the helm and Gal Gadot returning in the title role, “Wonder Woman 1984” is Warner Bros. Pictures’ follow up to the DC Super Hero’s first outing, 2017’s record-breaking “Wonder Woman,” which took in $822 million at the worldwide box office. The film also stars Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, Kristen Wiig as The Cheetah, Pedro Pascal as Max Lord, Robin Wright as Antiope, and Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta.

Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Patty Jenkins, Gal Gadot and Stephen Jones are producing the film. Rebecca Steel Roven Oakley, Richard Suckle, Marianne Jenkins, Geoff Johns, Walter Hamada, Chantal Nong Vo and Wesley Coller are the executive producers.

Wonder Woman 1984 hits theaters on October 2nd.