Fashion in Euphoria S2 and What it Means
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** Disclaimer: This article does not contain any spoilers of the episodes of season 2 which have aired at the time this was written**
Season Two of HBO’s Euphoria aired on January 9th, 2022; continuing season one’s legacy, it provided audiences with extravagant looks tailored to each characters’ profile. Looks from the first season propelled teen and young adult style into an era of risqué Y2K trends giving the show a reputation for having unique costume design. It featured bold colors and makeup looks and distinct styles across personalities. Heidi Bevins, the costume designer for the show, sat down with Vogue to break down the significance of each character’s wardrobe in season two, and how it is a physical manifestation of their growth (or demise) since audiences last saw them.
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According to Vogue’s interview, Bevins “scoured vintage racks of nearly every costume house in Los Angeles” to cultivate each character’s looks this season to capture the complex nature of the show, dabbling in dark themes while maintaining a semi-vibrant aesthetic, from character to character.
Image Courtesy: IMDB
In season two, Syndey Sweeney’s character Cassie’s color palette mainly consists of soft hues of blue and pink. Carrying on themes from season one, this set of colors is important because it highlights Cassie’s internal struggles with gender roles. In a deeper sense, we see the duality of Cassie’s delicate ingenue aesthetic which she maintains while still allowing herself to be objectified and sexually exploited by men whose love she craves deeply. Bevins says, “Cassie’s clothes are a costume,” referring to Cassie’s urge to present herself in what she believes is the most feminine and beautiful way in hopes of acquiring male validation.
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Serving as a foil to Cassie’s powdery color palette, in season two audiences see Maddy (played by Alexa Demie) experiment with darker more bold looks. Coming out of season one with incriminating information and emotional callouses, Maddy is in an era of independence, while in some regards mourning the innocence she lost early in life. Since season one, audiences have seen Maddy’s confidence on display through her style with pieces such as the fur coat she received from Nate (played by Jacob Elordi) and her iconic rich purple carnival outfit.
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Jules is another character whose style and distinct fashion choices in season one added to her sweet and hopeful disposition. Her style, which involves a lot of layering, mirrors the dendrochronology of her identity. In the first episode of season two, the outfit Jules is wearing consists of a significantly darker palette and a sharper, shorter haircut than audiences were accustomed to seeing her sport in the first season. The inclusion of darker shades shows how her character has begun to change since audiences last saw her at the end of season one.
Image Courtesy: IMDB
Finally, a character whose fashion was a significant plotline in season one, Kat’s (played by Barbara Ferreira) edgy dominatrix transformation encapsulated the show’s theme of self-identity and sexuality as a catalyst for control. In season two, Kat is toying with more conservative looks while maintaining her edgy aesthetic. This mimics the inner turmoil she’s experiencing torn between allowing herself to be loved and trying to love herself.
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Writer: Faveanny Leyva
Editor: Roxy Rico
Graphic Designer: Madison Sloan
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