As one of the most significant and ornate clothing periods of all the ages, Medieval garb perpetually enchants us with its magical influences and dramatic aesthetic. Its relevance marked by the creation of clothing buttons, houppelandes (the precursor to men’s trousers), and the tailor profession; clothing and style of the Middle Ages perks the interest of modern mass culture at last– all in thanks due to HBO’s wildly popular, Game of Thrones.
With the masterful mind of Emmy-winning costume designer, Michele Clapton, Game of Thrones fascinates viewers with its epic story line saga, as well as its brilliant visuals and opulent wardrobe (that is, when the characters actually have clothes on). Rooted in Medieval inspiration—with particular nod to the English War of Roses– the series based off of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice allows Clapton whimsical range in her costume direction with its fantasy-inspired story line of rivalry clans of fictional lands fighting for the Iron Throne. This, for us fashion enthusiasts, means all the more visual dynamics and entertainment.
On Cinerama’s Red Carpet this past Thursday night, the cast members of the Game of Thrones series convinced us of their fashion savvy—both Medieval and modern. We first spoke with Rose Leslie (a Wildling foe and Jon Snow’s new love interest, Ygritte) and discussed the challenges of enduring heavy layers of fur and hide while filming in the Icelandic glacier, Svínafellsjökull.
“Wearing all those heavy layers of leather and fur actually helps me keep in character with Ygritte– she’s a Wildling and they have to be tough!” says Leslie.
When asked if we’ll see any drastic changes in her character’s wardrobe aesthetic or any special fashion surprises (like, say, a polar bear hide wedding dress?), Leslie tells us to count on Ygritte and the rest of the Wildlings gearing up for a cold, bitter winter.
The next to grace the Red Carpet was 17 year old Sophie Turner, wearing Dolce and Gabana from head to toe. Turner plays Sansa, the eldest daughter of Ned Stark, and bride-to-be/glorified prisonor of the Lannisters.
Turner reveals that Season 3 will feature a collection of delightfully opulent new gowns for her character, Sansa (hints of a possible royal marriage or status, perhaps?).
When asked her favorite costume from this upcoming season, Turner notes: “the nightgown because it was easiest to wear! With all the tight, fitted corsets we have to wear, the nightgown was the most comfortable and relaxing.”
Although corsets were not invented until the advent of the Renaissance, Clapton incorporated corsets (likely to manage fit and create a bust line traditional of that age). Turner shares that cast members have at least four fittings a day during the costume development period. Many of the bodices are interchanged with other dresses as well as neck pieces, as the vast majority of the garments are made in-house by Clapton and her team in Belfast.
Our final interview was with the darling (but don’t call her that!) Maisie Williams, who plays the adolescent tomboy and all around badass, Arya Stark.
Game of Throne Actress, Maisie Williams (Arya) at Cinerama’s Season 3 Premier
Williams, sporting glamorous garb on this night– a drastic shift from her Game of Thrones aesthetic, claims to relate to her character’s tomboy tendencies.
“At home I don’t shop much– maybe at a few charity shops or so– but not much. I don’t like shopping for no reason, and I normally just wear jeans, leggings and T-shirts.”
William’s spirited character, Arya Stark, is more interested in master sword fighting, archery and exploring than becoming a future princess like her sister, Sansa. At the Stark’s demise, Arya goes on the run, and we see her character’s aesthetic shift to reflect her truer, instinctual sense of self– her hair is cut short and her clothes–distinctly male– are trenched in mud and grime from her refuge with the Night’s Watch recruits in the woods.
Williams concludes “It’s lovely wearing the boy’s clothes in this season– unless of course it’s cold and freezing! It all depends on where we are filming. The other girls have to wear corsets and sit on apple boxes to prevent creases during down times on set– but I can just sit and chill out as I like!”