By Vittoria Giubbolini.
Could the most exciting fashion moment of December happen in a cinema? With Dune: Part Three arriving this winter, there’s a good chance. Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi universe has already given us some of the most recognisable costumes in recent cinema, alongside a press tour that made fashion history. And with Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya and Florence Pugh returning, there’s plenty to look forward to. The new film continues Paul Atreides’ story after his rise to power, drawing on Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah. Yet beyond the political drama, one question is especially interesting for fashion lovers: how will the characters’ changing positions influence what they wear? To understand why Dune has become such a visual phenomenon, we need to look at the extraordinary fashion research behind its first two chapters.
Why Does Dune Look Like a Fashion Show from the Future?
The woman behind the costumes is Jacqueline West, who developed an aesthetic she calls modieval, combining medieval references with a contemporary sensibility. Her starting point was an intriguing idea: what would clothing look like thousands of years into the future if fragments of our cultural history had survived? Rather than imagining an entirely unfamiliar wardrobe, West looked to historical art and fashion archives. Medieval paintings by Giotto helped inspire the imposing silhouettes of the Bene Gesserit, while the work of Japanese designers Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto influenced the imperial world. The result feels futuristic precisely because its references are so deeply rooted in the past.
Florence Pugh: When a Princess Dresses Like a Warrior
Princess Irulan, played by Florence Pugh, has one of the most fascinating wardrobes in Dune: Part Two. As the Emperor’s daughter and a member of the Bene Gesserit, she occupies a complicated position between political authority and religious discipline. West expressed this through metallic headpieces that frame her face, drawing inspiration from medieval art and the restrictive shapes of religious habits. Her most striking look is the chainmail dress worn during the film’s final sequence, designed to suggest a warrior princess while moving fluidly around the body. There’s also a surprising fashion connection: West studied the work of Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto when developing the imperial aesthetic. Irulan’s wardrobe shows how clothing can communicate power while revealing the constraints placed on the person wearing it.
Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet: Desert Style with a Purpose
On Arrakis, fashion begins with survival. The Fremen wear stillsuits designed to conserve the body’s moisture, making them essential to life in the desert. Their technical construction gives Paul Atreides and Chani a shared visual identity, while the addition of flowing wraps and cloaks introduces a softer dimension to their relationship. West used these layers to reflect the emotional connection developing between the characters. As Paul moves towards political and religious authority, clothing also becomes a way of understanding the distance between his original identity and his growing power. It’s a reminder that even the most functional costume can reveal something about the person wearing it.
Lady Jessica and the Unexpected Influence of Italian Art
Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica undergoes one of the most dramatic visual transformations in the series. Her early wardrobe reflects the elegance of House Atreides, while her later costumes draw on the traditions of the Fremen and her evolving role within the Bene Gesserit. West explored religious imagery when creating the sisterhood’s distinctive silhouettes, looking particularly at Giotto’s paintings and representations of the Virgin Mary. Jessica’s robes also feature hand-printed Fremen lettering, while richer fabrics appear as her influence grows. Every change in her appearance reflects a new stage in her story, making her wardrobe one of the clearest examples of fashion as visual storytelling.
From Balenciaga to Gothic Fashion: Dune’s Most Unexpected References
Some of the film’s strongest fashion influences appear in its supporting characters. Léa Seydoux’s Lady Margot Fenring wears a sculptural blue outfit inspired by Cristóbal Balenciaga’s designs from the 1940s, with luxurious fabric creating a striking silhouette around her face. The Harkonnens inhabit a completely different aesthetic. Their dark costumes draw on gothic imagery and the unsettling artwork of H. R. Giger, with leather and armour-like details reinforcing their threatening presence. Through these contrasting visual worlds, West gives each faction a recognisable identity before a single word is spoken.
How Did Dune Take Over the Red Carpet?
The fashion story continues beyond the screen. During the Dune: Part Two press tour, Zendaya appeared at the London premiere in Thierry Mugler’s archival robot suit from the Fall/Winter 1995 couture collection, instantly creating one of the most talked-about red-carpet moments of 2024. Timothée Chalamet embraced equally experimental dressing, including a Givenchy look with a metallic breastplate, while Anya Taylor-Joy appeared in a dramatic hooded Dior ensemble. These choices extended the film’s futuristic aesthetic into real-life fashion, turning premieres into events that audiences followed almost as closely as the movie itself. With Dune: Part Three arriving in December, the next chapter of this relationship between cinema and style is one to watch.
