The Witcher on Netflix has continued to wow audiences from a number of standpoints. The writing and performances are likely the least surprising aspect in which the series excels. Meanwhile, it also doesn't hold back on the visual effects department either. But what about the costume design?
Well, with the 2022 Emmy Awards ceremony looming ever closer, it's worth looking at just what makes some of the nominees tick. Unsurprisingly, The Witcher has earned several nominations this year, with "Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes" among them. So what went into creating those potentially award-winning outfits for the acclaimed dark fantasy series? Or, perhaps more importantly, how did the costume designer come up with her ideas?
That's what Deadline sought to find out in a recent interview with The Witcher season 2's costume designer Lucinda Wright. She had very clear ideas right from the get-go. "I wanted to bring more realism to the costumes and I wanted to incorporate a new look for the armor for Geralt and for the Nilfgaard, to make it more grounded," Wright said when asked about her initial vision for the designs. "Even though it is fantasy and magical, you should still really believe in what people wear and it should really reflect the storyline and take the characters onto a different level."
In essence, she aimed to design outfits that actually looked like people could fight in them. This is contrary to other instances of less-than-practical armors and outfits in properties like Dragon Age. "Sometimes costumes do need to look glamorous and fantastic, but when you see a Nilfgaard soldier, you must believe that he could come and attack you and defend himself in a fight," Wright continued. "Especially with Geralt, to make him look like more of a killing machine and showcase Henry [Cavill]'s physique. It needed to be like his second skin, so he should be able to just zip into action. That's what realism is for me for the clothes, and you almost don't notice them as much."
The Witcher goes a long way in really driving home the visceral nature of its dark fantasy setting. The effects are one thing, but it can be difficult to design costumes to look authentic to a universe that doesn't actually exist. So Wright's ideas certainly seem to have paid off. It's no wonder that The Witcher has become so popular in the various media of books, games, and television, given all the work that's been put into each iteration.
There's still no release date set in stone for season 3 of The Witcher, but that just means fans have more time to binge the first 2 seasons again. Here's hoping this same level of quality demonstrated by talented artists like Wright continues at the forefront of the production.
The Witcher seasons 1-2 are now available on Netflix.
Source: Deadline