Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale": How the iconic costumes were created | Code Media

If you've been online in the past year you probably recognize the iconic red handmaids' costumes from Hulu's hit show 'The Handmaid's Tale.'
So how do you create a design and look that strikes fear and anxiety into anyone who watches the show? Costume designer Ane Crabtree describes her process for creating the entire look and feel of the timeless costumes during our Code Media conference in Huntington Beach, Calif.
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[@srclise6467]

Who was controlling the slideshow? She seemed constantly rushed to keep up with the pictures.

[@tigerlilly9038]

a person who neither read the book nor watched the show, that's who.SMH

[@jess6558]

Can we also give a round of applause to whoever sewed these pieces to perfection and fitted them perfectly to the actors bodies! Not sure if it was her or not.

[@emiliabolsas]

She said there is a team of sewers. “Praise be” given that there are as many as 500 extras for some scenes.

[@qilorarv4999]

It was very interesting, shame she rushed it. But I have been in that kind of situation and know how nerves work. Thank you for sharing

[@CourtneyPoe]

Lovely talk, thank you for speaking out using fabric that clothes the actors who represent what handmaids tale is all about. You did a fantastic job!

[@khaleesisnow1683]

11:18 The scene looks like someone will die this season. I wonder who it will be. Congrats to the designer. She did a superb job!

[@LoonZoomBoo]

Antonia P. Looks like a mourning coat. Perhaps Aunt Lydia with be killed and the girls must "Mourn" or the resistance rises up, or ... Offred's incident (no spoilers) rocks Gilead.

[@dylanmaes98]

I feel like maybe offreds baby doesn't make it

[@gabiluch87]

definitely mourning clothes... maybe some high ranking commander? I hope it's not Offred's baby, coz they would execute her if she loses it...

[@wolfferoni]

Well if you've watched last week's episode, I think we already know what this is going to be for.

[@khaleesisnow1683]

Wolfferoni yup

[@Sun.Shine-]

I absolutely loved serena joy's outfits. Keeping in mind, how terrible her character is, the outfits shows authority, power, and rich aristocrats 👏👏👏

[@bpeoples4043]

So excited for the red veil, black dress look, I wonder what will happen that episode.

[@wolfferoni]

If you've seen the latest ep I think you already know. From the last thing that happened in the episode.

[@bpeoples4043]

Absolutely amazing episode, I mean the ending. wow. So excited for Wednesday

[@MAYONNAISEMOOSE]

Bomb explodes and handmaids die

[@Char-Williams]

This is a serious show, emotionally! I'd love to see TuckEverLasting or The Pearl as a show.

[@apurvaarora1781]

Total respect to you 🙏🙏

[@RJAR1994]

Blessed be the designers

[@emilywhittle1420]

Not related to the show, but I’m in love with the dress she’s wearing. I wonder what it’s made of? Anyone know what brand it is or anywhere that sells similar dresses

[@pawsplants_pics5683]

She is very talented whether by accident or design. Meant to be!!! I wish this was not so rush through this interview.

[@KillieKellah]

I Know those projects in Ky!! I lived there in my childhood too! They tore them all down to male way for nicer buildings i guess... there are now empty fields where the projects once were.

[@katiempojer]

The costumes are breatakibg

[@Leftatalbuquerque]

What's missing from the TV series is depictions of the sweatshops where these uniforms would be being mass produced. I assume they would not be made in China...

[@calypsosgarden203]

Curiously, that's also "missing" from the book.

[@scouttyra]

The story is told through the eyes of Offred, and she has little to no idea of that which the regime does not want her to know about. The handmaids have no reason to know where their clothes are from, so the regime does not tell them.

[@FannysLoA]

The econopeople probably does it. You know, from season 2, when June tried to escape.

[@awsomeadam2]

The marthas who aren't assigned to a commander family are also stated to work in sweatshops/state industries. Its implied that it would either be made by them or by the econonopeople

[@glennweeks7176]

is she wearing a plastic table cloth?

[@tamielynne7374]

Glenn Weeks lmao!

[@theoriginaleb9616]

I was thinking the exact same thing! Looks like a disposable tablecloth you’d use outside on a picnic table. Good thing it wasn’t red - that would be even worse! And the white areas make it even worse, like the white felt underside of the tablecloths. I don’t have an appreciation for designers who wear ugly clothes. I guess I’m not very fashion-forward thinking. Good thing I’m not a designer.

[@angelosumugat6653]

@@theoriginaleb9616 well your not a designer are you? So who are you to tell

[@jmace2424]

How they were created: it took us 5 minutes to turn Pilgrim costumes that color.

[@akrenwinkle]

I'm reminded of legendary costume designer Edith Head. I think her eight Oscars still holds the record. But Edith, herself, dressed in a manner that was... well, questionable.

[@stankovicemina3]

Bravoooo!!!

[@3fishesinatank806]

Short and sweet, it's an Amish dress and head covering with some modifications.

[@Littleathquakes]

3fishes inatank thank God somebody else saw through the bullshit.

[@3fishesinatank806]

Well, I used to be Amish. I thought there was too much of a similarity. Then I saw here in this video the actual model with the New Order Amish head covering, I knew that she stole the idea. Google New Order Amish Head Covering-you'll see. I'm not mad.. but give credit where credit is due. You can buy an Amish head covering on line. Sadly, I can't watch the show... #PTSD But everyone else should watch it.

[@3fishesinatank806]

@2:56 is an Amish head covering on the model.

[@3fishesinatank806]

and the lil girl at 3:22 is also in Amish clothes... I find it exploitive a little bit.

[@jubmelahtes]

When did you break out? If ypu don't mind me asking?

[@jelllybeans589]

the person who controlled the slideshow always went way too slow or way too fast lol

[@sousamina]

creo q me spoilee mirando esto D:

[@jules.8443]

I live in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 & I am loving the series. Not keen on the sex parts as it’s boring. I like the story lines as it seems to be the direction America is heading.

[@Sabrinajaine]

Does no one else feel bad for those women presenting the handmaid costumes? Just stood there in these demeaning costumes for 13 minutes...couldn't they have used mannequins?

[@tahoeclimber]

Those masks are fun, huh!?

[@TZA_]

Cultists.

[@bryanlucero207]

The hallowed broccoli rheologically pinch because protest conjecturally sparkle between a resolute visitor. wooden, hissing medicine

[@ShyShyTheGem]

Whoever had control of the slides sucks ! I would’ve loved to hear her go more in depth about one idea

[@Belihoney]

I'm really not comfortable with fashion reinterpreting the costume. Its literally a uniform for sexual slavery and try to fashion it and put it on fancy models to advertise it and sell it puts a weird taste in my mouth

[@nancyyac1]

I think that is the purpose for the design. Halfway through she shows photos of the pink garment for little girls. She explains that the pink color is to show what may be the future for little girls in the story. They could be handmaids, they could be fertile women that might be your sister. She will lose her personal rights, becone a sex slave for the purposes of reproduction, while we, who are not fertile will be forbidden to work, read, we will be married off to some disgusting man who will rape a fertile sister while we hold her down.

[@emi7916]

"Fashion" here doesn't necessarily mean fashionable, it's just art that's inspired by this show. I guess you can use the same argument for the hijab (although don't wanna compare that to fiction) but a lot of women reclaim it and use it as a fashion statement as well as part of their religion and culture, for some that can be empowering.

[@daniellejohnson333]

As a costume designer I absolutely loved this! Such insight 😍

[@DeborahWalkerXOXO]

I don't know if I have ever disliked a video before but as a teachable moment I feel I must. Who on earth prepped her for this? Why aren't these slides under her control? Why do they appear so disjointed? I have 4 minutes left to watch and I'm exhausted. This is stream of consciousness presenting. Great, I get she is a creative but why tell me your background isn't design if you omit to tell me what it actually IS. Was she a photographer? A creative director? What? I am able to pick this apart to get some information but Lordt it is difficult. Clearly she isn't used to doing such things so I place the fault at recode's feet. Someone should have supported her. I wouldn't have stood for this when I was teaching, and they were teenagers. Poorly done guys.

[@yelloworangered]

What the hell is she wearing? Hope that isn't her own design. But then, is it better if she discovered it and had to buy it?

[@michaelakunz7679]

Maybe this what she want... Some plain brains asking this question instead of following the presentation..

[@laurenrizzo9716]

I would love to be able to understand the colors for the women..

[@aadamkhan4972]

Lauren Rizzo the wives wear blue to represent Virgin Mary, Handmaids wear red to represent fertility red emphasises a women’s period

[@PedroGomes-iw7ce]

How she was just nominated?

[@marksousa8595]

It looks like what women use to wear in the azores ( Portugal)

[@redsqrds3980]

Its beautiful

[@jenniferlawrence8503]

The hospitable pheasant ultimately escape because rainstorm opportunely park midst a tightfisted scale. abortive, undesirable mall

[@loungeblogger]

they kinda forgot about the ear tags though

[@nataliewohlfert662]

loungeblogger no, they didn’t. The ear tags are now a metal piece embedded in each handmaids ear. Its hidden but it is there. Remember in season 1 or 2 when June pulls it out of her ear?

[@2degucitas]

Plastic coated picnic table cloth dress

[@Meredith34567]

Okay, that's rude, but it's not really wrong.

[@ThisGuyAd.]

There's a picture of the handmaid's costume on the book sleeve. I just think she could have been more imaginative. Also why do all the henchmen look like generic men walking out of a surplus store? The Military is a massive part of the book. Why do they all suddenly have civies on? I love the show but I think she should have pushed the boat out more and be more daring.

[@KB5RYE]

They look like Islamic burqas.

[@jazzx251]

That's the dehumanisation part. For example, when a stormtrooper gets shot and killed in Star Wars, I never think about his family, or why he was forced to do that shitty job. Because he is faceless. This dehumanising of females in Islam is similarly wrong. Making them wear a black tent so that nobody sees their face and knows they exist as a person ... Gilead is a much nicer society than Saudi Arabia - I'll tell you that. If anyone is in any doubt that Gilead could never happen ... it did, 1979 Iran.

[@MsKiprusoff]

I agree Mai, thats why I dont follow it. My sisters do though as a form of modesty, a way were men cannot judge women based on looks, which is a way can be freeing but in my opinion it dehumanizes like you pointed out and men get to use excuses to rape (blaming what she wears) and separate men and women where it makes it harder to get to know one another.

[@ladyvincenza]

Was it just me, or did the speaker really pussyfoot around mentioning Islam?

[@melissinha73]

Do you mean hijab though? Hijab is both the overall head covering and the smallest of the head coverings which does not obscure the face. FYI the burqa has zero view of a woman’s face, not the same. If you want to talk about something learn the proper terminology. This costume is more akin to the bonnets and headpieces of Amish and Mennonite women.

[@aadamkhan4972]

Mai Nem nobody in Islam is forced to wear a hijab

[@elfqueen5638]

This was an excellent presentation! From a rookie designer point of view she nailed her thought process so wildly true! I enjoyed this presentation so much!