How do you costume an uber-rich, dysfunctional family? Make it a ‘dress-up party’
How Do You Costume an Uber-Rich Family? A Dress-Up Party Approach
How do you costume an uber – When considering how do you costume an uber-wealthy, deeply tangled family unit, the answer may lie in treating it as nothing more than an elaborate dress-up party. This is precisely the philosophy behind Karim Aïnouz’s “Rosebush Pruning,” where blood ties, romantic entanglements, and an almost obsessive devotion to designer labels create a volatile domestic scene. The moment Martha—Elle Fanning’s character and Jack’s girlfriend—enters the frame, tensions surface immediately. Jack’s sister Anna, played by Riley Keough, delivers a cutting assessment of Martha’s floral black-and-red dress, dismissing it as high-street fashion despite its vintage origins.
Costume designer Bina Daigeler explained the nuance behind this moment. Sourcing the dress from a Barcelona vintage shop, she noted that its unbranded nature made it easy for Anna to mock it as a Zara piece. “You can’t see who made it, which made it easier for Anna to say, ‘oh, it’s probably a Zara dress,'” Daigeler remarked during a video call. This seemingly minor exchange reveals deeper currents of jealousy and entitlement within the family. Anna’s sharp tongue reflects the broader narrative where Jack receives adoration from nearly every family member, while their blind widowed father—portrayed by Tracy Letts—probes Martha’s appearance with unsettling thoroughness.
The Fashion-Obsessed Siblings
All four adult siblings—Anna, Jack, Ed (Callum Turner), and Robert (Lukas Gage)—reside together in a modernist home nestled in Catalonia’s countryside. They share an intense passion for fashion, buoyed by wealth that allows them to prioritize style above all else. This obsession permeates the film’s dialogue from the opening scenes. Ed, for instance, debates Belgian designer Ann Demeulemeester with a Greek acquaintance while simultaneously correcting him on the distinction between his Bottega Veneta loafers and Sebago shoes.
Loosely adapted from Marco Bellocchio’s 1965 film “Fists in the Pocket,” “Rosebush Pruning” represents Aïnouz’s second English-language feature, co-written by Efthimis Filippou. The film channels the absurdist energy of Lanthimos’s “Dogtooth”—also written by Filippou—while embracing the satirical “eat the rich” sensibility of Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn.” What sets Aïnouz’s work apart is its unflinching examination of incestuous desire and family dysfunction, heightened by striking cinematography.
Costume Design as Family Mirror
Ed emerges as the catalyst for change, formulating a dramatic plan to break the family’s codependency and grant Jack—described as an anomaly among “lazy, mediocre, vapid, egotists”—the freedom to build a life with Martha. Daigeler, Oscar-nominated for “Mulan” and costume designer on “Tár,” described her collaborative process with Aïnouz. “It was very intuitive, between me and Karim, we had fun together immediately,” she shared. The Spanish painter Joaquín Sorolla frequently appeared in their conversations, with his emotional landscapes mirroring the film’s themes.
The fittings themselves became transformative experiences. “The fittings were like a dress-up party, and I think that suited the movie because it’s a family absolutely crazy about fashion,” Daigeler observed. She deliberately deconstructed traditional styling to reflect the fractured family dynamic, creating unconventional combinations that felt both intentional and organic. Robert commands attention through bold Versace pieces and silk shirts, harboring an almost obsessive fascination with the brand—he even dreams of Donatella and owns the same firearm that claimed Gianni’s life.
Ed favors textured fabrics in light, neutral tones or sporty silhouettes, while Jack achieves his sartorial zenith in a pistachio green suit during a house viewing. The film’s most surprising revelation—that the mother, played by Pamela Anderson, remains alive and resides with her partner Emma (Elena Anaya)—offered Daigeler fresh creative territory. She opted for relaxed silhouettes for Anderson and, at a pivotal moment, dressed both women in coordinating boilersuits and rain boots. “She’s left everything and built her wardrobe up again, so we wanted something simple but elegant,” the designer explained. Emma’s wardrobe leans masculine with rougher cuts and stronger design elements. Meanwhile, Anna’s collection ultimately encapsulates the family’s complex relationship with clothing and identity.
