Mia Goth reveals hidden Frankenstein costume details in Guillermo del Toro film

Guillermo del Toro’s new take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has reignited conversations about classic horror, but it’s the subtle costume work that’s drawing fans’ eyes. Amid Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi’s headline draws, Mia Goth’s portrayal of Elizabeth Lavenza is getting particular notice — not just for performance, but for the carefully crafted wardrobe that helps tell her story.

Costume designer Kate Hawley—whose credits include major fantasy and gothic productions—built Elizabeth’s looks around period accuracy, symbolic detail, and unexpected nods to nature. The choices range from jewel-laden statement pieces to fabric and silhouette details that echo the film’s themes of creation, fragility, and transformation.

Design choices that shape Elizabeth’s character

Instead of treating clothing as mere decoration, Hawley and del Toro used costume to define Elizabeth from the outside in. The silhouettes are rooted in 19th-century tailoring — wasp waists, layered skirts, and bonnets — but each item also carries narrative meaning. The team intentionally selected pieces that would reflect Elizabeth’s inner life, spiritual leanings, and links to the film’s central creature.

• Silhouette and structure: Tight corseting and period underpinnings create a rigid, formal posture that informs movement and mood.
• Layering: Multiple thin fabrics are used to catch light and create an ethereal, shifting presence on camera.
• Accessories: Jewelry and veils are deployed as storytelling tools, not just adornment.

Insect-inspired patterns and fabric engineering

One of the film’s most talked-about costume threads is the recurring insect motif. Hawley examined beetle and butterfly anatomy, cellular structures, and iridescent surfaces to inspire patterns, trims, and fabric choices. The result: garments that subtly mimic wings or exoskeleton textures while still reading as period clothing.

How the team translated biology into couture

Design methods included:

• Using sheen and translucent layers to suggest the thin, reflective quality of insect wings.
• Adapting scale-like patterns into embroidery and print work that read as ornamental details at a distance.
• Cutting and shaping garments to evoke the segmented, articulated lines of beetles without breaking historical authenticity.

Tiffany & Co. and historically anchored jewelry choices

Jewelry plays a central role in signaling Elizabeth’s social world and aesthetic. The costume department collaborated with Tiffany & Co. to source a piece from the early 1900s that visually complements the insect theme: a Louis Comfort Tiffany necklace composed of blue glass beetle motifs set in gold. The decision to use period-authentic items was deliberate, anchoring the film’s visual language in objects that might have existed around Mary Shelley’s era.

The effect is one of blurred lines between jewelry and wearable art, adding texture and historical weight to Goth’s costumes while reinforcing the film’s natural motifs.

The white dress: surgical echoes and visual storytelling

Elizabeth’s final, most striking ensemble is a white gown with satin ribbons wrapped around the arms. Those ribbons were designed to resemble surgical bandaging — a clear visual echo of The Creature’s initial, fragile state. The layered fabrics catch and reflect light in ways that emphasize fragility and otherworldliness, a look Hawley refined in collaboration with del Toro to achieve the exact emotional tone required for the scene.

• Symbolism: The bandage-like ribbons tie Elizabeth to themes of creation, repair, and bodily vulnerability.
• Visual treatment: Multiple translucent layers create an iridescent effect that reads as ethereal on screen.

Bonnets, religious references, and the halo effect

Religious imagery threads through Elizabeth’s costumes, most visibly in the use of bonnets and veils. Hawley describes this headwear as functioning much like a halo — an intentional visual cue that ties into Elizabeth’s moral and spiritual framing within the story. On Goth, the bonnet-plus-veil combination transformed her visage, lending a mercurial, almost sanctified quality that influenced performance choices.

Why headwear mattered on set

• The bonnet shaped how light hit the face, altering expressions and mood.
• Veils softened features and heightened a sense of distance or mystique.
• Religious connotations added another layer to Elizabeth’s characterization, aligning costume with theme.

Costume as performance: how wardrobe informed movement

Mia Goth has said that stepping into the restrictive, historically accurate garments helped her inhabit Elizabeth. The physical constraints of corsets, bonnets, and layered skirts naturally altered posture, gait, and gesture—choices that translated directly into subtler aspects of performance. Rather than being a barrier, the clothing became a tool for building character.

Actors and designers collaborated closely so that fabric choices, weight, and fit all contributed to how scenes were played and how emotion read on camera.

Key costume highlights and what they signal

Notable visual elements that recur across Elizabeth’s looks include:

• Insect-inspired motifs and iridescent textiles
• Period-accurate jewels that act as focal points
• Surgical-reminiscent wrapping and bandage-like details
• Bonnets and veils that hint at spiritual or moral themes

Where to watch the film and see the costumes in action

Frankenstein is streaming on Netflix now, giving viewers the chance to study Hawley’s detailed costume work in context and appreciate how wardrobe shapes character and theme across the film.

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David Miller

David Miller is an entertainment expert with a passion for film, music, and series. With eight years in cultural criticism, he takes you behind the scenes of productions and studios. His energetic style guides you to the next big releases and trending sensations.