Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein: Faithful Adaptation with Striking Costume and Color Symbolism

The newest adaptation of Mary Shelley's timeless novel Frankenstein has captivated audiences, with director Guillermo del Toro's film being praised for being mostly faithful to the source material

Guillermo del Toro’s recent film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has garnered significant acclaim for its fidelity to the original novel and innovative visual storytelling. Starring Jacob Elordi as The Creature, Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, and Mia Goth in a standout role as Elizabeth Lavenza, the film is notable for its exquisite costume design and symbolic use of color and fabric. Costume designer Kate Hawley’s work, featuring insect-inspired patterns and period-appropriate silhouettes, deeply enriches the narrative, while Mia Goth’s dual roles amplify the film’s psychological depth. The movie is now available for streaming on Netflix.

• Mia Goth’s portrayal of Elizabeth Lavenza and Victor Frankenstein’s mother brings complex layers to the story, enhanced by inventive prosthetics and costume color palettes.
• Emmy-nominated costume designer Kate Hawley created detailed wardrobes inspired by entomology, botany, and Victorian fashion, using iridescent fabrics and insect motifs.
• The film’s striking production design contrasts typical dark horror tones with jewel-tone colors that evoke themes of sensuality and ethereal femininity.
• Key scenes, including Elizabeth’s luminous nightgown moment, emphasize emotional vulnerability and connection through costume and color symbolism.
• The movie’s release coincides with trends toward darker hair colors among celebrities, showcasing fashionable shades like mocha brunette and rich espresso as favored choices.

A faithful yet visually rich adaptation of a classic tale

Del Toro’s Frankenstein, streaming on Netflix since November 7, presents a version of Mary Shelley’s narrative that honors its Gothic roots while introducing fresh aesthetic and thematic elements. The film’s visual design departs from traditionally somber horror palettes by favoring vivid jewel tones, ornate sets, and inventive costume details. Jacob Elordi’s Creature and Oscar Isaac’s Frankenstein bring intensity to their roles, but Mia Goth’s Elizabeth Lavenza becomes a focal point, presenting a character who blends vulnerability with mystique.

Crafting Elizabeth’s insect-inspired wardrobe

Kate Hawley, known for her Emmy-nominated work on projects like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Crimson Peak, designed Elizabeth’s wardrobe around her fascination with entomology and botany. The costumes incorporate patterns and shapes inspired by beetles and butterflies, with fabrics selected to mimic the delicate, translucent textures of insect wings. Hawley explained that the green dress drew directly from butterfly wing motifs, and she conducted extensive research into cellular anatomy to craft these unique effects while respecting period-accurate Victorian silhouettes.

Jewelry played a critical role in defining Elizabeth’s appearance, notably a Tiffany & Co. Louis Comfort Tiffany necklace featuring blue glass beetle motifs set in gold. As Christopher Young, Vice President and Creative Director at Tiffany, noted, these historic pieces blur the lines between jewelry and art, linking the character visually to Mary Shelley’s era.

Symbolism through costume and color

One of the most striking dresses Elizabeth wears is her final white gown, wrapped in satin ribbons resembling surgical bandages. This design pays deliberate homage both to Elizabeth’s tragic fate and The Creature’s origins. The layered fabric captures light in ways that lend an ethereal quality, fulfilling director Guillermo del Toro’s vision of Elizabeth as a luminous, almost otherworldly figure.

Religious symbolism is woven through the costumes, especially through the use of bonnets that serve as halos, reflecting Elizabeth’s spiritual and symbolic significance in the story. Mia Goth’s experiences wearing these restrictive period costumes helped her embody the character’s physical and emotional constraints, deepening her performance.

The iconic staircase nightgown scene: Eroticism and vulnerability

Among the film’s memorable images is the scene in which Elizabeth, wearing a teal, sheer nightgown inspired partly by Caravaggio paintings, descends a staircase with a candelabra to seek out The Creature. This moment embodies a classic Gothic trope but is enlivened through the costume’s luminous simplicity.

Kate Hawley described the design process, emphasizing the need for simplicity and naturalness to reflect a raw emotional connection between Elizabeth and The Creature—both isolated, misunderstood figures. The blue color evokes moonlight and carries symbolic weight, recalling the Madonna’s figure in Victor’s eyes and reflecting the fluidity between dream and reality that informs much of the film’s narrative.

The film’s delicate use of sheer fabrics, veils, and layered colors adds a painterly, dreamlike quality that conveys memory, sensuality, and transformation. Hawley and del Toro intentionally moved away from pure historic accuracy to favor thematic resonance and visual storytelling, blending Victorian silhouettes with a modern, Gothic edge.

Mia Goth’s dual roles and the Freudian color palette

An intriguing aspect of the casting is Mia Goth’s portrayal of both Victor Frankenstein’s mother, Baroness Claire Frankenstein, and his betrothed, Elizabeth Harlander. This choice illustrates Victor’s psychological immaturity and deep fixation on maternal figures, a theme underscored throughout the movie.

The two characters are visually differentiated primarily through color: Baroness Frankenstein wears deep “pigeon-blood red” garments, while Elizabeth’s clothing draws from green, iridescent insect tones inspired by natural minerals like malachite. This color coding extends into Victor’s environment, underscoring his Oedipal complex and the Freudian undertones of his obsession.

Prosthetic makeup further distinguishes the roles, with special foreheads and nose pieces sculpted to make Baroness Frankenstein resemble Victor’s appearance. The subtlety of this work has led some viewers to miss that Goth embodies two separate characters, highlighting the production’s success in supporting complex psychological themes.

The wider cultural context: Emerging trends in hair color fashion

Coinciding with the release of Frankenstein, a broader cultural shift toward darker hair shades is observed in celebrity style, with figures like Mia Goth, Hailey Bieber, and Kim Kardashian opting for rich, natural hues over bright peroxide blondes.

Experts in the beauty industry note that the upcoming seasons favor hues like mocha brunette, rich espresso, dark chocolate, deep reds, and even plum tones. These colors offer multidimensionality and shine, providing versatility for various skin tones and maintenance preferences.

Popular choices include: - Mocha brown with warm or cool undertones for versatility and universal appeal. - Teddy bear brown—a blend of golden dark blonde and light brown tones. - Velvet espresso, nearly black with soft warmth and red undertones. - Mushroom brown, an ashy transitional shade from blonde to brunette. - Deep red blends like cherry cola and cinnamon spice for subtler and bold looks. - Blackberry cabernet and plum-tinted brunettes adding wine-inspired richness.

These trends reflect a renewed appreciation for sophisticated, natural-looking hair with depth and luster, paralleling the film’s careful balance of modern sensibilities and homage to historical aesthetics.

Through a combination of thoughtful costume design, evocative color symbolism, and powerful performances, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein offers a fresh yet faithful revision of Mary Shelley’s classic tale. Mia Goth’s dual roles and the film’s lush visual style deepen the exploration of identity, obsession, and transformation—making it a must-watch for fans of drama, horror, and Gothic storytelling alike. The film’s streaming availability on Netflix ensures widespread access to this artistic retelling, inviting audiences to experience the story anew.