One of the most interesting things of Euphoria, beside the acting, is the aesthetic, specifically the costume design, which gives us a deeper understanding of the characters' development.
The mind behind the show’s iconic outfits is costume designer Heidi Bivens. This season it feels like the budget was beyond generous because all of the outfits are from designer names, big labels, and vintage pieces. Bivens really said, if the show's narrator is going to be high all the time, we might as well make it as psychedelic and over-the-top as we can. I mean, maybe there are some teens out there wearing designer clothes, but not your typical Californian suburban high schoolers. That's what we love about the Euphoria Universe: everyone there is a material girl.
Although the clothes may be too glamorous for these teens, we know everything is styled with a concept related to each one of their stories during this season. So here are some things you might not know about the costume references and their meaning.
WARNING: Spoilers ahead
Cassie and Lexi wearing sisters brand
Cassie and Lexi’s sisterhood goes beyond genetics and into their wardrobes. This season, they both have been wearing luxury brands Prada and Miu Miu, which are from the same designer, Miuccia Prada. It’s interesting because even if both brands are from the same designer, they’re completely different, just like Cassie and Lexi.
For example, Cassie is using the cutest white stripe sandals, and if you see closely, you can spot the PRADA logo on the bottom. Lexi, on the other hand, wears this beautiful Miu Mui dress in the second episode, and during the season’s trailer, you can spot a yellow and blue shirt from the brand too. According to Heidi, Lexi is the character with the most outfits for this season, so be ready to see a lot of her in the next episode.
Fezco as "the friendly dealer"
So Fez isn’t your usual drug dealer. He's strayed away from the white tank top tattooed dealer that we always see in Hollywood. For him, life isn’t only about business but family too, like his grandma, Ashtray, and Rue. He usually wears colorful clothes, prints, and knit sweaters. We can't forget the iconic M&M’s pants from episode two. But when he’s on business, you’ll see him wearing one-color tracksuits or white t-shirts. Like before he beat Nate’s ass to the ground, he took off his sweaters to reveal a white shirt, symbolizing the difference between these two aspects of his life.
Nate's basic ass outfits
You see Nate and can’t help but think, this guy has no fashion sense! But this actually has a purpose. He’s always wearing basic things like jeans, hoodies, one color t-shirts or polo shirts, and usually in white, black, navy, or gray. He always wears what you could consider masculine pieces, never takes fashion risks, or experiments with anything that draws attention to him. Even his haircut is boring. He represents the textbook straight bro with average clothes that would make nobody question his sexuality.
Color is more than just color
Euphoria uses color theory in everything: lights, rooms and clothes. The purple represents power and abundance. Maddy wears it a lot, because it symbolizes her desire to have it all and be a powerful woman. We can also see this in episode two, when Maddy is in this big house and the woman that owns the place has an expensive purple dress on.
The color blue and pink have a meaning mainly for Cassie. They represent the conventional concept of femininity and innocence that Cassie possesses, but usually when she is in trouble, she’s wearing blue.
Another color with symbolism is black. This color represents maturity and development. Maddy’s dress during New Year's and her birthday is this color, and it reflects her confidence and empowerment without Nate in her life. Rue wears this color in episode three when she gets into that business opportunity with the shady drug dealer we meet in episode one.
We are four episodes into the show and people can't wait for more. Let’s hope for more iconic outfits, striking makeup looks, and more of Lexi and Fez having moments together.