In Materialists, love is transactional, status is visual, and clothes say a lot more about a person than they are willing to admit. Directed by Celine Song and starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans, the romantic dramedy dazzles with more than just its star-studded cast — it’s a full-blown fashion feast. Costume designer Katina Danabassis, who worked on Y2K, Bodies Bodies Bodies, and the forthcoming film The Drama, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, also designed the costumes for Song’s groundbreaking debut Past Lives.

When it comes to collaborating with Song, Danabassis says she loves classic styles that never feel dated. “It allows the story to sort of live on in this way that doesn’t pay attention to trends,” she explains. The result is costume design that feels both “vintage and future” at the same time. “With Celine, it’s always like, what is going to be real and iconic, slightly elevated, but not too crazy,” she says.

Dressing Materialists’ Key Characters

Johnson’s character, Lucy, works a strategic wardrobe meant to attract both clients and suitors in her line of work as a professional matchmaker. “She could appeal to the right demographic of suitors, as well as women — professional but approachable,” Danabassis tells TZR. When we first meet Lucy, she’s on her way to meet a client in a navy pinstripe blazer and matching skirt with sheer tights and knee-high boots, which Danabassis says is a nod to Johnson’s mom Melanie Griffith’s 1988 film Working Girl. “I saw a woman a few years ago in New York wearing a skirt suit, and we don’t really see a power suit like that every day anymore, and I thought it looked fresh,” Danabassis explains. For Materialists, the look was “Frankensteined” from several pieces: a vintage Versace skirt, an oversized Aritzia blazer, and a Banana Republic blouse, topped off with Wolford tights and Paris Texas boots that Johnson had found. “[We] just kind of pieced together a look like a real woman might do,” says Danabassis.

According to Danabassis, Lucy’s overall vibe is “timeless and classic” with a mostly neutral palette (more on that later). A quiet luxury vibe, but affordable, she says. Think high-street denim mixed with Gucci shoes, Filippa K staples, and well-worn pieces that a stylish New Yorker making $80,000 a year might actually own. Danabassis adds, “She’ll splurge on certain things, but also wear the Zara jeans… well-made pieces that you hopefully are hanging on to in your wardrobe for a long time.”

When Lucy first meets Harry (Pedro Pascal) at a client wedding, she’s in a blue Proenza Schouler dress with a silver Meuchner collar and Bottega Veneta heels. It’s striking enough to stand out from the crowd, but still minimal and business-oriented. “She’s scanning the crowd for new clients, so she has to be approachable, be functional, be comfortable, be confident, and stand out, but also not steal shine,” says Danabassis.

For Harry, Pascal’s character, Danabassis had JFK Jr. on the mood board: “He represents business, but also effortless, cool, timeless… he’s the hottest of all time to me.” The creative enjoyed dressing Pascal because he “wears clothes very well,” and his character’s wardrobe helped underscore that even more. Harry is handsome, wealthy, successful, and over six feet tall, aka a “unicorn” in matchmaking terms. His choice of apparel is all refined excess, so Danabassis curated a mix of Bottega shoes, The Elder Statesman and Zegna suits, and Hermès (“the quietest luxury”).

Symbolism runs deep in Materialists, and Danabassis was dialed into Song’s note that silver is a significant metal for Lucy, so it made sense to have Harry counter that with gold. “It’s kind of like showing the different levels in society there,” explains Danabassis. He wears a particularly unique accessory in the film: a 5.1-carat emerald and gold ring by Darius Jewels, an LA-based jewelry brand that sources its materials ethically. Danabassis says Pascal ended up buying it as a gift to himself. “When Pedro put that ring on, he hilariously was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s the heaviest ring I think I’ve ever held… I’m not a jewelry guy, but I love this so much,’” she recalls.

Chris Evans’ John, on the other hand, is a struggling actor who works as a cater waiter to make ends meet, so you won’t find any Hermès there. Just Levi’s and sneakers and maybe a paint-stained flannel. Aside from a J.Crew or Buck Mason shirt and suits supplied by Brooks Brothers, “he’s through-and-through a thrifted guy,” Danabassis says. One tee John wears — emblazoned with “Silence = Death,” a reference to AIDS activist art — became an unexpected character note. “It’s his allyship. He’s a good guy. It’s esoteric, but a special little thing about the theater world and who he is.”

Focus On Florals

Then there’s the use of florals as a symbol of love, something we get a hint of in the film’s prologue. If you pay attention, the motif is intentionally absent in Lucy’s relationship with Harry — she sticks to her business-chic neutrals — but blooms when she’s with her old love John. We see this during an impromptu road trip, where Lucy pairs a floral dress with sneakers, a subtle nod to the love that’s beginning to blossom again. “There’s also this theme of vertical storytelling that [Song] has theorized,” Danabassis adds. “We’re kind of moving up and down in society. Harry’s up here, John is down here. And we have the earth and the flowers… heavy, grounded.”

Another costume Easter egg? You’ll have to wait until the end credits, but there’s a moment where Lucy shines in a silk Kamperett midi slip dress paired with daisy-adorned mules. “It was just another flower note,” says Danabassis with a smile. Whether it’s quiet luxury, activism tees, or floral dresses with greater meaning, The Materialists proves that what someone wears can be more than just a fashion statement; it can reveal a lot about their true feelings without them ever saying a word.