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House Of The Dragon's Costume Designer Used Rich Colors For Dramatic Finale Showdown Between Alicent And Rhaenyra
House of The Dragon costume designer revealed the details from Alicent and Rhaenyra's prominently distinct outfits and how they evolved through the seasons!
Massive historical fiction shows like House of The Dragon often include detailed and well-researched elements in every aspect—from set to costume design. The show’s costume designer, Caroline McCall, spoke to Variety about her idea behind Alicent and Rhaenyra clothes that created distinctions between houses Targaryen and Hightower.
The friends turned foes always had a connection and a stark distinction simultaneously. The duo reunited again in the season 2 finale for a confrontation, which McCall drew parallel to their very first interaction in season one and designed the outfits in colors they wore in that scene, representing their earlier selves.
“They’re in the same colors as they wore when we very first met them in Season 1 when Rhaenyra came off the dragon in a gray riding outfit, and Alicent was in blue,” she added. McCall pointed out that Alicent wore prominent Hightower green dresses with statement pieces at the beginning of season 2, representing her position of power and her most pious, religious look.
However, towards the end, it was Rhaenyra who had the upper hand, while the dowager queen was thrown out of the council by her son Aemond and was deprived of power. “She’s in a much more pale outfit than the true Hightower green. It’s all about the shedding of her facade of how she feels about her own offspring,” McCall explained.
When she's caught with Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), she hurriedly puts on a teal robe, which is more true to Alicent than “the political face of her.” Detailed embroideries, including a pattern of dragons breathing fire at each other in one of her gowns, depicted her children Aegon and Aemond’s battle.
Weighing in on the Black Queen’s evolution represented through her outfits, the designer said they had mourning clothes in the initial episodes to showcase her grief. However, in the later episodes, she tried to represent the true Targaryen heritage. McCall confessed that she took inspiration from Daenerys’s outfits from Game of Thrones to design Rhaenyra and Lady Baela’s outfits in the Targaryen aesthetic.
While keeping Alicent’s clothes “classically feminine medieval” and that of Rhaenyra true to the Valyrian culture, she also kept the weather in mind. “The climate in King’s Landing, where a lot of the action takes place, is cooler than the King’s Landing of Game of Thrones,” which was the inspiration behind the fabrics used.
House of The Dragon season 2 is now streaming on Max and Jio Cinema.
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