It seems to me like Euphoria season three has implemented some drastic changes when it comes to makeup and costume design. In earlier seasons, Euphoria could be easily identified by its vibrant purple aesthetic, sparkly makeup looks, and youthful-but-mature costume design. The show truly embodied “euphoria” with the music choice, cinematography, clothing, and make-up choices. So, what changed? Can it be attributed to the more mature theme, or the ample time it took for the season to develop and drop?
To start, Euphoria’s recently released season welcomes an entirely new costume designer, Natasha Newman-Thomas, who also worked styling for Sam Levinson’s The Idol. The costume designer before her was Heidi Bivens, whose work was so well admired that she was nominated for three Emmys. Biven’s work was under intense public scrutiny due to the way she styled what was meant to be high-school-aged characters. Although she received some backlash, Bivens created an entire fashion universe where she dressed characters in eye-catching statement pieces. The character of Maddy Perez, played by Alexa Demie, stood out to me when she was seen in Miu Miu and vintage Mugler. Not only did Bivens dress the character in high fashion, but smaller, independent fashion brands like IAMGIA were also a staple to Maddy Perez’s persona.
Newman-Thomas has already received many stunned reactions for her styling decisions behind the character’s wardrobe, specifically with notorious antagonist Nate Jacobs, played by Jacob Elordi. The character is seen in much Bottega Veneta, which is a brand frequently worn by the actor, but people questioned if that really aligned with the character. Natasha says “Jacob is a Bottega Boy, but it actually works. It was intentional.” Jacob Elordi is under contract with Bottega Veneta for most of his off-screen looks, but Newman-Thomas figured to put his character in the brand as well. The look was meant to make the character come off as a wealthy, white collar man. I believe that Newman-Thomas has adapted well to the previously established and highly recognizable EFU (Euphoria Fashion Universe).
The costumes are meant to translate the characters’ previous styles into more adult versions. The wardrobe might seem very different from the seasons before, but the changes are intentional, reflecting the character’s in-universe growth and their transition from high schoolers to young adults. One thing that I do appreciate is the consistency of Rue’s high-top Converse: Rue is the one outlier whose style remains virtually unchanged, symbolizing her lack of personal growth from the last season—a small but crucial detail.
Onto the makeup of the season, what is Euphoria without the glitz and glamour? The show is known for its glittery and vibrant looks, allowing the makeup to speak for the character wearing it. The makeup now feels more toned down, which is due in part to creative decisions by the makeup artist, but primarily because of the shift in cinematography and editing. Donni Davy, the artist who worked on previous seasons, remains on set to make sure all the characters are represented faithfully through their makeup. The Emmy winning makeup artist has defended the third season’s makeup following critiques similar to those left for Natasha Newman-Thomas. Davy emphasized that those vibrant looks we grew so used to have not left the show; they’re just no longer a focal point. We see looks similar to those of season one and two on Jules, Angel, Maddy’s client Katelyn, Maddy herself, and Rosalía’s character, which many people argue makes the show feel like Euphoria again.
Overall, Euphoria is different, but it’s still Euphoria. We have consistency in many of the characters, but evolution is to be expected considering they are no longer teenagers but young adults. And to be honest, a show where the wardrobe and makeup change to fit character growth sounds a lot more exciting than one where the characters remain the same from season one—a show like that would get stale, quick.