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Nosferatu 2024: Victorian Style and Dark Fashion in Eggers' Gothic Masterpiece

Do you feel that shiver running up your spine as the full moon rises on the horizon? That unnatural excitement when shadows lengthen on walls and the cold wind whispers promises of darkness? Isn't this everything you've always desired?

For you, who love to dance with darkness, who find beauty in the macabre and poetry in the supernatural, the long-awaited moment has finally arrived: the return of the Night King to the big screen, in his most sinister and horribly seductive form.

Count Orlok returns to haunt our withered world in a new, magnetic film by Robert Eggers, revisiting the legendary vampire born from F.W. Murnau's genius in 1922 and reimagined by Werner Herzog in 1979.

We here at Psylo are absolutely... thrilled!

 

The Plot of the New Nosferatu: Between Forbidden Love and Terror

Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter and Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok Photo: Focus Features

Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter and Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok (Photo: Focus Features)

 

Supernatural Seduction: An Ancient Tale of Shadows and Sacrifice

In this new version set in 19th century Germany, young lawyer Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) is tasked by his superior Friedrich (Aaron Taylor Johnson) to travel to the Carpathians to conclude a real estate sale with the mysterious Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård). Despite the concerns of his young wife Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), Thomas sees the journey as an opportunity to secure his family's future.
During Thomas's absence, Ellen, hosted by Friedrich and his wife Anna (Emma Corrin), begins being tormented by visions of the creature in her dreams. The situation deteriorates when Orlok moves to Wisborg, bringing a terrible plague that devastates the city. Ellen, increasingly consumed by the vampire's evil presence and aware of his true nature, faces an extreme choice: sacrifice herself to end the nightmare that has befallen the city.

 

Victorian Fashion and Gothic Style: The Costumes That Define the Film

Alternative Fashion History: Victorian Elegance Meets Vampire Couture

Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Friedrich Harding and Emma Corrin as Anna Harding Photo: Aidan Monaghan

Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Friedrich Harding and Emma Corrin as Anna Harding (Photo: Aidan Monaghan)

The costume department, led by visionary Linda Muir, alongside Lizzie Agnew (previously from the same director's The Northman) as head costume designer and Catherine Collard, men's wear specialist, has created a wardrobe that tells much more than a simple outdated fashion story. Every piece of clothing has been meticulously designed to reveal details about the characters' psychology and their narrative evolution.

 

Count Orlok: A 16th Century Nobleman

Vintage Royal Fashion: How to Dress Like a Vampire Lord

©Focus Features/ Everett Collection

©Focus Features/ Everett Collection

The Count's wardrobe isn't just a reinterpretation of the cinematic vampire but an accurate reconstruction of 1590s Transylvanian noble attire. Drawing inspiration from the Esterházy family paintings, Muir created costumes with heavy fabrics, gold details, and furs that reflect the social status of the era.
The Count's famous cloak, far from being a simple theatrical robe, is actually a coat with sleeves worn as a cloak, faithful to the period's customs. Its construction required a special harness to support its considerable weight, allowing Skarsgård to move with the supernatural elegance required for the role. The fabrics were selected for their ability to reflect light in particular ways, with gold and silver threads woven to capture candlelight and moonlight.

 

Ellen: Transformation Through Historical Clothing

Dark Victorian Fashion: Innocent Bride or Gothic Heroine?

Nosferatu - Photo: Focus FeaturesEllen in Nosferatu 2024

Photo 1: Focus Features | Photo 2: Aidan Monaghan | Photo 3: Linda Muir | Photo 4: Aidan Monaghan

Ellen's clothing reflects a deep understanding of 1830s German fashion, a transitional period between the Regency and Victorian eras. Muir consulted German fashion magazines of the period to ensure the authenticity of each piece.
The character's self-lacing corset is a perfect example of how a historical detail can serve both narrative and period accuracy. This type of corset, historically documented as a "fan corset", allowed women to lace it independently from the front, a detail that symbolises the character's independence in the film.
The progression of her wardrobe includes mourning dresses made with authentic mourning crepe - a special period fabric treated with heated porcelain rollers. The nightgowns were made in three different fabric weights, all historically accurate, to achieve the desired visual effect while maintaining period authenticity.

 

Attention to Historical Details

Authentic Gothic Fashion: Creating Period-Accurate Dark Style

Focus Features / © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC Focus Features

Focus Features / © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC Focus Features

The colour palette was chosen by studying fabrics actually available before 1838. While the period was known for complex patterns combining stripes, paisley, and ombré, Muir carefully selected fabrics that evoked the era without visually overwhelming the scenes.
Accessories were recreated from specific historical references: from jewellery inspired by period paintings to footwear made following original patterns. Each element was chosen not only for its historical authenticity but also for its ability to contribute to the film's visual narrative.

 

The Evolution of the Vampire: From Expressionist Cinema to Dark Contemporary

Modern Goth: Reimagining Nosferatu Style for Today's Alternative Scene

While Murnau's Nosferatu created an icon with its long nails and pointed ears, and Herzog's version added a dark romantic touch to the vampire figure, Eggers' version has chosen a different path, more faithful to historical reality, imagining how a 16th-century Transylvanian nobleman catapulted into 1838 Germany would actually appear.
This new Nosferatu, through its meticulous costume reconstruction, shows how reality can be more fascinating than any modern reinvention. The true magic of the film lies precisely in this: creating a world so authentic that it makes us believe these supernatural creatures could really have walked among us, wearing the same clothes that history has passed down to us.

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