ELLE FANNING
AS CATHERINE THE GREAT
BY JACKSON MCCOY PHOTOS BY KALI KNUDSON
Elle Fanning is no stranger to fashion in her TV and movie roles. From the southern gothic gowns of “The Beguiled” to the darkly captivating high-fashion pieces of “The Neon Demon,” Fanning has represented every dress code out there. But, nothing compares to the grandiose wardrobe she had as the larger-than-life Catherine the Great in the Hulu original series, “The Great.”
While Hulu has dubbed the show “anti-historical,” the design choices made for Fanning’s costumes were inspired by the time period. Sharon Long, the costume designer for seasons two and three of “The Great,” gave some historical insight into how the original Catherine used her royal attire for her benefit.
“[Catherine the Great] liked clothes but didn’t have the perfect figure to wear them,” Long said. “So when she was very young, and she was quite thin but hadn't come to power, she disarmed people by going to a party wearing plain white and a rose when everybody else was really garish.”
Fanning’s clothing ensemble was ever-changing, a reflection of royal life in the 1700s. Throughout the three seasons of “The Great,” Fanning’s dresses matched the situations her character was currently in, stylistically.
Long provided perspective into how she used Catherine the Great’s surroundings to shape Fanning’s costumes. Though the design team never directly remade actual outfits worn by the legendary queen, there was ample inspiration to be found from history.
“When [Catherine] was much older and she went to see the army, she had dresses made in the army uniform colors so that she could talk to the men,” Long says. “She's really fascinating, but we didn't copy her [clothes] in any way. We just sort of read about them and sort of assimilated information into the clothes.”
Floral patterns and natural influences can also be seen in Fanning’s dresses throughout, mirroring the 18th century trends for women’s dress as well as Fanning’s connection with Nicholas Holt’s character, Peter, Catherine’s husband. According to Long, “love tokens,” like heart-inspired designs, helped drive this theme home.
Catherine the Great’s massive wardrobe gave Long and other people involved in the design process a lot of inspiration. Using sketches and portraits of her clothing from the time period, as well as reading about her mythical party appearances, Long was able to make a cohesive design for Fanning to truly represent one of Europe’s most influential women.
