In a climactic scene near the end of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice—the much-anticipated sequel to the 1988 cult classic in theatres on Friday—all the protagonists find themselves trapped in the Neitherworld, a spooky underworld filled with ghosts. Here, everything is exaggerated: Ghoulish beings roam around with severed heads or spears poking out of their chest, exemplifying the moments they passed on from the mortal world. Equally as twisted? All of the wacky, whimsical undead fashions brought to life by master costumer Colleen Atwood. “It was really fun to create each character and how they died,” Atwood tells Vogue. Turns out the macabre can be chic.
Stepping into the spooktastic Beetlejuice world was an entirely new experience for Atwood, who did not work on the first film. (That was costumed by Aggie Guerard Rodgers.) She and director Tim Burton wanted to build a whole new universe while keeping it familiar. “Tim and I have worked together a lot, so we talked about clothes for about five minutes,” says Atwood. “It’s not really something we hang out and talk about. We wanted to keep it simple, graphic, and clean.”
Atwood sought to nod to the first film’s iconic costumes—a glam-goth assortment of tulle gowns and punky striped suiting—but make them feel fresh. “It was thinking about how we can take it to a different level for today’s audience,” says Atwood. “How can we expand the style and still pay homage to everything that came before?”
She zeroed in on present-day silhouettes but gave them a touch of ’80s flair. “We took it out of the ’80s but still gave a real nod to that period in design,” says Atwood, who gave most of the characters’ wardrobes the custom treatment—including the original trio, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), Lydia (Winona Ryder), and Delia (Catherine O’Hara). “I made 75% of it and then bought vintage stuff to keep it contemporary. We used a couple of jackets by Elena Dawson, a London designer, because they were so goth but modern.”
Of course, each character had their own fashion sensibility and “quirkiness,” says Atwood. For Lydia Deetz, Atwood wanted to revisit the character’s penchant for gothic, voluminous tulle gowns but make them suitable for 2024. For Lydia’s first look in the film, it would have been easy for Atwood to simply pluck an off-the-runway dress, given brands like Simone Rocha or Alexander McQueen very much fit the aesthetic. Atwood, however, found joy in the challenge of creating something new, sourcing and reworking a vintage black dress.
For Delia (O’Hara), Atwood leaned into the character’s artistic roots—meaning, the more over-the-top the ensemble the better. “She’s an artist, so we dialed into that,” says Atwood. “Of all the characters, her style still harkens back to the ’80s the most, so we figured she just stayed in her groove.”
For the devious Beetlejuice (Keaton), meanwhile—the most famous character of the franchise—Atwood wanted to give his iconic black-and-white suit a modern update. While the striped pattern returned, his new suit silhouette was unexpectedly dapper. “I redid it and recut it and added a little bit more of a punch,” says Atwood. “He also got to wear more stuff this time. One of Michael’s favorites was [a] wedding tuxedo.” (You’ll have to see the film for the backstory on that piece.)
Atwood also had the opportunity to build entirely new characters from scratch for the sequel. For Astrid (Ortega), Lydia’s angsty new teenage daughter, Atwood tapped into her anger and melancholy through clothes. “We did a grunge vibe on her,” says Atwood. “Astrid didn’t really want to be around her mom or her weird world at all. She was more into old movies and music, so I made her clothes reflective of that.” Among the standout pieces were shredded, striped knits and a grungy floral dress. “I made her a dress out of this old daisy print I had for ages in my stock and paired it with a denim jacket and boots,” says Atwood. “I also did a striped dress on her I found in London that I really loved.” (Not to be missed, however, is the black wedding gown that Atwood created for Monica Bellucci’s evil character. She’s out for revenge on Beetlejuice—and looks chic and corseted in the process.)
Some takes, Atwood shares, called for looks that deviated from the main characters’ wardrobes. In one Neitherworld scene, the characters unexpectedly board the Soul Train—a train that, quite literally, will take your soul. But horrific the fashions are not: Atwood riffed on the beloved 1970s variety show for outfit inspiration. “We had fun with all the ’70s colors and shapes and people dancing their brains out,” says Atwood. (Trust us: The scene is a highlight.)
Having watched the film live with an audience during the Venice Film Festival premiere, Atwood says she can confirm that both die-hard fans and fashion lovers will take delight in the eerie yet elegant costuming. “It was really fun watching people enjoy the movie and enjoy the costumes,” she says. “I felt really happy when I saw it the first time. It’s all about fun.”
This article was first published on Vogue.com.
