We started with those characters and all their looks and I was able to kind of see what had been done over the different versions of the comics over the years. 'I think it was a combination of allowing myself to look at it and then also sort of keeping myself away because I really want to create something new but inspired by. And, both of which are very different from the traditional versions of Harley's costumes fans know and love.įor Benach, she explained, that meant she had to keep an eye on the comic book history of the character (including a fan-favorite detour to the roller derby) while maintaining a commitment to re-designing Harley's look character-first. The other Harley costumes we spied on set included a gorgeous and detailed floor-length sequin jacket with a blue velvet runner down the back, pinstripe pants and white boots, as well as a loungy white tee-shirt printed with a 'Harley F*cking Quinn' in diagonal - both of which have been spied in the trailers since. It’s fun and a little bit crazy like her.' We always wanted to create something that felt like Harley made it herself, so she’s sort of a crafty person in the backroom and she can make stuff herself - you know the shorts that she’s painted and the jacket that she’s put together herself. So, we kind of took the idea of that caution tape and tried to repurpose it into a costume. Benach spoke about bringing a DIY approach to her concept for the design:īehind her story is always something a little bit off from center and a little bit crazy, with the idea being that caution tape may be a place to stay away from, and maybe it's a way to caution the world against what she might do. Of course, the costume first on everyone's mind was the pink velvety halter top paired with vibrant, glittering caution tape jacket that was revealed in the early Birds of Prey test footage. lot in Burbank, California, where I joined a group of journalists for a display of her new costume creations and a quick chat with Benach herself, and the costume designer took some time to break down some of Harley's new standout looks, as well as her designs for the rest of the Birds of Prey. And though Benach may be a newcomer to the world of superhero cinema, she's no stranger to creating an iconic look - she's the costume designer who gave us Ryan Gosling's satin scorpion jacket in Drive, the high-fashion horror of The Neon Demon, and the folk star to pop icon transformation of A Star Is Born.īack in March of 2019, I had the opportunity to visit the set of Birds of Prey on the Warner Bros. Actually, she's got a ton of them, courtesy of costume designer Erin Benach. And of course, she's got a whole new look. With Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, the character is being reborn once again with Suicide Squad star Margot Robbie reprising the role.

From the black-and-red Harlequin costume of her initial B: TAS and comics run, through her countless comic book and video game reincarnations, and the 'Daddy's Lil' Monster' tee that took Halloween 2016 by storm, Harley Quinn's look has been evolving since the moment Paul Dini and Bruce Timm unleashed the chaotically charismatic character on the world.

Harley Quinn may be a relatively new character in the DC Universe, having only got her start in the 90s sensation Batman: The Animated Series, but the cosplay and merchandising favorite has already had enough costume and character makeovers to make the Joker blush.

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