There’s no denying Margot Robbie‘s got killer style. But in her latest film, Focus, the star’s wardrobe is beyond sizzling thanks to the movie’s on-set costume designer Dayna Pink. We chatted with Pink to get an exclusive sneak peek of the film’s looks, find out the inspiration behind each outfit and how the wardrobes of Will Smith’s Nicky and Robbie’s Jess changed throughout the film, below.
Courtesy of Focus/Warner Bros.
Pink, a veteran costume designer and stylist (in her 18 years in the industry, she’s done films including Crazy, Stupid, Love and The Lucky One), created and curated the looks for both Robbie and Smith in Focus. But for this film, Pink had to work double duty, as the movie was shot in two different time periods — with a three-year difference between them.
“The first part of movie, [Robbie] was like a girl — she was funky and interesting. She had a waist and she wore boots and more chunky accessories,” Pink tells PEOPLE. “When we see her in Buenos Aires, she’s a woman. It’s three years later, so she’s long and lean, and she had a completely different silhouette.”
Courtesy of Dayna Pink
Jess’s accessories also change to reflect her maturity, says Pink. “Her accessories also grew up. In the early part of the film, she has an ear cuff and she’s got some big bracelets — sort of a different, younger, streetier vibe,” she said. “Her accessories got much more streamlined as she grew up, when we started shooting the later part of the film.”
With two different wardrobes to create for both stars, Pink relied on a “mix” of custom and purchased pieces. “We definitely did a combination of designers, and [Robbie] had great shoes and accessories,” she shared. Pink’s favorite? “A starburst earring you see in the scene where [Robbie’s] sitting and talking in the hotel restaurant with [Smith]. It’s made by a local girl in New Orleans.”
Smith’s wardrobe got an even more in-depth assessment before he even put it on. “[Will’s character] is very sophisticated and so are his costumes, so we what we did was speak to a Pantone color expert to find out the psychology of different colors,” she said. “For example, what color would you wear for someone to trust you?”
And the answer? “The color you want for people to trust you is blue because it’s the color of water — it’s consistent,” she said, noting that you’ll see him in that shade frequently throughout the film. “A lot of his wardrobe was done by psychology, which was really interesting research for me.”
Courtesy of Focus/Warner Bros.
Color also plays a big part in Robbie’s character’s story, though for different reasons. “The Buenos Aires part of the movie is hot and sexy, and we had fiery colors for that,” Pink said. “And in the beginning of the movie, it was a cooler color palette.”
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Not that making her look fabulous required too much thought. “[The dresses] were just really great on her. Everything is just great on her. She looks good in everything.” (We couldn’t agree more.)
What do you think of the costumes from the film? Do you plan on seeing the movie this weekend? Tell us below!
–Sarah Kinonen
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