Every project has its own challenges, but when I got the brief for a man like DCI John Luther, that was something else entirely.
I’ve worked on Luther since the very beginning. Other than the actors, my assistant, Sarah and me are the only two people to have been with the series for the duration. We couldn’t believe the reception of Luther’s look from the first episode. People were instantly taken in by him.
How did it start?
As with all projects, Luther started with research. Most detectives have three suits: one in the wash, one to wear and one for special occasions. When they get a new suit, everything else gets bumped down.
But Luther isn’t most detectives. He lives life on the edge. He takes chances that no one else will and gets away with it… just. His clothes needed to reflect that. Luther isn’t a suit and tie kind of guy, and putting Idris into a suit just makes him look like James Bond.
I needed to find something that would show Idris’ shape, without making him look like a male model, hence the long coat.
When inspiration beckons…
When I’m not working, I spend all of my time looking for things that I can use as inspiration. I go to charity shops, picking up reference and photography books. I also look to artists to get a theme for an idea. I take anything I can use and save it for later, you never know when an image might pop into your head.
With Luther, a major inspiration was Ukrainian photographer, Boris Mikhailov. His photos use minimal colour, and add in just a striking splash of primary colour with heavy textures and tones. This is where we got to with Luther wearing his coat and red tie, without the tie he'd almost blend into his gloomy surroundings.
Who else is out there?
Two of the best costume designers I know are Ray Holman and Howard Burden.
Ray Holman. Ray has designed the costumes for two Doctors, Matt Smith and Jodie Whittaker. He works well with the character and understands entirely what that specific person would wear.
Doctor Who: Matt Smith and Jodie Whittaker
Howard Burden. Howard is a brilliant designer who interprets the period really well and uses costume to tell a story. He's also worked on Doctor Who, creating Peter Capaldi's iconic look, as well as working on Poldark since 2017. He will sometimes use clothes that aren’t from that specific period, but you never think that it’s out of place because it tells the story so well.
Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who) and Eleanor Tomlinson & Adrian Turner (Poldark Series 3)
How did I get into costume design?
I used to love watching the old horror films late at night. As a child, I used to sneak out of bed when everyone was asleep and watch the Peter Cushing films and Busby Berkeley films. They really ignited my love of film.
I eventually went to Edinburgh School of Art. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, I just knew I didn’t want to be a teacher, so I worked in Theatre Design and almost fell into costume design.
I got my big break at the 主播大秀 after university. They had a scheme where they would take you on as an assistant and train you all the way to Costume Designer. This was where I worked on one of my first productions as Costume Designer, Our Friends In The North.
Luther is produced by 主播大秀 Studios. Series 5 will be on air on 1 January 2019.