The Surprising Connection Between Only Murders in the Building's Costumes and Timothée Chalamet

POPSUGAR: Where did you find the inspiration for Mabel's wardrobe—it's obviously very current, but also not totally tied up in trends or too trend forward — how would you describe her style?

Dana Covarrubias: Similar to how some animals use bright colours as a warning signal or hard exoskeletons to protect themselves from predators- Mabel is using her teddy coats, bright faux furs, and combat boots as protective armor and a warning saying: "Don't mess with me". As the season progresses she begins to drop her guard and her costumes soften and simplify. Mabel at her core is an artist, a painter, and a knitter. I wanted to balance her tough exterior with her more artistic side. We incorporated some soft, loose knits into her costumes, cosy paint-splattered coveralls, and drapey bohemian kimonos, but she would still pair these with a heavy, treaded boot (again a kind of armor). Like Selena and her character Mabel, I am also half-Mexican and I wanted to somehow represent that heritage in Mabel's costumes. I decided to use the Marigold as the core inspiration from which to draw this cultural connection. Marigolds play a significant role in Mexican culture and iconography- representing grief and resurrection as well as passion and creativity- which was perfect for Mabel. She's haunted by her past, held back by her grief, and hoping to resurrect into something new. Selena also looks amazing in the colour marigold! A lot of her colour palette came from that inspiration. I had a wide range of other references: from the classic noir mystery Double Indemnity, to Hitchcock's Rear Window, to the cover art from mystery book series The Hardy Boys, Sherlock Holmes and Nancy Drew. I also referenced cult comedy films like Clue, The Big Lebowskik, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, So I Married An Axe Murderer, and Fargo.

PS: What brands did you pull from most for Selena's character? Is there anything special she or any of the characters wore and kept?

DC: Puma sneakers, Sies Marjan coats, Frankie Shop suiting, Stella McCartney boots, Doc Martens boots, Lotuff Leather for her hero black backpack, Rellery for her necklaces, Sheertex for her tights, Proenza Schouler boots, Rebecca Turbow for belts. Our go-to places to shop for Selena were Outnet.com, Realreal.com, &Other Stories, Aritzia and various Brooklyn thrift shops (Beacon's Closet is my usual favourite). I thought that these were all places that Mabel would actually shop. I didn't want to go too high end though, because that wouldn't be true to her character. We tried to shop second-hand as much as possible.

I found a beautiful distressed vintage denim coverall that Selena wears in the scenes when she is creating the mural in her aunt's apartment. Our very talented Ager/Dyer Kyle O'Connor then distressed it further, adding paint splatter and other art-related stains to them — to make them look like her go-to outfit for when she's creating her art. Selena loved these and she took them home with her when the show wrapped.

PS: What's your favourite look in the show and why?

DC: I think my favourite would have to be Selena's look from Episode 4 — the look that she wears when she goes to meet Tina Fey's character. It's an oxblood vinyl trench from ASOS worn over a beautifully tailored vest and matching trouser from The Frankie Shop, paired with a chic white turtleneck from &Other Stories and a creamy pointed-toe Simon Miller boot. The look is very 70's badass detective. I love how it feels very modern and very classic at the same time. This was the aesthetic we wanted for the entire show.

PS: What was the collaboration between the cast like? How did the actors help to shape their character's looks with you?

DC: All the actors on Only Murders In the Building were highly collaborative. Selena really trusted my team, giving us a lot of freedom with Mabel's looks but we also used a lot of her personal style as inspiration for her looks. Steve's personal style was also the basis for Charles' looks. In my first meeting with Steve we discussed all his favourite brands and we used a lot of those for Charles- Paul Smith, Isaia, Cole Haan, and Zegna. We also had his shirts custom made by Anto Beverly Hills, who has been making Steve shirts since The Jerk. Marty and I had so many discussions about how to achieve the right tone for his character Oliver's looks. His character needed to be flamboyant — a performer at heart — but also grounded and not too over the top.

PS: As you crafted each of the central characters, what pieces become essential to their looks? What piece defines each of their unique styles?

DC: [For] Steve's hero costume piece, his stingy-brim fedoras because they connect him to the Brazzos silhouette of his past — which gives him a sense of continuity and stability, and also because they help shield him from the world.

[For] Marty, his scarves, because they add movement and theatricality. They're like the theatre curtains on the proscenium of his costumes.

[For] Selena, her black Lotuff Leather backpack. A NYC girl needs to have her hands free so she can grab a subway pole, hold her phone and eat a street taco at the same time, or defend herself against an attacker — or be the attacker — if necessary.