PS: Did Emma provide any input?
JB: When she saw the clothes, she reacted very well to them. She can really sell an outfit — she owns it, she makes it look good, she poses. She said what could work for which moment, but she's also so good at trusting, so I was really free to use the knowledge I gained from that fitting session for the film.
PS: Which character was the most fun to dress?
JB: I loved doing Anita (Kirby Howell-Baptiste). You don't see her so much, but there were some very good looks there. Jasper and Horace were very dear to my heart, because they were both such characters. I found Jasper very moving when Cruella is so wrong to him.
PS: Tell us about the dalmatian fur.
JB: We had it printed. It's actually very hard to find fake dalmatian fur. I'm a strong PETA supporter and vegetarian, so there was no real fur on set. There was definitely a lot of fur around in the '70s, though, particularly sheepskin — people smelled faintly of sheep. There were wonderful Afghan coats in Kensington Market for about 23 pounds.
PS: Were you a fan of the original animated film or the 1996 remake before you landed this job?
JB: I had to go back and watch them again. I hadn't seen them for years. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure I ever had. I really had to do my research. Because it's an origin story, you want to make sure it's logical that the Emma Stone character could become the Glenn Close character in about 10 years time.
PS: How did you distinguish between the young and older Cruella?
JB: I was very conscious of the arc of her clothes — she starts as one thing and becomes something completely different. But it's a good story: she goes to work for a woman who is a very good fashion designer, and there's obviously a lot of clever people in that atelier, so she learns a lot. You know from the beginning that she's good at sewing and making things, but her skills become even more honed over time.
Keep scrolling to see some of our favourite stills from Cruella, in theatres now or on Disney+.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.