When any expensive period drama enters the pop-culture consciousness, there are two requirements: posh accents and sumptuous, era-appropriate costumes. The Crown, Netflix’s latest big-budget original, which follows the early days of Queen Elizabeth’s reign in the ’40s and ’50s, delivers on both fronts — but particularly in drool-worthy couture.
Costume designer Michele Clapton (who also does Game of Thrones) created precise replicas of many of Queen Elizabeth’s and Princess Margaret’s best-known dresses. At the show’s premiere at MoMA last week, hosted by the Peggy Siegal Company, Vulture spoke to Claire Foy, who plays Queen Elizabeth, about her royal wardrobe. “The costumes are amazing,” said Foy. “The wedding dress was an exact replica of what she wore.”
But the rules of historical accuracy were loosened a bit to accommodate Foy. “I had a 4-month-old baby when I started filming, so I was wearing a corset. Thank god!” she laughed. “A lot of my costumes had a zip down the back so I could actually feed my baby. [Michele Clapton] was so accommodating with that and never made me feel bad or anything. It must have been a real nightmare, and they were so supportive and lovely.”
