Dishonored 2
Dishonored 2 – Fashion Gallery
Dishonored 2
From the shape of a cuff to the particular type of fabric that makes up a jacket.
From the workers on the streets to the wealthy aristocrats. Every item of clothing in Dishonored 2 is specifically chosen for its wearer. When designing our sartorial lineup, we took our inspiration directly from the characters themselves, and used their attire to help us tell their stories.
*Click on each image for the full size version*
Fashion In the Streets
Before creating the fashion itself, we think about the characters: their age, their origins, their background, their functions. We still stay true to the design we created for the original Dishonored - retaining that Victorian flavor, although adapted to a southern country, with lighter fabrics and colors - but a character’s origin, background, position in society, position within a faction… that’s what we have in mind when we start a new concept.
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Part of the style in Dishonored’s world is the result of the junction between two distant periods, both of which carry their own expertise, tools and materials. There are signs of an industrial revolution that hasn’t been fully realised. Everything is at a prototype stage, and that allows us to experiment with unique clothing designs in terms of techniques and looks. As a result, we have the chance to explore and craft things we never expected.
When your Art Director [Sébastien Mitton] is the descendant from a line of Italian tailors and dressmakers, raised by the sounds of scissors and sewing machines, you do your best to create fitted costumes to any morphology in the game. This love of doing good work by hand motivates us every day. The medium at the end is different, but the philosophy, the particular attention to fabrics, to the silhouette, and to the character is the same.
For Dishonored 2 we used different sources to add a touch of southern style to our classical Victorian designs. For example, Burberry is a good case study of British tailoring culture and expertise. The house, which crafted the first gabardine in 1879, still innovates with unexpected techniques to help the owner of a blazer feel free in every movement. Form and function, plus technique!
We also have references from pulp culture. For example, master illustrator J.C. Leyendecker drew thousands of figures with great attention to the silhouette of the characters. He showed a unique mastery of how a fabric generates folds due to its weight and thickness. So, based on the morphology of the character we create, the costume will react differently than if worn by another character with a different anatomy. We think like real dressmakers, from the silhouette and cut we want, to the shape of the folds and even the outline of a cuff.
One thing that Sébastien Mitton says to the team during briefs is, “In old movies, when a scene happens in a pub, for example, you can clearly identify instantly who does what: the butcher, the postman, the banker, the office manager, the driver… nowadays, if you enter a bar, it’s extremely difficult to detect who works where.” And that lends a generic feel to the world around us.
So he decided to showcase people’s functions through their costumes, as well as through what’s fundamental to him: the characters inside the costumes. That’s why their anatomy and body language are just as important to telling their stories, and that adds a lot of granularity to the game.
We put as much energy on the fashion as detailing the world. Fashion merges with the look and feel of the game. Whether it’s the rich or the poor district, or guards versus a gang of Howlers; based on where and how they live, we make sure our characters’ costumes fit the environment.
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The time period is important too. In Dishonored 2, just as they would in our past, aristocrats keep their layers of clothes on; shirt, vest and jacket, even if the heat is unbearable. The working class will remove their shirt and show marks of the sun on their body.
In Dishonored 2 we have more factions and social classes, which gave us the opportunity to experience a wider variety of looks. The skin is more visible and some workers are shirtless, which adds more depth to the world and more visual storytelling. This is why we spent time studying anatomy, from workers to aristocrats. Even if two characters are wearing aristocratic clothes, you can guess which one was born with a silver spoon in the mouth – the difference between Jindosh and Stilton is a good example here. We believe that the body tells a lot.
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We look at everything, not only the fashion, but we’re careful not to be influenced too much by outside fashion trends. Instead, we follow the pillars we set up early in the project, we put our characters at the forefront, and the result is a line-up of interesting fashion that, we hope, remains timeless.
Delilah
It’s always a challenge to bring a character back years later. The goal is to stay true to the original concept, but also to bring freshness to him/her, while reflecting the intentions of the narration.
In the case of Delilah, she looks sinister with a bit of mystery. And the trick, costume wise, has been to play with the shapes; opposing triangular forms to feminine waves of vegetation. We reached a good balance, then adjusted the silhouette while remaining loyal to the old design, which is a big win visually speaking.
Emily Kaldwin
Emily’s costume was a great challenge. People were attached to the small 10-year-old girl from the first Dishonored. She’s now a confident young Empress at 25 years old, ruling the Empire of the Isles. However, she’s also a thrill-seeker at night who runs through alleys and over rooftops. With all of this in mind, she required a specific costume that reflected her authority but also gave her the mobility she needed.
While browsing Vogue magazine, Sébastien Mitton found a photograph of Ruby Aldridge from the Céline Fall 2011 fashion show. He said, “Boom! We have the direction!” Her beauty and her unsettling gaze drove the first concept art for Emily. In addition, the work of Jona on InAisce inspired him on the technical side of crafting jackets, while also paying attention to the distinctive line and harmony when different materials are married together.
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Corvo Attano
Corvo’s original costume was designed while Dishonored was still planned to be set in London 1666. It was greatly inspired by the long coat of the highwaymen. Now that the world design has matured, it’s been a good opportunity to make Corvo’s costume fit better with the style of the other characters.
And like Emily, we immediately talked about form and function (father of the Empress, Spymaster, assassin…). Shape, silhouette, agility, stature, maturity: these were our bullet points for Corvo.
We tried to make him cooler and even more badass – the badass father that Sébastien Mitton wants to be! Sébastien is satisfied with the final look, so we’re definitely calling it a success.
For more on Dishonored 2, check out these videos and features:
Dishonored 2 – Customization Guide
Dishonored 2 – Emily Kaldwin Spotlight
Dishonored 2 – Corvo Attano Spotlight
Dishonored 2 – Creating Karnaca
Dishonored 2 – Inside the Epic, Themed Missions
