THE MAN BEHIND ALL COSTUME DESIGNS IN DOCTOR WHO LAYS IT ALL BARE

Ray Holman, the costume designer on the sets of Doctor Who and the person responsible for Jodie Whittaker’s new outfit, reveals how previous incarnations of The Doctor were dressed.

Jodie Whittaker’s new Doctor Who outfit has finally seen the light of day, or should we say the light of Whoniverse. And it is more than the simple Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker Cotton Coat. A few comparisons to Wesley Crusher’s wardrobe have been made but the Thirteenth Doctor’s new look has largely been loved by fans of the show.

Considering the painstaking work that goes in the designing of a Doctor’s wardrobe, it is quite unbelievable. Come to think of it, you have to please the fans of both classic and modern Doctor Who as well as design the outfit in such a way that it matches the Doctor’s eclectic personality. And you have to do all this knowing that previous versions of the Doctor Who 13^th Doctor Costume have been some of the most iconic in the history of television.

“The universe is big. It is vast and complicated and ridiculous. And sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles.”

(The Doctor; Season 5, Episode 12)

(Source/express.co.uk)

The enormity of the challenge can hardly be overstated, and Ray Holman has had his work cut out for him. However, he has proven to be the right man for the job and has delivered on the high expectations. But how does he deal with a challenge of this magnitude? How much weight is given to the input of the actor playing the concerned character? We got to talk about all this and more with the ace costume designer.

THE ACTOR GETS TO HAVE MAJOR SAY IN THE DESIGN OF THE COSTUME :

Whenever a new doctor is given a key to the Tardis, it isn’t like a new outfit is waiting for them right by the control panel. There will, however, be a few companions to help with the Time Lord’s wardrobe. According to Holman, lots of collaboration between the actor, showrunner, and costume designer goes into the making of a costume.

Consider, for example, the case of Matt Smith. For the Eleventh Doctor, one of the major aspects was the contrast between his schoolboy looks and his vast knowledge of the universe (going back 2000 years). Steven Moffat, the showrunner at that time, even described the character as “an old man confined in the body of a younger one.” Because of this trait, Moffat was of the idea that the character should don a Tweed jacket. This was immediately accepted by Smith who was just 28 at the time and the Tweed jacket made him feel a bit older.

ACTORS TEND TO TAKE THE LEAD IN THE DESIGN COLLABORATION :

Quite often, actors take the lead in the collaboration and may even end up completely inventing new parts of the Doctor’s outfit (just like the 13^th Doctor Outfit). For example, the bow tie in Matt Smith’s dress was the actor’s idea completely.

“You want weapons? We are in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world!”

(The Doctor; Season 2, Episode 2)

(Source/empireonline.com)

THE DESIGNER ADDS THEIR OWN FLAIR :

There is a significant extra that Holman has added in many past costumes for the show. This “red button” isn’t easily or prominently visible, but that does not mean that it will not present itself. Holman added this red button to the costumes of a number of characters. These include the following.

1. The Tweed jacket of Matt Smith.
2. The purple velvet jacket of Peter Capaldi.
3. The black overcoat of Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock. Sherlock Holmes’s coat had a splash of red in the front buttonhole of the overcoat.

MULTIPLE OUTFITS TEND TO BE CREATED :

Holman has also revealed that more than one outfit is created for The Doctor. John Barrowman had three versions of the long Captain Jack coat. One of these was long and windswept while the other was kept a bit shorter to facilitate running. The third one had harnesses in it that would allow him to stand on top of a building without the danger of falling off.

We are not yet sure how many rooftop adventures Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor is likely to be involved in but expect her to have multiple outfits for her adventures in time and space.