Each year, the Designing Women event held by New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) and Variety highlights the work of women in the costume, hair, and makeup design industries, emphasizing designers who, according to NYWIFT executive director Cynthia López, “have exponentially exceeded at their craft.” And if there’s anyone who meets that qualification, it’s Game of Thrones costume designer Michele Clapton.
Clapton has spent the past decade crafting designs for the characters of Westeros, and her Emmy-winning costumes have gone above and beyond when it comes to helping tell the story of the show. For this reason, she was honored at the 20th installment of the Designing Women event, which was held at the Director’s Guild of America Theater in New York on June 11.
“When you see the amount of costumes that Michele and her team had to prepare and arrange, it is astounding,” López said. “There are costume designers who sustain us, who surprise us, who inspire us, and she’s one of those people.”
That she is. And despite the large number of costumes Clapton had to come up with from season to season of Game of Thrones, she put precise care into all of them. Listening to her discuss the inspiration for her sketches and final designs, it’s immediately clear how much she cares and thinks about her work.
When asked which outfit from all eight seasons of Game of Thrones she would have liked for herself, Clapton cited Sansa’s coronation dress, even if she was initially “a bit cross” about how little screentime it got.
The event also highlighted the designs she created for the other women on the series, including Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei Lannister, Arya Stark, and Yara Greyjoy. Clapton chose to showcase only women’s costumes for the occasion. “I wanted it to be a really strong statement that yes, there are lots of strong men in the show, but I think one of the best things about Game of Thrones was how strong the women became; and that they weren’t all positive roles, but they were all strong roles,” she said
Here’s a sketch of one of Clapton’s favorite pieces from the show, Arya’s Braavos look:
And, as it turns out, that wasn’t the only feminist statement Clapton made at the ceremony. While she was honored to receive such prestigious recognition for her designs, she also expressed disappointment that there need to be specific events to honor women in the industry in the first place. “In some ways it’s sad we have to have organizations like this,” Clapton said. “Women should be recognized without needing this support. It’s a wonderful thing, I just wish it wasn’t necessary, that we were people in film.” We can’t argue with her there.
Also recognized at the event were 60 Minutes makeup artist Riccie Johnson, Atlanta hairstylist Shunika Terry, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s design team. It was a night full of extremely talented and passionate women in the industry. In her closing remarks, Clapton dropped one last bit of wisdom that would have made the women of Westeros proud: “Women can do anything if they’re given a choice.”
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