In an era dominated by remakes, sequels and multiverses, seeing a totally original story unravel on screen feels like a truly special occasion. Enter: 100 Nights of Hero, an exuberant historical fantasy written and directed by Julia Jackman. The film is based on a 2016 graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg, and tells a poetic tale of love, lust, friendship and trust. In it, Cherry (Maika Monroe) is left by her husband for 100 nights, in a test of their relationship with ulterior motives. During this time, she has duelling relationships, one with her maid Hero (Emma Corrin) and another with her husband’s old friend and charming rival Manfred (Nicholas Galitzine).
Without spoiling its twists, the indie British film is both illustrative and abstract in how it moves the needle on classic love-triangle plots, while also speaking to the power of storytelling and female connections. The movie is incredibly funny and moving, supported by bold performances from the wider cast, including Richard E. Grant, Felicity Jones and everyone’s favourite brat Charli xcx. The film’s costumes are another standout piece of the puzzle that makes 100 Nights of Hero so special. They were designed by Susie Coulthard, who also happens to be the mind behind the wardrobe on one of Black Mirror’s standout episodes, the Emmy-winning San Junipero. In a way, her approach to this film reflects the essence of San Junipero that connected to so many people – ambitious and rooted in history, but finally unplaceable in a specific time period.
Courtesy of Vue Lumière
‘As soon as I read the script, I knew exactly how it should look. I did my boards and was just hoping that the director would respond,’ Coulthard tells me in her studio, which also doubles as a film and TV costume hire named CLTHD London. ‘Luckily, they instantly recognised what I wanted to do. A lot of my references were fashion ones, rather than medieval. And for that kind of world-building moment, you have to make things from scratch because otherwise it just ends up looking like something else.’
For the film’s wardrobe, Coulthard worked with the community of London tailors on creating pieces that have a duality about them. There’s that constant interplay of contemporary interpretations of historic references that is true to the cyclical nature of fashion. One of the key looks is a black dress worn by Emma Corrin’s character, Hero. An editorial take on a maid’s uniform, the dress was inspired by a silhouette from Rei Kawakubo, an iconic Japanese designer who constantly goes against the grain of nostalgia. Yet the piece feels perfectly in place in a historic setting. This was also supported by the production design, as some of the sets included recognisable, non-accurate pieces such as tall Mackintosh chairs dated to the early 20th century.