The fashion designer, the film director and the wardrobes: Jonathan Anderson and Luca Guadagnino’s cinematic partnership

This article examines the collaborative relationship between director Luca Guadagnino and fashion designer Jonathan Anderson in Challengers (2024) and Queer (2024), exploring how costume functions as a key narrative and aesthetic device. Through a close reading of both films, this article investigates how Anderson’s designs articulate themes of desire, power and identity – ranging from the commodification of sportswear and branding in Challengers to the melancholic elegance and sartorial decay in Queer . Drawing on theories of film and costume, queer and subcultural style, the article argues that clothing in these films not only constructs character but also operates as a visual language that encodes cultural concerns around masculinity, queerness and social status.