I sat down with Davina Lamont, the hair, makeup, and prosthetic department head, and Sharon Gilham, the costume designer, for Prime Video’s “The Wheel of Time” series to discuss their beautiful work on Season 3.
A Deep Dive into Rand’s Transformations
We began with Episode 4, particularly the complex transformations of Josha Stradowski into Rand’s ancestors during his visions in Rhuidean. Lamont described the challenges of creating seven distinct looks, while still having visual cohesion between Rand and his ancestors across various time periods.
Lamont dove in, creating hyper-realistic concept drawings of each character. She collaborated with director, Thomas Nellan, and showrunner, Rafe Judkins to understand each character’s story and time period. The looks were created through prosthetics, facial hair, contact lenses, body suits, and long wigs. Along with crafting these looks, there was the added consideration that they’d be shooting these scenes in Namibia’s 40-degree heat. Lamont conducted a lot of tests to ensure the looks were achievable and wearable. Stradowski, who was excited to be playing these characters, was highly collaborative while testing these looks. He provided input on hair and wig styles, wearing each look for a few hours to get into character to inform how he’d play each one.
As for the costumes, Gilham discussed the challenges of covering long periods of time backwards. Specifically depicting the Aiel’s evolution through different ages and splitting into the two groups that become the modern Tuatha’an and Aiel. For each story, she created a color palette based on where it is in the timeline. Each story had its own identity with a strong visual look, while including elements to show how they were connected. One way Gilham did this was by incorporating visual elements to make audiences think of the Cadin’sor, a key part of Aiel attire. This includes a head piece, a cover across the body, and a face veil. We see the resemblance all the way from the Age of Legends with Charn to Avienda’s costume as a Maiden of the Spear.
Ephemeral Scenes and Alternate Realities
This season of “The Wheel of Time” had many short-lived yet significant scenes, such as Moiraine’s visions and Egwene’s trial, that showcased unique looks. Gilham emphasized the importance of dedicating full effort to these brief moments, ensuring each character’s identity was distinct. The brevity of these scenes don’t diminish their importance and brought a lot of enjoyment for the teams crafting the details of each look.
Lamont detailed the intricate process of crafting Moiraine’s look, using Gilham’s costumes as a starting point. A happy accident led to Moiraine’s distinctive look in the Forsaken scene. Rosamund Pike, who plays Moiraine, suggested “What if I just looked like I just cut off my hair?”. Lamont happened to have a wig from a previous show that fit like a glove.
Gilham added that Pike, was very collaborative and loved the fitting process for her costumes, which helped in the character’s development. For the visions in Rhuidian, Gilham said it was mostly play. Using their huge workroom, with past costumes and rolls of fabric, she created the various shapes that would fit each scene.
The Evolution of Moiraine’s Look
The discussion then shifted to the evolution of Moiraine’s look throughout the season. Gilham deliberately chose fabrics and styles that would reflect Moiraine’s journey and emotional state. Despite her color being blue, Moiraine starts the season in more muted colors, that gradually become blue. This choice was to reflect her journey as she’s facing many truths. At her most fragile point, all the color gets drained from Moiraine’s clothing. Those colors start coming back and become more blue as she regains her identity and sense of self.
Lamont discussed Moiraine’s long hair and the challenges of creating her desert look. The decision to have Moiraine’s hair down for most of the season was influenced by Pike. The makeup and prosthetics to create the salty look took a lot of testing and iteration. They needed to be versatile, allowing daily application and removal, buildable, and survive the soaring heat while shooting on location. The results were spectacular, visible in Moiraine’s closeups in the rings of Rhuidian.
The Infamous Hat
Of course we had to discuss the buzz around Moiraine’s hat. It became a topic of conversation online in the fandom, with many people finding it humorous or practical, but ultimately unexpected.
Gilham chose the hat for practical reasons, to shield Rosamund’s pale skin from the desert sun. It was also intended to give Moiraine a unique look. The hat was created with materials that local artisans could use, with the idea that Moirane would’ve bartered with them. Ultimately Gilham found the reactions from fans funny.
New Characters and Locations
The discussion touched on new characters like the Queen of Andor and Elaida Sedai, and new locations in “The Wheel of Time” world, like Tanchico. Gilham emphasized the importance of research and creating a distinct color palette. For Andor she chose red, white, and gold. The costuming was very stylized to showcase their royal status, using a small palette to make a big statement. The design of the crown for the Queen of Andor was also a key point. Gilham chose to design it inverted, with the high point towards the back for a unique take on royalty.
As for Tanchico, they leaned into the gritty, strange atmosphere. Lamont discussed the iconic moment of the girls walking down the street in Tanchico, and the creative freedom they had. Once again using textile colors and textures to create a world with avant-garde, stylized looks with lots of individuality. One common element for the people of Tanchico was braids, which Lamont kept when changing Liandrin’s look. Kate Fleetwood, who plays Liandrin, suggested letting her hair be free and wild, which influenced the final look.
Elaida Sedai’s Costuming and Character
A striking new character, Eliada Sedai had distinctive looks and costumes amongst the Aes Sedai. Gilham explained that Eliada’s costumes were designed to appear old-fashioned and out of touch, reflecting her character’s perspective. Some of the costumes were even heavy, reflecting the laborious way she presents herself. These elaborate, over the top costumes also allude to Elaida’s ambitions for the Amerlyn seat.
Lamont added that Elaida’s hairstyle was chosen to convey power and strength. And in a Whit Tower full of high-fashion, couture hairstyles, she needed to stand out. The final look was a cone shape that was elegant in the front, and strong in the back, lifting to a point.
The Evolution of Avienda
The evolution of Avienda’s character and appearance was also a topic of interest. Gilham discussed the challenge of creating cohesive yet individual looks for the Aiel. She used a muted color palette, textures, and silhouettes, with different elements to define the different groups within their society.
As a Maiden of the Spear, Gilham incorporated the armor-like elements of the Cadin’sor. And for the Wise Ones, she used vintage French textiles with embroidery in the same color palette. She achieved a unique look for each character by giving them a strong element, like a fragment of textile or necklace.
Lamont explained how Avienda’s makeup and hair changed as she transitioned from a Maiden of the Spear to a Wise One. She sheds the heavy battle makeup, symbolizing her softening and calm as her journey changes.
Favorite Looks
Finally, I asked about their favorite looks from the season. Lamont chose Episode 4 with Rand, while Gilham favored the sit there characters and costumes. Both expressed their excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to discuss their work.
More on “The Wheel of Time”
You can watch “The Wheel of Time” on Prime Video, and check out our previous coverage:
“The Wheel of Time” Season 3: A Temple of Geek Review
“The Wheel of Time” VFX Supervisor Andy Scrase at NYCC 2023
