When Season 2 of Paradise opens, viewers find Annie, played by Shailene Woodley, stranded at the legendary Graceland estate among Elvis and Priscilla’s iconic wardrobe collection. For costume designer Coxy, this was far more than a simple survival story; it was a rare creative opportunity to blend rock-and-roll history with the grim necessity of a post-apocalyptic world.
In season 2 of the Emmy-nominated series Paradise, the story moves from the sheltered bunkers of the first season into the harsh reality of the post-apocalypse. The wardrobe choices reflect a world defined by survival, communal trading, and the preservation of individual identity in difficult conditions.
In an interview with Suhaila from Temple of Geek, Coxy discussed how she personally traveled to the Memphis estate to research the archives, ensuring that the pieces Annie “borrows” from the Presley family closets felt authentic to the history of the house while being adapted to the harsh new reality outside its gates.
Borrowing from Elvis and Priscilla in Paradise Season 2
One of the most striking pieces in the new season is a faithful recreation of the iconic pink dress Priscilla Presley famously wore in photos when she and Elvis introduced baby Lisa Marie to the world. In the series, this garment serves a dual purpose: it is both a romantic outfit for a “date” and a highly functional piece that accommodates Annie’s own progressing pregnancy.
To make the dress feel grounded in the show’s world, Coxy focused on the reality of the fit and the passage of time. Because Priscilla Presley was notoriously petite and Annie is not, the dress was designed to appear slightly too small, featuring shorter sleeves and a cropped length that looks like a forced fit. Furthermore, the team accounted for forty years of the dress sitting in an unconditioned closet. The vibrant, shocking pink seen in historical photographs was intentionally faded to a softer, dustier hue. In a clever nod to the source material, a scene featuring the dress includes an “Easter egg” where the original photograph of Priscilla is visible in the corner of the room.
Annie turns to Elvis’s legendary fur coats for the most practical reasons
In a world where resources are scarce and the environment has turned brutally cold, fashion takes a backseat to survival. Annie turns to Elvis’s legendary fur coats for the most practical reason possible: staying warm. One of the most recognizable pieces is a heavy fur coat that viewers see falling from a mannequin at the very start of the apocalypse. Later in the season, Annie is seen wearing this same coat while performing the somber task of burying her friend, Gail.
This layering creates a look Coxy describes as “very 70s,” blending the high-fashion relics of the Presley estate with more rugged survival gear. To complete the look, Annie mixes these historic items with practical gear found in the Graceland stables, such as riding boots and branded merchandise like Graceland hats. This mismatched adaptation reflects a character who is fighting to preserve her dignity and identity even while struggling to stay alive in a resource-depleted landscape.
Adapting for the Future
As the story progresses and Annie’s pregnancy advances, her wardrobe undergoes a tactical shift. She moves away from Priscilla’s petite wardrobe and begins “borrowing” from Elvis’s larger, more accommodating pieces. Coxy used oversized cable-knit sweaters and Elvis’s jeans to reflect this transition. In a touch of post-apocalyptic DIY, Annie is shown cutting the belts of the jeans and hand-stitching the fabric to make room for her growing belly.
This theme of personalizing the Presley archive extends to other characters as well. During a dinner scene, a group known as the “Cancer Cowboys” also engages with the estate’s history. Each member chooses a piece from the archive that matches their specific personality.
For instance, the character Gator, a mechanic from Texas, finds an original Elvis mechanic jacket and claims it as his own. As Coxy notes, even in the extremes of a survival scenario, people make intentional choices about what they wear to reflect who they are. “I wanted it to be very relatable to the audience,” Coxy explained, “thinking, ‘If I were in that same type of situation, what would I borrow? What would I have?'”
You can stream Paradise Season 2 on Hulu.
