Sometimes, the clothes we wear can hide the dark truth.
Check out HBO Max's new miniseries, Love and Death, and you'll find yourself asking how Texas housewife and church-frequenting Candy Montgomery (Elizabeth Olsen) became the prime suspect in the tragic death of Betty Gore (Lily Rabe). Neighbor and lover Alan Gore (Jesse Plemon).
Although Candy looks like a regular housewife, she is actually dressed in her own real-life outfit.
Costume designer Audrey Fisher said that through her own in-depth research into true crime stories, she noticed a pattern: the alleged axe murderer used fashion as a cloak to hide her true inner identity.
In an exclusive interview, Audrey shared, "I had to go backwards with Candy because the only visual we can show real women is from the trial. "She was wearing a costume at the trial. Her lawyer, Don Claude, wanted her to look more demure and vulnerable, as if it was impossible for this cute little housewife to commit such a horrible act. ”
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The costume designer noted that it was a subtle treatment that highlighted many aspects of Candi in the show before and during the trial.
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The costume designer noted that before Betty's tragedy played out in the play, Candy's fashion was funny, frivolous, and fearless, which is quite bold considering that she not only lives in a small town in Texas, but is also part of a Methodist church.
"She's at the top of her community, she looks cute and wears fun clothes," Audrey said. "But she's always in the church, so she has to cross two worlds. She always looks just right. That's Candy. ”
In this miniseries, viewers also come to learn that it is crucial to present yourself as a Good Samaritan after Candy is accused of beating Betty with an axe 41 times.
"At trial, Don was like, 'You can't be a cute, funky Kandi, or you're going to be condemned.'" You have to be a lovely wife who goes to church,'" Audrey shared. "She did play all these different roles throughout the show. ”