Set on the Orient Express as it travels from Istanbul to London, the plot follows legendary detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh), who finds out that a corrupt billionaire (Johnny Depp) has been murdered on board - with the culprit among his fellow passengers. Included in their number? A widow (Michelle Pfeiffer), a missionary (Penelope Cruz), a professor (Willem Dafoe), a count and countess (Sergei Polunin and Lucy Boynton), a princess (Judi Dench), a maid (Olivia Colman), a governess (Daisy Ridley), a doctor (Leslie Odom, Jr), and a manager (Tom Bateman)…but are any of the travellers really who they claim to be? Ahead of the premiere tonight, Vogue met Oscar-winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne to learn how she sourced the Thirties garments for the film's female leads - from the missionary’s prim travelling clothes to the princess’s lavish jewellery.Murder on the Orient Express is in cinemas from November 3.
Daisy Ridley takes on the role of Mary Debenham, a governess with a love of photography. "The character is quite independent and supports herself financially – so her wardrobe is full of practical tweed suits," Byrne explains. "Daisy is allergic to wool, so I had to use every trick in the book to find the right costumes for her. She had also just finished working on Star Wars, where the clothes gave her a totally different range of motion. There was one occasion where she was meant to kneel down in a stiff dress - and I had to show her how to do it."
The Missionary: Pilar Estravados
For the role of Pilar Estravados, a reforming missionary intent on hiding her own femininity, Penelope Cruz donned a pair of simple culottes. “Wearing trousers was quite a fashion statement in those days – and that would have been out of character for Pilar,” Byrne says. "Instead, I managed to source a pair of culottes from the Thirties made out of heavy drill cotton that feel like a practical travelling garment. I also decided to skip underpinning for her character - the original shape wear - which was massively popular in the Thirties." The missionary is not completely without ornament, however. "She does wear a beautiful red crucifix; I see it as her anchor in life."
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