Ivan is enraptured by the American dream; for him, it is symbolic of endless debauchery, freedom from the shadow of Russia and his uncompromising and authoritarian parents. For Ani, a working-class girl with a distinct Brooklyn accent, it’s a promise of escape from the hedonistic wreckage that Ivan – and other men – feed into, and a hope for love and a stable future. One might even state that Ani is confined by the American dream, a utopia that seems to offer little to those under and everything to those who hold the metaphorical whip.
The tinsel streaks in Madison’s hair were her own idea.
Jocelyn Pierce, the costume designer for Anora, desired to encapsulate this ambition and emotion into the outfits. My personal favourite, which happens to be Pierce’s as well, is Ani’s electric blue Hervé Léger bandage dress which she wears to Ivan’s compound on her first visit, and comes from the wardrobe of Murrie Rosenfeld, Pierce’s assistant costume designer. Against Ivan’s crimson satin sheets and his pale white torso, the blue dress is effulgent and together resembles the American flag.
Inspired by Brighton Beach, Coney Island, and the rest of Brooklyn, both Madison and Pierce curated Pinterest mood boards to assess what Ani and Ivan would wear. The tinsel streaks in Madison’s hair were her own idea. For Pierce, it was vital that smaller luxury brands from New York and Russia were prioritised to stay true to the heart of the tale. Ivan in his wedding scene wears a custom blazer by a New York brand Bontha, which is styled with basketball shorts: a nod to the wild nature of Ivan’s corybantic youth and his lavish background. Ani, in contrast, wears a cream-white bustier that almost melts into her skin, a look that feels innocent and pure. Ivan’s graphic hoodie that he wears for much of the film was custom spray-painted by Brooklyn artist Atticus Torre.
Another stunning outfit, and a clear winner in my eyes, is Ani’s firetruck red dress, which also gleams in melted red colours on one of Anora’s promo posters. It would be wrong to fail to mention Ani’s statement fur coat – made of Russian sable. Its silhouette is intended to have a classic Russian vibe and is inspired by the 1972 Japanese thriller Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion, a stark contrast to the Western nods that exist in previous outfits. As Ani shivers and huddles it around her, its cold Russian undertones are different from the warmth and vibrance of the outfits beforehand, and in those scenes, presents a broken American dream disappearing under a sybarite debris.