Fashion

'Killing Eve's Villanelle's 9 Most Stunning Outfits Prove She's Dressed To Kill

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BBC

Killing Eve is finally back with Season 3, and to celebrate, it’s a great time to look back at Villanelle’s best outfits. As a Russian, psychopathic assassin working for the fictional crime syndetic called 12, Villanelle must blend into a crowd at a certain level, but that doesn’t stop her from being bold with her fashion choices. Whether she’s lounging in her extravagant apartment or pursuing a kill, Villanelle is always dressed to the nines. The show’s creator, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, has somehow given fans a literal serial killer you can’t help but stan.

"[Villanelle] just loves clothes," Season 1 costume designer Phoebe De Gaye told Vogue. "That's how she rewards herself for her kills, she just goes out and buys something else. She's also a good chameleon, you know, the idea was that you could never really pin her down.” The constant designer clothes Villanelle wears are a sure sign she’s good at her job. The Russian assassin has worn everything from pop-art pajamas to a poufy Molly Goddard dress, so the only thing you can pin down about her is how much she loves a pause-the-TV fashion moment. Since her off-the-wall job can afford her pretty much anything she wants, her tastes definitely skew toward luxury, including Balenciaga, Dries Van Noten, and Miu Miu.

“Clothes reflect her status and independence,” Luke Jennings, author of the books that inspired the show, told Entertainment Weekly. Luckily, the first episode of Season 3 has already given fans more insight into the character’s past, with even more to come. If you’re biting your nails in anticipation of the next episode on April 19, hopefully, this breakdown of some of Villanelle’s best outfits will help you stave off the hunger.

Season 2, Episode 3

BBC

This Chloé jacket and purple Isabel Marant top are the perfect mix of masculine and feminine. "They weren't meant to go together, but she wears things in her own way,” Charlotte Mitchell, the Season 2 costume designer, told Entertainment Weekly about the outfit. To add an extra flair to the color-blocked outfit, Villanelle rounds out the look with a pair of sequined pants.

Season 3, Episode 1

BBC

“When I first met Maria I thought, ‘Great shoes,’” Villanelle begins her wedding speech in the Season 3 premiere, but she’s the one in the show-stopping Comme des Garçons tux. It was a simple look for the assassin but very well-tailored, and the see-through shirt and black bra underneath adds the level of sexiness that Villanelle is known for.

Season 2, Episode 1

BBC

“We wanted to give [the costume] a sense of awkwardness,” Mitchell said about Villanelle’s comic book PJs. The bright, graphic print looks like it should belong to a 4-year-old but somehow suits the murderess perfectly, even if the sleeves are up to her elbows. Though Villanelle knows how to rock a set of luxury pajamas, it’s fun seeing her in something so off-brand.

Season 3, Episode 1

BBC

Although it’s only been shown in previews for season 3, this mod dress is absolutely amazing. The ‘70s print dress from La DoubleJ paired with cowboy boots is perfect for Villanelle’s new home in Barcelona. “Villanelle is very much influenced in her style by the places that she travels, but she never dresses to just fit in,” Sam Perry, the Season 3 costume designer, said. This definitely isn’t a “blending in” look, but at least she didn’t get any blood on it.

Season 2, Episode 3

BBC

Assassins and leather go together like cheese and crackers — there’s just something right about the combination. For her nondescript spy session in Season 2, Episode 3, Villanelle goes with a daring Ellery top in black. The puffy sleeves and high collar are simply amazing, but it’s hard to believe no one is staring at such a well-dressed woman.

Season 1, Episode 3

BBC

Another Berlin classic is Villanelle’s Dries van Noten suit from Season 1, Episode 3. “I was even going to buy it at the end of the series, but then I backed out because it felt too much like her,” actor Jodie Comer, who plays Villanelle, said about the printed suit. It’s an interesting look to take to the Berlin clubs, but the unique pattern is the exact layer of understated and eye-catching Villanelle loves.

Season 1, Episode 1

BBC

One of the best ways to celebrate success at work – or a successful murder, I guess – is a shopping trip, and for the Season 1 premiere, Villanelle stuns during hers. The dusty pink trench coat by Burberry and black-and-white striped pants show off the character’s ability to be equally sophisticated and cool.

Season 2, Episode 4

BBC

Loud, floral pants; a graphic t-shirt; and a fuchsia, asymmetrical blazer? This combo doesn’t sound like it would work, but somehow, Villanelle makes it come together, popping against the overcast, Amsterdam sky. Although it’s not the understated look I would assume one wears when meeting up with their handler in public, it’s decidedly funky.

Season 1, Episode 2

BBC

Lastly, because it must be shown, the poufy, pink Molly Goddard dress Villanelle wears to her psych evaluation is everything. Its highly feminine style is perfectly tapered down with the more masculine Balenciaga boots. The androgynous fashion queen that she is, Villanelle makes this gauzy dress look like a dream. It’s everything Villanelle is: impractical, luxurious, and totally gorgeous. It’s maybe not a look that’s likely to convince someone doing your psych eval that everything is up to snuff, but it’s definitely going to make you feel like the prettiest murderess in the world.

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