Blade Runner Costume Design (2020)
Recorded: Jan. 26, 2026, 3 p.m.
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Costume Design Archive: Blade Runner (1982) Costume Design Archive Documenting the work of costume designers on film & TV across the decades Wednesday, 23 December 2020 Blade Runner (1982) Costume Design by Charles Knode & Michael Kaplan Really, can we just take a minute to appreciate just how many quirky patterned shirts were custom-made for Ford's title role? Of course the highlight for me is the green and brown shirt crisscrossed with red and blue lining, but the other shirts are pretty fun too! In some scenes, Ford wears a brown blazer instead of his trenchcoat. According to this auction listing, the blazer - and presumably the rest of Blade Runner's costumes - were constructed at Ital Costume, a Hollywood costume house. Fellow detective Gaff (Edward James Olmos) is dressed more like an Edwardian 'dandy', wearing a yellow or silvery waistcoat under his slightly futuristic vinyl-lined trenchcoat along with bow tie and trilby hat. Two sets of futuristic police uniforms were made for the extras playing the LAPD officers. The first uniform consists of a custom-made string top, with motorbike armor stuck on. The second uniform is a custom made brown vinyl coat and hat, only seen in production photos. A futuristic trenchcoat was made for Rutger Hauer as the rogue replicant's ringleader, Roy Batty. The jacket has a slightly militaristic feeling, befitting the character's background as a soldier. The rest of Hauer's costume, like the trousers and vest, were most likely bought items. Batty's lackey is the replicant Leon, played by Brion James. Leon's first costume is a futuristic prison uniform, that resembles a medical 'Howie coat'; I think this was custom-made for Brion James, not a bought item. Leon's next costume is a vinyl trenchcoat and work jacket; I also feel these were custom-made for Brion James, due to the cut of the jacket being similar to the menswear Knode designed for the picture. Batty and Leon pay a visit to the scientist Chew, played by James Hong. Knode designed and fabricated a thick furred coat for Hong to wear, as his character worked in sub-zero temperatures. Much of the film's more glamorous looks are worn by Sean Young as the replicant Rachel. Again befitting the futuristic noir look, many of Young's costumes were inspired by the padded shoulder suits designed by Gilbert Adrian, combined with the then-emerging fashion trend of 1980s 'power dressing'. Rachael's first costume is a shiny black two piece suit made out of silk with black snakeskin pieces fixed on the collar and shoulders. A prim yet glamorous design, made more evocative with Young's pompadour hairstyle. Rachael's second outfit is a blue fur coat with a large high collar black fur wrap, lined with black silk going down in the middle, and with striped black and grey fur cuffs. Rachael's third outfit (perhaps the most famous) is a fur coat patterned in chevron stripes of different fur colours of grey and white. The fur coat, with its high collar, slightly resembles a parka. Rachel's fourth outfit is another tribute to Gilbert Adrian's designs, being a silk two piece suit made up of striped blocks of shiny fabrics, giving it a futuristic touch. Rachel's last outfit is a charming brown-striped blouse, seen briefly towards the film's end. A deep blue tuxedo was custom-made for Joe Turkel to wear as the scientist and corporate leader Tyrell. Tyrell is next seen wearing a heavy dressing gown, made of a mosaic-like patterned fabric. The implication was that Tyrell was so opulent he could even wear a gown that acted as a bed in its own right. The gown is worn over a nightie, also custom-made for Turkel. Sebastian (William Sanderson) wears one of the film's more colourful costumes; astudded multicoloured jacket and striped overalls, worn with a leather cap. The outfit gives him a slightly mischievous look, given that he is more or less a future equivalent of a toymaker. Pris (Daryl Hannah), being a futuristic prostiture, of course wears a sensual costume. Hannah sports a tiger-pattern striped jacket, worn over a shimmering patterned romper, vest and stockings, finished with a studded choker and large white hairdo. Zhora (Joanna Cassidy) is another rogue Replicant who works as an exotic dancer. As part of her work in the 'Snake Pit', she wears not much at all except translucent orange nipple pasties and underwear! During her escape, she wears a leather bikini, and leather padded boots fixed with metal spikes, worn with a (possibly bought?) clear plastic raincoat. The kinky costume is in line with the character's role as a future sex worker. I have neglected to include the various extras costumes, including these in behind the scenes and publicity photographs, partly as there's an infuriating lack of information on them, and partly as I feel most of them were not made for the film. Posted by CostumeArchive at 04:19 Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest Labels: 4 comments: josephideas14 September 2021 at 23:34Can these garments be seen anywhere? Is there an archive that public can see?ReplyDeleteRepliesCostumeArchive20 August 2022 at 16:51If you mean the various publicity photos, no I just found them from various searches online, some results were from Propsummit? But yeah, I wish there was one too!DeleteRepliesReplyReplyBuffalospringfield30 August 2025 at 22:06I love your blog! I just watched blade runner and wanted to know more about Sean Young’s costumes. Thank you for your awesome work ReplyDeleteRepliesCostumeArchive6 September 2025 at 07:41Hey there, thanks for the nice comment. I've still been slowly refurbishing articles as I go on (especially these with missing images - which afflicted many of the Star Trek and Doctor Who articles), but I'm glad that people are still checking in. I'm nearly done fixing up articles, but life stuff has gotten in the way! DeleteRepliesReplyReplyAdd commentLoad more... Newer Post Older Post Home Subscribe to: About This Blog An ongoing project in highlighting the work of costume designers through the decades of film & TV. 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Blade Runner (1982) Costume Design Archive The costume design for Ridley Scott’s *Blade Runner* (1982) is a fascinating blend of the old and the new, aiming for a distinctly futuristic noir aesthetic. Charles Knode and Michael Kaplan collaborated on this ambitious project, with Knode primarily responsible for the initial costume sketches, particularly for the main characters. Ridley Scott consistently credits Knode as the sole costume designer, likely reflecting Kaplan’s role as a primarily assisting designer. The film's visual style deliberately juxtaposes 1930s and 1940s fashions with a futuristic twist, solidifying its identity as a “futuristic noir.” The most recognizable element is the attire of Rick Deckard, played by Harrison Ford. Deckard’s signature look, a brown trenchcoat over various patterned shirts, exemplifies this fusion. Notably, Ford initially resisted wearing a hat, a decision influenced by his experience filming *Raiders of the Lost Ark*, adding a layer of rebellious characterization to the role. A vast number of custom-made patterned shirts were created for Deckard’s role, a testament to the film’s meticulous design. In certain scenes, Ford swaps his trenchcoat for a brown blazer, constructing this garment, along with the rest of *Blade Runner’s* costumes, at Ital Costume, a prominent Hollywood costume house. The film's extras, representing the LAPD, are adorned with equally striking costumes. The first uniform consists of a string top paired with motorcycle armor, while the second features a brown vinyl coat and hat, primarily seen in production photographs. Fellow detective Gaff, portrayed by Edward James Olmos, is dressed in a refined “Edwardian dandy” style, combining a yellow or silvery waistcoat with a slightly futuristic vinyl-lined trenchcoat, a bow tie, and a trilby hat. A grey variation of the same coat was also utilized in some scenes, often obscured by the film’s atmospheric lighting. The other LAPD characters, Morgan Paull’s Holden and M. Emmet Walsh’s Bryant, wore suits and shirts either custom-made or sourced as vintage clothing, likely due to their supporting roles. Two sets of futuristic police uniforms were created for the extras playing LAPD officers. These uniform’s were more clearly defined with the design including string tops and motorbike armor. Roy Batty, the rogue replicant led by Rutger Hauer, wears a militaristic trenchcoat, reflecting his character’s background as a former soldier. The rest of Hauer’s costume, including his trousers and vest, were most likely purchased items. Leon, Batty’s lackey, initially wears a futuristic prison uniform resembling a “Howie coat,” a design that is possibly custom-made. Leon’s subsequent costume integrates a vinyl trenchcoat and work jacket, which appear to have been bespoke to fit Brion James. The scientist Chew, played by James Hong, is dressed in a thick, furred coat, designed to keep him warm in sub-zero temperatures. The film's more glamorous scenes are worn by Sean Young as the replicant Rachel. As with Deckard, Rachel’s costumes were inspired by Gilbert Adrian’s designs (who worked on *Superman* and *Star Wars*), combined with the burgeoning fashion trend of 1980s “power dressing.” Rachel's first costume is a shimmery black two-piece suit constructed from silk with black snakeskin pieces attached to the collar and shoulders, enhanced with Rachel’s pompadour hairstyle. Her second outfit comprises a blue fur coat with a high collar and black fur wrap, with a black silk lining going down the middle and striped black and grey fur cuffs. Rachel's most iconic costume features a chevron-striped fur coat in grey and white, resembling a parka. Her fourth costume is a tribute to Adrian’s designs featuring a shimmery silk two-piece suit with striped blocks of shiny fabric. Her last outfit is a charming brown-striped blouse. Joe Turkel as Tyrell, the scientist and corporate leader, wears a custom-made deep blue tuxedo. Tyrell is also seen in a heavy dressing gown constructed from a mosaic-like patterned fabric, indicating his opulent lifestyle. The gown is worn with a nightie also custom-made for Turkel. Sebastian (William Sanderson) wears a flamboyant costume including a multicoloured jacket and striped overalls accompanied by a leather cap, adding a touch of whimsical eccentricity to his role. The coat was weathered to give him an aged appearance, reflecting Sebastian’s background as a toymaker. Pris (Daryl Hannah), the futuristic prostitute, is dressed in a sensual tiger-patterned jacket worn over a shimmering patterned romper, vest and stockings, finished with a studded choker and large white hairdo. Zhora (Joanna Cassidy), the exotic dancer replicant, wears almost nothing but translucent orange nipple pasties and underwear, symbolizing her role as a future sex worker. During her escape, Zhora wears a leather bikini and leather padded boots fixed with metal spikes. Her costume is kinky, in line with her character’s role. The film’s designers neglected to provide detailed information about the costumes worn by the numerous extras. Notably, at least two “Snake Pit” extras were wearing costumes borrowed from the 1968 musical *Star*. The street scene extras likely wore a combination of wardrobe stock, vintage clothing, and contemporary purchases. The designers acknowledge the limited information available and their ongoing efforts to update the information regarding this film. |