Makeover Montage: A Fashion in Film Podcast · Marie Lodi and Blaire Bercy

Tradwife Bots and Toxic Masculinity with 'Companion' Costume Designer Vanessa Porter

·31 min·1 clip

Iris's costumes say more about Josh than about Iris.

1. Makeover Montage: A Fashion in Film Podcast centers this episode on Companion and Vanessa Porter's costume work for Iris, Cat, Josh, Eli, and Patrick. 2. Marie Lodi hosts solo and talks with costume designer Vanessa Porter, who designed Companion, Goosebumps, Archive 81, and The Resort. 3. The episode asks how Companion's costumes turn robot selection, toxic masculinity, and romantic fantasy into visible wardrobe choices. 4. Porter says the script was not very descriptive, so the team explored several directions before Sophie Thatcher was cast as Iris. 5. She describes an early Britney Spears-inspired idea that shifted once Thatcher's classic vibe pushed the designs toward a period look. 6. Porter says Josh buys Iris from a robotics company, chooses traits from a catalog, and selects an archetype that comes with wardrobe. 7. That setup means Iris's clothes reflect Josh's preferences in women rather than Iris's own self-expression. 8. Porter names Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina, French New Wave, Anna Karina, and Beatrice Dalle as references that shaped Iris's look. 9. She says the goal was to make Iris look like a girl-next-door archetype that would appeal to Josh's toxic masculinity. 10. Porter also wanted the pieces to feel current, so she used clothes that somebody could buy now rather than real vintage. 11. She cites Reformation, Chao Lucia, and Brooks Brothers as sources, and says the blue flashback look came from Reformation. 12. Porter says one pink-and-white outfit was chosen because it was the most iconically girly, Barbie-coded costume to subvert with blood and dirt. 13. She points to the matching headband, shirt, shorts, and shoes as an intentionally artificial styling choice. 14. A small heart locket on Iris is tied to the company's memory concept and to the idea of Josh giving her the gift. 15. Porter says the locket is empty, which fits the film's idea of a manufactured memory. 16. She describes Iris's Stepford-wife dinner look as the most controlled version of the character, then notes the leather-jacket shift after that scene. 17. Cat's wardrobe uses vinyl, leather, black, and hard metal jewelry, but Porter also keeps her mini-skirt-and-sleeveless-top silhouette close to Iris's. 18. Porter says Cat's clothes change after Sergey dies, moving from a sexy look for him to looser, more utilitarian clothes for herself. 19. The conversation stays interview-driven and design-focused, with Porter giving practical sourcing details and clear character breakdowns. 20. Listeners who like film costume analysis, horror design, and fashion references would likely enjoy this episode, while people wanting plot-only discussion may skip it.

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