The New Frontier Of Period Drama: Kate Carin On Designing Costumes For The Buccaneers Season 2

When The Buccaneers burst onto screens back in 2023, it was to a wave of intrigue. Hot on the heels of Bridgerton, The Great and The Gilded Age, Apple TV’s take on the period drama was just what audiences were craving – and more. ‘The whole thing is about these young women coming over from a different country and challenging the expectations of what an English Victorian lady was expected to do,’ the show’s costume designer, Kate Carin, tells C&TH – and she teases that there’s even more drama  to come in the second instalment. ‘The team went in pretty strong with season 1, but season 2 is like a rocket by comparison.’ We sat down with Kate Carin ahead of the release of The Buccaneers season 2 to break down the characters’ evolution through costume, and what makes the modern period drama stand out from its predecessors.

Kate Carin On Designing Costumes For The Buccaneers Season 2

Today’s audiences are pretty spoiled for choice when it comes to period dramas. In the last five years alone, we’ve had everything from new age Austen adaptations and medieval romances to stateside gilded age dramas. And, of course, we have Netflix juggernaut Bridgerton. But when it comes to Apple TV’s adaptation of Edith Wharton’s The Buccaneers, something feels – excitingly – different.

‘Period drama is not being done in the same way it was when I was in my teens and my early 20s,’ emphasises costume designer Kate Carin. ‘It was much safer – and visually, it looked closer to the time it was set in.’ In contrast, the ‘new look’ for period dramas is rooted in bright colours, indulgent textures and modern tweaks – a shift she pins on today’s viewership. ‘With The Buccaneers, our audience is young, so the content can be more aspirational. Less accurate, more playful.’ 

Carin joined the production in the latter stages of season 1, making up a trio of costume designers who passed the baton throughout the show. Taking on the last three episodes, Carin inherited a visual foundation for The Buccaneers – but when she was brought back from season 2 as the only lead costume designer, she had the chance to make the show her own. 

‘We initially inherited other people’s work – which was some very beautiful work to inherit, but this also meant we had limited time with what we could achieve,’ she tells C&TH. ‘So this season, I wanted to just really go all in. The brief was to create something that was relatable, that had a bit more of a contemporary edge to it – but was still placed within the period.’

(L to R) Kristine Frøseth and Guy Remmers in The Buccaneers season 2

But while the period was set, Carin tells us the producers gave her plenty of leeway to explore the boundaries of historical accuracy. ‘I play hard and fast with period [costume], and have what could only be described as a “loosey goosey” approach,’ she laughs. ‘I figure if you put a ruffle on the back of the skirt, you can get away with pretty much anything on the top – within certain parameters.’

And how does this translate onto the screen? ‘There’s a lot of swing between periods. We had paired those Victorian skirts with some 50s influence in the top half of many of the women’s costumes,and we played with lots of denim and leather for the men.

‘If you were a diehard costume designer who only wants to work within a specific period, then this probably wouldn’t be the job for you,’ the costume designer adds. ‘You’d need to just go for it. They were fun ideas, fun scripts – and we just ran hard at everything we were given. 

‘I think it came out interesting and quirky and bright and colourful. The whole thing just looks like a cartoon to me.’

And with the plot of The Buccaneers being anything but conventional, it makes sense that the costumes, hair and makeup underpinning each character would be slightly out of the ordinary. ‘The whole thing is about these young women coming over from a different country – and a different society – and challenging the expectations of what an English Victorian lady was expected to do,’ explains Carin. ‘Those girls are much freer, and they challenge just about everything that’s considered “flawed” about them.’

Costume As Armour

When it came to developing costumes for season 2, Carin was heavily influenced by this rhetoric – as well as the story itself. ‘The team went in pretty strong with season 1, but season 2 is like a rocket by comparison,’ the designer notes. ‘And I wanted to match that pace with the costumes. Accentuated silhouettes, heightened colours. We really leaned into colour – there’s nothing too dreary-looking about the show at all.’

Carin tells us that she and her team were really able to run with this momentum when it came to Nan [Kristine Frøseth]. ‘I’m pretty story-led,’ highlights Carin, ‘and I would say that Nan literally blossoms over this season. She’s gone from someone who wore her clothes out of necessity, to someone who wears her clothing as armour and as a projection of strength.’

Kristine Frøseth in The Buccaneers season 2

Her ‘blossoming’ meant a shift away from the tomboyish styling of season 1 – instead, the focus was on refined silhouettes, jewel tones and more structured tailoring. ‘When Nan took up the title of duchess, we shifted her appearance to be quite fashion forward and brave – especially when it came to her styling choices and colours.’

Nan’s journey through season 2 is about more than just settling into married life – it’s about finding a way to use her title for good. That’s why, Carin tells us, one royal family member in particular made it to the mood board when designing Nan’s costumes. ‘I felt like Princess Diana was quite a relatable figure for Nan’s character,’ she says. ‘Nan wants to be a duchess of the people, and she wants to use her title to have influence, to make positive change for women – and we wanted to reflect that sentiment in her costumes.’

A major parallel audiences might pick up on is the sweeping red gown that Nan wears to a traditional black and white ball. ‘We were going for something that had as much impact as Diana’s revenge dress,’ Carin reveals. A moment that would get people talking – both in the fictional press and amongst real life audiences – and keep attention away from her missing sister. ‘She wears those dresses like armour,’ adds Carin. ‘And the season really shows how she settles into living the lifestyle of a duchess, on her terms.’

Alisha Boe and Josh Dylan in The Buccaneers season 2

But she’s not the only Buccaneer to do so. Conchita [Alisha Boe], who comes in season 2 looking for a means to support her family, quite literally dresses for business. ‘This series sees Conchita step into the role of a businesswoman – and she updates her look to reflect that,’ says Carin. ‘She starts off repeating some of her older costumes, to reflect her financial situation, but as she starts to make money we see newer pieces come in. 

‘And these pieces are almost more of a nod to contemporary workwear, like suits,’ she adds. A handful of Conchita’s dresses, for example, appear buttoned up and cuffed like a suit jacket, and are accessorised with top hat-style fascinators. But the character doesn’t lose her personality. ‘We also used lots of very over-the-top bows, rich textures and bright colours.’ It’s business attire, done Conchita’s way.

A quieter approach to this theme of dressing comes from Mabel [Josie Totah], who Carin explains is ‘able to mature a little bit this season.’ But unlike the other girls, her evolution is one that sees her become more comfortable in herself. ‘I kept some of the elements from Mabel’s season 1 wardrobe, like the little waistcoats,’ explains the costume designer. ‘She does have some nice new pieces this season, but nothing too out of character for her.’

(L to R) Mia Threapleton and Josie Totah in The Buccaneers season 2

Exploring A New Location

Other characters, meanwhile, can be found exploring a new location – and a new life – in the Mediterranean. On the run from her abusive husband, Jinny must acclimatise to a completely different social scene to the one in London. ‘She starts her journey in season 2 having arrived in Italy, and quite soon after having her baby,’ adds Carin. ‘She arrives with next to nothing, just the things she was able to stuff into a bag at the last minute.’

And so, with little of her own clothing, Jinny adopts a more local style of dress. ‘She might have bought things from the market, and had a local seamstress make something for her. She does befriend a local woman, Paloma [Grace Ambrose], who is a seamstress, so there was a bit of room there to play with the idea that Paloma could have altered whatever Jinny had arrived with.

‘We also leaned into more of a gypsy vibe with her wardrobe,’ the costume designer adds. ‘You’ll see her wear her underclothes as outerwear. We used linens and softer fabrics with less structure to show the change in climate – the heat – as well. So things are much less starchy, less pressed. They’re a bit looser, a bit freer. It was a chance to show a completely different side to stereotypical Victorian girl.’

(L to R) Grace Ambrose, Imogen Waterhouse and Matthew Broome in The Buccaneers season 2

The same goes for Guy [Matthew Broome], who escorts and looks after Jinny in this new chapter. ‘Guy is also much looser,’ Carin agrees. ‘We see him in Italy, and he looks much more like a man that you would see coming from the market – not really a traditional gentleman. We made some denim pieces, a lot of waistcoats. He looks much more relaxed, like he’s kind of bought into the whole Italian lifestyle. 

‘And he’s really stepped up to support Jinny and her baby. We see him cooking and shopping, things that you wouldn’t see a young English gentleman doing in London. All those characters in Italy feel much more domestic, and I tried to reflect that in the styling of their clothing. Everything is looser. The sleeves are rolled up. It’s just much more relaxed.’

Nan too gets the chance to experience this new lifestyle. ‘She does travel to Italy,’ confirms Carin. ‘And this was an opportunity for me to bring back a bit of season 1 Nan. She does something very unexpected, travelling somewhere on her own as a married woman, and I wanted to bring the essence of the playful, old Nan in those suitcases with her. I wanted to see her feeling a bit wilder and freer.’

Matthew Broome in The Buccaneers season 2

The Corners Of A Love Triangle 

This brings our conversation to one of the series’ overarching themes: love triangles. While the ongoing dynamic between Nan, Guy and Theo [Guy Remmers] continues to run in the background of the show, a newer, more surprising love triangle starts to form between Nan, Theo and Lizzy [Aubri Ibrag].

While Nan navigates a new life as a duchess, Carin tells us that Theo’s ‘shape also slightly changes.’ The costume designer’s situation in season 1 meant that she was unable to do very much tailoring in those last few episodes – ‘we just didn’t have time’ – so she jumped straight in when it came to reevaluating Theo’s look for season 2. ‘This time, I went in quite early,’ she says. ‘And while everyone has new stuff this season, the men probably have a bit more. I think we only used maybe the odd pair of trousers [from season 1].’

Theo goes into season 2 confident, happy to have found his duchess – and this sentiment is reflected in his costume. ‘We happened upon one shape that particularly worked well for his character; it’s much stronger in silhouette, stronger across the shoulders,’ says Carin. ‘And he’s in a lot of darker tones and rich velvets. He looks much more grown up, if a bit more moody.’

But this moodiness takes over as the series unravels, primarily as a result of his strained relationship with Nan and growing feelings for Lizzy. ‘We see him at a garden party, and he looks a bit more roguish,’ notes Carin. ‘We deconstructed him in a way that we haven’t seen before. He’s louche, much more laid back. Jenny [Rhodes-McLean, hair and makeup designer] also had a hand in making him look much moodier and darker this season – like with his hair, for example. It’s a lot more windswept. She played along with what we were doing with the darker look.’

Guy Remmers in The Buccaneers season 2

Lizzy, meanwhile, comes on in leaps and bounds this season – but not in ways we would expect. ‘Lizzy starts off still quite young and quite vulnerable, but as her journey progressed we upped her colours and we upped her shape,’ says Carin. ‘Her journey as we progress, and her relationships, really influenced how we dressed her this season.’

Carin explains that she wanted to place Nan and Lizzy in parallel with each other, to reflect how their stories intertwine over the course of the show. ‘What I tried to do was bring a little bit of the old Nan into Lizzy’s look without affecting Lizzy’s personality, because they’re both still very different,’ she tells us. ‘But where Nan becomes more structured and stronger in her silhouette, I wanted Lizzie to become slightly looser.

‘And I kind of felt that that was what Theo had been attracted to in the first place. When he first meets her, Nan is something that he’s never seen before. That playful quality. I wanted to bring that out with Lizzy, to create something that Theo could latch onto.’

(L to R) Aubri Ibrag and Jacob Ifan in The Buccaneers season 2

These are visual cues that hint at what’s to come in The Buccaneers, but Carin tells us she can’t give anymore away. ‘There are a lot of exciting new storylines this season, and more characters coming in. I was able to play with the boundaries of period drama costume with this project – our producers and director couldn’t have been more supportive, they never held me back. I believe that when you watch something, you can really see the pleasure that somebody’s had creating it. And I hope that’s something our audience can see when they watch The Buccaneers.’

WATCH

The Buccaneers season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV, with new episodes dropping weekly. tv.apple.com

You can also get a glimpse of the costumes created for The Buccaneers season 2 in the trailer, below: