“Wake Up Dead Man” Costume Designer Jenny Eagan on Priestly Fashion and Daniel Craig’s ’70s-Inspired Suits

For her third collaboration with writer-director Rian Johnson on his Knives Out Mystery franchise, costume designer Jenny Eagan recalibrated her color palette to suit Wake Up Dead Man‘s darker tone. Daniel Craig, of course, returns as detective Benoit Blanc, but the new installment co-stars Josh O’Connor and Josh Brolin as small-town priests. Rounding out the cast of killers, victims, and innocent bystanders are Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Mila Kunis, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Thomas Haden Church, Jeremy Renner, and Daryl McCormack.

Eagen, who won Costume Designers Guild awards for the first two Knives Out movies, speaks from her Los Angeles home about priestly footwear and the Parisian fashion designer who inspired Craig’s latest appearance as the ever-suave detective.

Wake Up Dead Man contrasts dramatically with its predecessor. Glass Onion took place on a sun- dappled Greek island where everybody wears candy-colored clothes. This one feels much more subdued in terms of color palette. How did you approach the costume concept this time around?

It always starts with the location. This takes place in a small town, and so the impetus was to start there and keep it grounded in reality. Then, when you bring in the priest hood, it’s going to be black [clothing], the church felt dark, and the story itself is darker in tone. Because the story is so dense, I didn’t want audiences to focus too much on the clothes by making them too explosive.

When Benoit shows up, he looks like a million bucks in his elegant suit. How did you collaborate with Daniel Craig in developing his look for this film?

Well, the day I got the script, I got a phone call from Daniel saying, “I’m ready to talk.”

He’s into it?

Oh yeah, he’s ready. Daniel loves fashion himself, and he’s been playing this well-dressed character for so many years that he knows which cuts suit him, but he’s also not afraid to take risks. If you look back, the first Knives Out might have leaned a little 50s, putting Daniel in suspenders and high-waisted pants. With Glass Onion, it’s a little 60s. For this one, since Benoit keeps evolving, we created a kind of 70s look but for today.

Which is?

Sleek! Specifically, Yves Saint Laurent.

Detective Benoit Blanc dresses in the same kind of clothes that French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent himself used to wear?

Yeah, Yves Saint Laurent was an incredibly tailored style icon, especially in the ’70s. It was tailored suits and slim-fitting pants, but with that little flare [below the knees]. The suits are long, lean, and elongated, which Daniel really responded to. We found some vintage Yves Saint Laurent and manipulated the pattern. Most of the suits we found were dark, like navy blue, but because Josh O’Connor as the priest would be in black, I wanted to bring some warmth, so there’s a hint of gold in his suit.

As you mention, Benoit Blanc goes head-to-head with Josh O’Connor in the role of Reverend Jud Duplenticy.

The story for Jud was simple: black, with the white collar. Maybe the jacket felt a little sporty, and because Jud used to be a boxer, we put him in sneakers.

By contrast, Josh Brolin’s Monsignor, Jefferson Wicks, seems very full of himself, and his colorful silk “vestments” seem to reflect that attitude.

He’s very serious and a bit arrogant because Wicks thinks of himself as being at this higher level, so we put him in this silk brocade, and he’s always wearing a cassock, which I think is kind of hilarious. The brocade needed to be big and bold as if to say, about Jud: “Put him in the corner. I don’t need him here.” We also had Josh wearing work boots that brought a hard, rough edge to him—a tough guy kind of thing.

How did you become an expert in priestly garb?

I watched a lot of videos, and also, Rian brought on a priest, Keith, who served as our technical advisor. He was wonderful about answering all my questions about little details, like how to layer the vestments.

Kerry Washington as Vera Draven is a sharp dresser in a small town. What inspired her wardrobe?

She’s a lawyer and probably has some money, so we wanted to make her fashionable. Vera’s tan suit has shoulder pads, as if it’s an expression of her being bigger, maybe than what people think. She’s like, “Just because I put myself last to take care of everyone else doesn’t mean I’ve disappeared. I’m here.” Plus, that suit really looked good on her.

Yes, it does. Were Vera’s clothes fabricated from scratch?

No, we bought those. For most everybody in this movie, their stuff was purchased new or sourced vintage, or a combination of both. But I did make all of Benoit Blanc’s clothes, except the lavender suit, which was not made. I remember that fitting. Daniel looked at it and said, “No way.” I said, “Just try it on.” He put it on and was like: “Okay.” It’s about how big we can go, how dramatic this can be? I think Daniel liked it for that small end piece just to show – he won!

What was it like working with Glenn Close, who plays the black-clad churchgoer Martha Delacroix?

It was a real treat. I traveled to Bozeman twice to see Glenn [at her Montana home]. People there don’t bother her, so she took me shopping at the outdoor stores as we were working through the “Who am I?” for her character.

I read somewhere that Glenn even brought some of her own jewelry to set?

She did! The beautiful rosary that Martha wears belongs to Glenn. And one of the pins is something her father brought back from Africa years ago. That kind of thing gives such a nice personal touch to the character. And [chronic pain-sufferer] Kayley [Cailee Spaeny] had a bracelet with spiky thorns nestled into it. I don’t know if those things are noticed, but they certainly help actors with their characters.

Wake Up Dead Man is set in upstate New York but was actually filmed in England. Where did you do pre-production for the costumes?

I prep all the Knives Out movies in L.A. because a lot of the actors are here, or will be at some point. And Rian lives here, so it’s convenient. His scripts are so detailed, and the team is so organized, that we were able to get a lot done in L.A. for Wake Up Dead Man, and then we shipped it all over to London.

You moved to L.A. from Missouri right out of college to work in the movie business. It sounds like you’ve made a lot of professional connections here. Are you mindful of the impact a picture of this scale has on your colleagues in the local filmmaking community?

Oh yes! I’ve been here 28 years, so this is the family that I know. For this movie, I brought in a cutter, a shopper, a supervisor, and an assistant I’ve had for many years. And I know the costume houses here like the back of my hand, so I can call the owners and say, “I’m coming in, and I need your help.” You can ask for anything, knowing it will get done quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately, a lot of things have moved [overseas], but we still have all these people here who are extraordinary at their jobs. So yes, it’s so, so fulfilling to do a film of this size where you can bring people on.

Wake Up Dead Man is streaming on Netflix now.

Featured image: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. (L-R) Josh O’Connor and Daniel Craig in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Cr. John Wilson/Netflix © 2025