Thanks in large part to the film’s strong cast, funny story, and streetwear-focused attire, Netflix’s new movie “You People” has been a hit with viewers since its debut date. According to Netflix, it has amassed more than 55 million hours of viewing time since its late January release.
In the film “You People,” which was directed by Kenya Barris, the interracial couple Ezra (Jonah Hill) and Amira (Lauren London) navigate the social and cultural challenges of bringing their families together. On their first date, Ezra’s Off-White x Nike Dunk Low shoes and Amira’s Gucci shearling slides helped the pair connect over their shared love of design.
After working with Michelle R. Cole on the television show “Black-ish,” Barris hired her to create the costumes for the movie. Cole said that in order to put together distinct streetwear items from Gucci, Dior, Dries van Noten, Prada, Nike, and many other labels, she went to a wide variety of sources for the “You People” costumes, sourcing from Los Angeles-based shops, vintage merchants, and online.
Cole described her method for selecting the outfits as “we prefer to do everything from head-to-toe.” When you do a fitting with me, it will seem like a rummage sale because once we get everything in the room, I’ll simply start playing with stuff. That’s how [for the first date scenario] we chose the Gucci slides with the socks and the coveralls with the knit cap. The result of the group’s creativity in the space.
Cole said that she closely collaborated with Barris and the actors on selecting the outfits and that she took influence from basketball players and their off-court attire, especially for Hill’s role.
In “You People,” Hill’s persona undoubtedly had the most distinctive wardrobe. The actor wore several Nike shoes as well as other graphic clothing. Cole wanted to emphasize the character’s love of streetwear via his outfits. The character, who was raised Jewish and works as a broker, has dreams to work full-time on his podcast that focuses on culture.
Cole said, “I don’t believe we went overboard for him. “We demonstrated that he is a part of the community and that hip-hop is his upbringing. We didn’t, in my opinion, eclipse his individuality. Even if we were wearing a Gucci T-shirt or sweater, he was just the way he was when we first met him.
Cole said that she wanted London’s persona to embody Amira’s self-assurance via her clothing by outfitting her with chic but current items.
Cole described her as “very urban and stylish.” “She is aware of her own style and identity.”
Cole, who has a lot of experience working in television and has received nine Emmy nominations, said that one of the main things that shocked her about working on “You People” was how quickly the process went. Preproduction, according to her, began in the summer of 2021, and filming was completed between September and November of the same year.
As members of the Costume Designers Guild, she said, “We speak about how our costumes have now truly become a huge topic in our union and industry because we can tell tales and we’re being acknowledged a lot more.” We do consider the director’s, the executive producer’s, and the actor’s points of view, and our job is to communicate it to the public. I only have 22 minutes to present a presentation on television, therefore I have to make sure the viewers see and comprehend every single second. The audience needs to read it just like when you make a movie, and I believe we did a pretty good job.