The 'MaXXXine' Costumes Nod to '80s Icons and the Rest of the Trilogy

When it comes to final girls, Maxine Minx's style is absolutely killer. The heroine of Ti West's slasher trilogy, played by Mia Goth, has been a muse for stylish horror fans ever since she wore denim shortalls (with nothing underneath) in 2022's "X." The fashion inspiration continued with the second installment, a prequel, "Pearl," in which Goth plays the fame-hungry titular character (a sort of twin flame to the stardom-seeking Maxine). Her red Edwardian-style dress, accessorized with a bloody axe, became instant fodder for Halloween.

"MaXXXine," the final installment of the series, takes place in 1985, and the outfits continue to slay. Costume designer Mari-An Ceo dressed Goth in acid-washed denim, mini dresses, leather pants and muscle tees, many of which reference the other films in the trilogy, or nod to her mood board. To prepare, Ceo looked to other neo-noir films and psychological thrillers. Source material included "Mulholland Drive," Brian de Palma's "Dressed to Kill," Mariel Hemingway in 1976's "Lipstick," and Nastassja Kinski in "Paris, Texas," as well as Michelle Pfeiffer in "Scarface," Traci Lords and Debbie Harry in the 1970s.

"[Harry] was a woman in charge in that time period and Ti really liked her, so we felt like Maxine had that spirit," Ceo tells Fashionista. "She's moving forward at all times. Nothing's pulling her back. So, that was what we embodied for the character."

Maxine's 1980s look might be influenced by these other icons, but she also has her own style to cop from. Right from the jump, we get a costume-design Easter egg, which Ceo says was requested by West. In a self-referential scene that has Maxine auditioning for a horror sequel called "The Puritan II," she's in a fierce double-denim look. Denim is the trilogy's sartorial through-line, and Maxine's acid-washed halter and matching jeans connect to the memorable overalls in both X and Pearl.

"We explored a lot of different ideas for it," says Ceo. "It had to be denim, and it had to have a zipper in the front so she could show her chest. We did make some jackets that went with it, but to me, this was the sexiest. We made it so it could look a bit like overalls, but the sweetheart cut came down into her chest and fit into the waist with the jeans and great shoes. It was almost like what she wore in "X" where she doesn't have a top underneath it. I loved that so much. It showed that this was a woman who was confident in her body."

Denim might be a running theme, but Maxine also has her own signature item in this film: a green satin varsity jacket. At first, Ceo thought about her wearing a more structured piece, like a North Beach Leather jacket, but felt that the character is actually more pared down. "Ti wanted it to be something that she could have gotten at a thrift store and put her name on it or something from her past, and he wanted it to be iconic," says Ceo. "Originally, I had red in my mind because of "Pearl," but when Ti saw that green, he was like, that's it. And I loved it because it is so different from the other movies."

The jacket appears frequently in the film, including one scene in which Maxine exacts revenge on a private investigator who's stalking her. The black cutout dress she wears underneath the jacket was inspired by one Debbie Harry wore. It's nearly impossible to get original vintage fabric from the era, but Ceo managed to find a beautiful black silk material with a little bit of sparkle to use for the dress. (She used the same material for Maxine's premiere gown, which was inspired by Michelle Pfeiffer in "Scarface.")

There's another costume Easter egg that isn't as visible to the audience, but does double duty by paying tribute to both the other films and Harry. "I kept seeing the same necklace on [Harry], and we finally found a clear enough picture to blow it up, and it was a little gold skull," says Ceo. "We thought it was fun because Maxine ran over Pearl's head in 'X.' You can't really ever see what it is, but she wears that throughout the show. We wardrobe girls all got one; I'm wearing it right now."

Ceo and her team built 90% of the film's costumes, comprising both original designs and copies of actual pieces from the era, like the Debbie Harry-inspired cutout dress, and a Moschino animal-print dress that Tabby Martin, played by Halsey, wears. There were also a few vintage pieces, like Tabby's fur coat and a Thierry Mugler suit that Maxine wears, but nothing modern was purchased. "Some [vintage] things were just so good that we couldn't duplicate it exactly like the original," says Ceo. "We loved Michelle Monaghan [Detective Williams]'s leather jacket so much, but we just did bad multiples for the stunts because we didn't want to sacrifice her look."

Maxine isn't the film's only fashion eye candy. Everyone looks incredible, from John Labat (Kevin Bacon) in his seersucker suits to Leon (Moses Sumney) in his video-store punk 'fits. And those of us who might not be ready or willing to dress as boldly as Maxine might find sartorial inspo in Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki), the director of "The Puritan II." With her collared white shirts, high-waisted jeans and leather trench coats, Elizabeth's wardrobe is aspirational chic. "My inspiration was Penelope Spheeris, who was a really strong woman director of that time period," says Ceo. "Elizabeth is dressing just for herself. She's very practical, and any over-the-top, '80s pieces didn't make sense to me for her."

One of the most amusing costume Easter eggs in the film also has sentimental value for Ceo: Maxine's white graphic tee with the word "Oui" on it. You might not think anything of it at first, but it's a reference to Oui, the French porno mag from the 1970s.

"When I was 10 years old, I found a shirt in the thrift store that said 'Oui' on it," recalls Ceo. "I used to wear it everywhere, and my dad didn't see it until two weeks later. He just turned to white, and he looked at me and was like, you can never wear that again." Ceo thought it was perfect for the film since it would probably be something that Maxine would have, but also as a reference to the Chelsea Wolfe song "Oui Oui Marie" on the "X" soundtrack.

"It was kind of fun and iconic, and a little easter egg from 'X,' and then you know, our own little thing," she adds. "I can educate a whole new generation on Oui magazine."

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