Over the past four years, we have celebrated every “Alien Day” by spotlighting the costume design of the first four films that built the Alien universe, first unleashed by legendary director Ridley Scott in 1979. Much like the dormant monsters awaiting their moment to burst from their hosts, the franchise went quiet — until fifteen years later, when Scott returned with Prometheus, a bold new prequel that reignited the nightmare. But how do the costumes of Prometheus shape its worldbuilding and visual identity? In this new chapter, we explore the Prometheus costume design, genesis of a nightmare that redefined the look and feel of the Alien saga.
The costumes of Prometheus were crafted by a titan of the costume world, Oscar-winning designer Janty Yates. Yates had already established a close creative partnership with Ridley Scott, having collaborated with him on Hannibal, Kingdom of Heaven, American Gangster, Body of Lies, Robin Hood, and, of course, Gladiator, which earned her an Academy Award. Together, Yates and Scott had conquered historical epics, modern dramas, and dark thrillers — but now they faced a new challenge: how do you design the costumes of explorers determined to uncover the origins of humanity itself?
We first meet the crew of the Prometheus much like we met the original crew of the Nostromo with Ellen Ripley — emerging from their hypersleep pods. Yes, this is a science fiction film, but futuristic doesn’t necessarily mean that every character is dressed like someone out of Tron or The Jetsons. Instead, we meet the crew in casual wear embellished with some Weyland-logos — adding texture and individuality to the ensemble. It’s a blend of civilian and utilitarian looks, a striking contrast to the more formal, functional uniforms seen later. Although Prometheus is technically a prequel set years before the events of Alien, the characters feel deeply relatable to contemporary audiences, thanks in large part to their costumes — grounding them in realism and reminding us that these are, first and foremost, human explorers.
Noomi Rapace plays the leading character, Elizabeth Shaw, who serves as a voice of reason, intrigue, and morality throughout the story. While Shaw is a brilliant archaeologist with multiple doctorates, she also endures some of the film’s most grueling and traumatic action sequences. Costume designer Janty Yates shared with ClothesOnFilm, “We went through a million choices for Noomi. We had cream fatigues, uniform blue, combat trousers, even a leather outfit… we tried them all and went full circle back to the fatigues.” Yates emphasized how critical comfort and functionality were, explaining, “It was more to do with what was comfortable for her. She’d be in the fitting room rolling on the floor, on all fours, virtually doing somersaults. She knew how physical the role was — she knew what these suits had to go through.” Ultimately, Shaw’s costume had to reflect not just her expertise, but her resilience — a scientist prepared to face the unknown.
Among the crew of the Prometheus, a few characters immediately stand apart — and for good reason. Most notably, we meet David, the synthetic played by Michael Fassbender, and Meredith Vickers, portrayed by Charlize Theron. David’s synthetic nature heavily influenced the design of his costumes, which feature clean lines, minimalism, and Nehru-inspired tailoring. His look subtly reinforces his uncanny quality — uniform, sleek, and composed, but not entirely human. Vickers, on the other hand, is characterized by sculptural silhouettes that speak to her cold corporate power and rigid authority. Janty Yates shared her enthusiasm for Vickers’s wardrobe with ClothesOnFilm, saying, “It’s made from one of the most expensive suiting fabrics I’ve ever used. It’s silk and vicuña; it has a slight sheen on it.”
No discussion of the costume design of Prometheus would be complete without mentioning the spacewear. From the moment I first saw the film in theaters, I was struck by the vivid blue and orange tones of the suits — a striking blend of futurism, emotion, and dystopia. In the aforementioned interview, Janty Yates shared that she “wanted to go somewhere where it wasn’t traditional spacesuits. Sleek and slimline, to avoid the sort of ‘Michelin Man’ look of the NASA suit.” The goal was to create a simple, minimalist interpretation of the classic spacesuit — one that still felt functional. And when it came to functionality, Yates had a clever solution: instead of bulky external gear, everything — heart rate monitors, blood sugar trackers, life support — would be built seamlessly into the suit itself. No more “giant bags like old NASA suits”; in Prometheus, the future would be sleek, self-contained, and eerily beautiful.
You know the saying, “not all heroes wear capes”? Well, in the Alien universe, the real heroes are the ones wearing cool space helmets. In fact, the helmet played a pivotal role in the costume design for Prometheus. If those helmets felt incredibly practical and believable to you, it’s because they were! Janty Yates explained, “To save on visual effects, we installed 11 working monitors, which displayed video, data, and graphs. They all worked, but it was a complete nightmare. The batteries, which had to be charged overnight, would fail halfway through a take. The only way we could do it was battery-operated.” Yates continued with awe, “Some amazing people installed them; we found the smallest monitors possible. There are five in the base and six overhead on a yellow strip.”
Unfortunately, as Yates noted, “the way the film is cut, you don’t really see them that well.” And it didn’t stop there — the helmets also contained around 1,000 LED lights, which helped illuminate the actors on set. Without additional lighting in the ‘pyramid’ set, those lights were critical to the visual quality of the scene. The helmets even had fans installed to keep the actors cool and ensure the helmet visors wouldn’t fog up. As Yates put it, “We had two powerful fans installed in the back of the helmet so the globe didn’t condense, and so the actors didn’t panic as they had constant air.”
Before we retreat into our cryo-sleep chambers for another year, let’s talk about the true star of the show: The Engineers. I’ve always been captivated by the Engineers, as they embody an unsettling balance of beauty and threat. There’s something both inviting and horrifying about them — their towering scale and subtle emotional cues add layers of complexity to their presence. What is it about the Engineers that initially seem so trusting, only to lead to the downfall of everyone aboard the Prometheus? Production designer Arthur Max shared with IGN that “The basic style was the big issue – what would the Engineers look like? Because the Engineer is basically the star of the movie. So, coming from a classical background in architecture and design, I was aiming to elevate them to a humanoid figure inspired by Greco-Roman traditions.” Ultimately, the Engineer became an amalgamation of diverse influences, all of which shared a striking feature: a nose. Max recounted, “Ridley said, ‘I’ve always noticed that the most beautiful classical statues have no bridge on their nose. It flows from the forehead, straight into the ridge of the nose.’ So, I Photoshopped Michelangelo’s David, Elvis Presley, and the Statue of Liberty, blending them together.”
The costume design of Prometheus plays an essential role in shaping its worldbuilding and emotional tone, blending practicality with futuristic innovation. Every character, from the hardened explorers to the enigmatic Engineers, is visually defined in a way that reflects their role in this tense, philosophical narrative. Janty Yates’s work is more than just costume design; it is integral to the film’s atmosphere, reinforcing its themes of exploration, the unknown, and the chilling consequences of uncovering the origins of humanity. Through cutting-edge designs and a commitment to functionality, Prometheus once again proves that costume design is a crucial element in telling a story that spans both space and time. Happy Alien Day to all of those that celebrate. I can’t wait for next year, as we will be chatting about Alien: Covenant, another film with costumes designed by Janty Yates.
Works Cited
Chris. “Prometheus: Exclusive Interview with Costume Designer Janty Yates.” Clothes on Film, 3 Aug. 2021, clothesonfilm.net/2021/08/03/prometheus-exclusive-interview-with-costume-designer-janty-yates-clothes-on-film/.
O’Brien, Lucy. “Designing Prometheus.” IGN, IGN, 11 Oct. 2012, http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/10/15/designing-prometheus.
