Cruella De Vil, the fabulously devious protagonist from Dodie Smith’s 1956 book, The One Hundred and One Dalmatians, is all set to become our unlikely summer style muse.

The star of Disney’s latest major picture, Cruella – the imagined prequel to De Vil’s story, which stars Emma Stone as a young Cruella (or Estella as we learn she was once called) and Emma Thompson as the Baroness, her cunning but oh-so-fabulous mentor – which launches today and, for those who know the story, the film’s wardrobe is throbbing with all manner of monochrome magic.

Cruella director, Craig Gillespie, tapped two-time Oscar-winning costume designer Jenny Beavan to bring Estella and the Baroness’ fashions to life, which eventually involved a total of 47 costume changes for Cruella and 33 for the Baroness and evolved to be the largest project Beavan has worked on in her career.

While young Estella’s DIY punk aesthetic was inspired by German new wave singer Nina Hagen, it’s as the aspiring designer begins channeling her alter ego Cruella De Vil that we see the full embrace of black and white synonymous with the riotous villain. 

Indeed, it would appear that monochrome is having something of a coincidentally timed renaissance. Juxtapositions of black and white flooded the spring/summer 2021 collections at Chanel, queen of green Gabriela Hearst and Dolce & Gabbana. And it’s not just high fashion that monochrome has whet the appetite of; Rag & Bone has announced a limited-edition 14-piece capsule in collaboration with the creators of Cruella, in honour of the film’s release.

Horrified at the thought of wearing black and white together once again? Don’t be. According to Lyst, black and white are the most searched-for colours on its shopping platform, with demand spiking for specifically monochrome pieces since the start of January. Take a leaf from De Vil’s book and clash black and white with a bold red lip and you’ll be dressed to kill in no time.

Images: courtesy of brands