Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas – Costume Design for “Maria”
When we think about opera and a passion for clothes and jewellery, there is one name which immediately comes to mind – Maria Callas. “Maria”, the movie by Pedro Larraín starring Angelina Jolie, deals with the last week in the opera diva’s life. This is not a review of the movie itself, but an overview of the fashion and costume design and how it complemented the storyline, particularly her mental state, and how it also reflected the overall fashion trends of the time. I highly recommend to watch this movie – irrespective of what the critics say and irrespective if you like opera or not. If you are a fashion enthusiast with a passion for details, you will enjoy this movie as well. Maria Callas’s allure goes beyond her talent as an opera soprano, you cannot tell the story of Maria Callas without her fashion and jewellery.
You can also watch my video here:
Background about Massimo Cantini Parrini’s Costume Design for “Maria”
Before we start, do I think that costume designer Massimo Cantini Parrini was successful in bringing Maria Callas’s wardrobe to life? Short answer: yes, absolutely. You can definitely tell how much thought he put into each and every single outfit. A movie about La Callas, and also recreating her wardrobe is not an easy task. Cantini Parrini thoroughly researched Maria Callas and her wardrobe and thought how he could create a fitting wardrobe for her last days – at a time where the diva rarely left the house. After her final performance in London in 1965, Maria Callas lead a very private life in Paris. Furthermore, her clothes should also reflect her mental state – the main colour scheme is black, like a mirror into the near future. The omnipresent nightgown shows that she was clearly confused in the end (especially when she wears it with a brocade coat, see below).[1]
In total, Massimo Cantini Parrini created 60 costumes of which 50 were used. Most of them were created and made by the costume designer, some vintage outfits were adapted for Angelina Jolie. The team of 20 people was required to create and redesign the outfits constantly until the end of the shoot – if the director changed something, the outfits had to change as well. This shows how important the costumes are to bring the story to life. In addition to his team, Cantini Parrini worked with workshops and specialists in Rome to create the wardrobe for the movie. Massimo Cantini Parrini worked closely with the director Pablo Larraín and Angelina Jolie. He mentioned in interviews that he met Angelina Jolie in Los Angeles to discuss the costumes. He brought sketches and samples and she very much involved and helpful in creating the costumes.[2]
Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas wandering through Paris during the last week of her life.
The challenge for a movie about a public figure like Maria Callas is not a lack of photographs. Callas was one of the most photographed women of her time. But as the movie focuses on the last seven days of her life – a period where Callas lived withdrawn from the public –there were almost no pictures of that particular period. Cantini Parrini also researched the archives for pictures not taken by the paparazzi – photos taken at homes of friends, when she was dining out or at private events. Cantini Parrini also said that he was inspired by the last picture of Maria Callas which was taken in 1977. His view of clothing goes beyond the mere purpose of dressing. Clothes are the first thing people see. They are a status symbol and a means of communication. He wanted Callas to appear genuine and created multiple versions of Callas through the outfits: Firstly, the famous diva who shines through her clothes onstage. Secondly, the public persona of Maria Callas and, lastly, the private Maria, the one who only feels safe in her apartment. For Cantini Parrini it was more than just reproducing a wardrobe from the past, he wanted to create Callas’s essence – and this was especially challenging for this last part of her life.[3]
This article is structured around three axes representing the different personas of Maria Callas: Firstly, the Maria of her last days: This one is split up in the private Maria and the wardrobe she wears in the safety of her apartment and into the outfits she wears on her walks through Paris, still representing the public persona of a diva with her impressive sense of style. The second axis is the outfits of her past, illustrating her flashbacks. The last part covers her stage outfits.
Outfits of the Last 7 Days
Let’s start the analysis with the main “actor” – the beautiful knitted robe which Maria Callas wears at home from scene one onwards. It indicates that we are at her home, where she feels comfortable around her butler Ferruccio and her housekeeper Bruna. This robe was designed by Massimo Cantini Parrini and a dressmaker, an elderly lady from Rome who still knows the special technique, knitted and crocheted it entirely by hand. The wool was made of two different types of yarn to give it a three-dimensional feel from every angle. Cantini Parrini wanted to create something which wrapped the diva like a second skin to make her feel safe. At the same time, it may even some kind of armor protecting her from the outside world. This is clearly not a usual dressing gown, in today’s terms we would call it the “loungewear” of an opera star. According to the costume designer, it shows her duality: On the one hand it is a nod to the Hellenistic priestesses or sculptures of Greek goddesses due to the colour. We could even take it a step further and say the Greek goddesses link to the goddess on stage. On the other hand, it shows her frailty. This robe creates a beautiful movement – the long sleeves, the bell-shape, at first sight, we may even overlook the complex workmanship. It is 1977, this robe also tells us that, because crochet and knits were a big topic in the 1970s. At the same time, it is a timeless piece.[4]
The knitted and crocheted robe “protecting” Maria in her apartment.
For the last seven days, whenever Maria leaves her home, Cantini Parrini opted for a black “colour” scheme. It already hints at an upcoming funeral. He actually used different hues of black and different textures, as black can easily look flat on screen. Furthermore, he worked with different textures: She mainly wears beautifully tailored black woollen or fur coats, leather jackets, paired with tops made from different textiles. Her signature style for leaving the apartment was a black flowy top paired with wider-cut and tailored black trousers and high-heeled boots. But not everything is black: Cantini Parrini added dashes of colour by using Hermès scarves, a green Gucci bamboo bag or various small accessories or details mostly in red. The latter is very interesting: As I mentioned in my articles about Coco Chanel and Christian Louboutin, this use of red is a very special. Many women with a passion for black, Chanel herself included, still add a touch of red by wearing red fingernails or red lipstick. This is exactly what Cantini Parrini was working with: It is most obvious when Maria wears a black and red silk Hermès carré on the day before she passes away. Sometimes we can spot a pattern in red and black underneath the coat. It feels as if these pops of colour are memories of the times in the past. All of these outfits mirror the times – the late 1970s but still reflect the diva’s personal style.[5]
The costume designer also worked with a wide range of accessories – from hats, to gloves, to scarves, to glasses. The attention to detail is definitely there. Callas was famous for her passion for hats – we get to see many of them. And the sheer amount of gloves shows that Cantini Parrini is a perfectionist. He could have made Maria wear the same gloves every day – not many people may have noticed it. But this movie is about Maria Callas, who was probably also a perfectionist in many ways. Would she have worn the same gloves every day? Unlikely, she probably considered if they matched the outfit. Another detail which may be easily overlooked is in the scene when Maria walks through the rain. While the other actors carry regular umbrellas, hers stands out with its interesting shape. It not only tells us this is a diva with a passion for the beautiful things in life, but also hints at the famous role of the next flashback – Madame Butterfly. Some of the accessories are vintage – the Hermès scarves are from collection of Cantini Parrini’s grandmother. Cantini Parrini felt that Callas would have worn them and showed them with many other scarves to Angelina Jolie who then chose exactly those scarves by his grandmother. Further vintage accessories were sourced in London because Cantini could not find them in Italy. Even Callas’s dressing room is carefully staged: It is filled with sculptures and busts and mementos from her career among the many garments and accessories. Cantini Parrini imagined garments which Callas would have worn and reimagined them on Angelina Jolie.[6]
The black “colour” scheme is broken up with accessories adding a pop of colour.
Let’s go back to the previously mentioned fur coats – Maria Callas was known for her big fur coat collection. For this movie, the team closely worked with PETA and they only sourced vintage fur from Cantini Parrini’s own collection. I really appreciate this collaboration and that he opted to not have fur coats made from scratch.[7]
When Maria walks out and tries to work on her voice with a pianist, she wears a dress or tunic with puff sleeves and a red or crimson floral print, a black vest over it and black tailored pants. It looks quite bohemian, very 1970s and also very Yves Saint Laurent – it is a nod to the friendship between the diva and the designer. Callas wore a lot of his designs in the 1970s. This is not the only reference, this tunic also links to the famous Ballets Russes. The costumes for the dancers were often inspired by foreign countries and cultures and many designers throughout the decades have been inspired by them (Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent are among them). This top also stands for Saint Laurent’s source of inspiration.[8]
Last time on a stage in a tunic reminiscent of Yves Saint Laurent and the Ballets Russes.
As mentioned in the introduction, the outfits also reflect Maria Callas mental health and the one exemplifying this best is the brocade coat with black fur trims. Maria wears it over her white nightgown on the evening before she passes away. She asks Bruna and Ferrucio to dress up, she wanted to go out. The outfits shows how confused she is; it is not entirely clear if they really went out or if she was hallucinating in the staircase of her apartment building. This coat is one of the most memorable garments of the garments but it also has a very interesting story: It actually belongs to Cantini Parrini himself. And not only that. He owns two garments by Maria Callas and this coat is one of them. Cantini Parrini got it as a gift about three years ago. The other garment he owns is a dress by Biki, a Milanese designer, from the 1950s. Callas frequently bought outfits at Biki when she was in Italy. When Cantini Parrini found the dress at a flea market about ten to twelve years ago, he did not know it belonged to Callas. But later on, when he looked closely at the garment he found a piece of cotton sewn into the hem saying “Mrs. Callas” and a number. This shows that she most likely really wore it because the numbers were put in by her wardrobe lady.[9]
The brocade coat is owned by Cantini Parrini and is a documented garment from Maria Callas’s actual wardrobe.
Outfits of Her Celebrated Past
Even though the movie is centred in the 1970s the flashbacks lead the viewers through Maria’s life in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Even though the flashbacks are mostly in black and white (except for the brief ones at the beginning of the movie), those outfits are clearly colourful – symbolising a past when she was happier.[10]
The movie starts with a journey through Maria Callas’s celebrated life and there are quite a few very iconic outfits – among them the red top and white skirt à la Audrey Hepburn which she wore for the cover of one of her records.
Angelina Jolie wearing a replica of the wavy ruby-and-diamond necklace owned by Maria Callas.
One of the most memorable outfits of these flashbacks in the movie is the black and white gown she wore on the day she met Aristotle Onassis. (It may also be a top and skirt.) At the lower part of the white top there is a rim with pearls. Furthermore, Angelina Jolie also wears a replica of a wave necklace owned by Callas. This necklace made from platinum, rubies and diamonds was given to Maria Callas by her first husband, the industrialist Giovanni Battista Meneghini. It was sold at an auction held by Sotheby’s for USD 280,000 in 2004.[11]
Jewellery is a very important topic – there cannot be a movie about Maria Callas without her famous jewellery collection. Cantini Parrini used vintage jewellery and also recreated pieces. It is worth noting that at the time, opera singers and celebrities in general were not gifted jewellery or garments by brands for free. They bought them themselves. Callas bought her jewellery herself and she also received gifts by her first husband and Aristotle Onassis. In the movie, there are two original Cartier pieces which were owned by the diva. Cartier had found them at auction and loaned a necklace and a brooch for the movie. According to Cantini Parrini, everyone was very moved when Cartier arrived with the jewellery Callas had worn. The ruby-and-diamond brooch can be seen in the lunch scene with JFK. The necklace may be the one when she dances with Onassis, but it could not be 100% confirmed for this article.[12]
The outfit for the lunch with JFK is a very memorable look from the flashbacks. The black ensemble with a white fur collar and the matching black hat feels like “power clothing”, she comes across as very confident. This is diametrically opposed to the night before. Maria wears a very feminine dress with a floral print. It is a typical style from the time but it also looks much softer, she even comes across as vulnerable. And this is probably what Cantini Parrini wanted to achieve: Callas attends the event with Onassis but he is already chasing after Jackie Kennedy.[13]
One outfit poses a mystery: In one scene towards the end, she meets her sister from Athens. It is not entirely clear if this is really happening in that last week of her life, or if it happened in the past. This is unlikely because Maria refers to a package which her sister sent to her during that last week. It is likely that she is hallucinating. A hint could be the clothing because it is not the usual dark colour palette – she wears a cream-beige jacket-and-skirt- combo with big gold buttons and a red bag. Also the fur coat for that scene is in light brown tones. Her sister wears a brown dress with big silver stripes – probably made from synthetic fabric which was very popular during the 1960s and 1970s. In general, it has to be mentioned that not only the costumes for Angelina Jolie were made really well, also those of the entire cast deserve some credit.
The evening before she passes away, Maria sits with Bruna and Ferruccio and she wears a golden top, with black details, it may be gold brocade. Again, it is not entirely clear: It could be a fancier dressing gown for at home, it could be something she would wear out for a dinner party, or it may be a reference to her stage costumes. It is probably the latter, hinting at the final show; this is the last time her butler and housekeeper would see Maria.
Stage Outfits
Maria’s flashbacks naturally involve her performances on stage. Massimo Cantini Parrini mentioned that one of his favourite designs was the one for Tosca – even though it only appears very briefly, right in the beginning of the movie. The second outfits he frequently mentioned in interviews is the dress for Callas’s Medea performance. Even though the cut of this dress is very simple, it was complicated to make. Firstly, because it is entirely hand-painted. And secondly, because he could not reference the original garment, as it is in the Museo Teatrale alla Scala, the museum of the Milanese opera house. It had to be created completely from scratch and it took eight versions of the dress until he was satisfied. Pablo Larraín wanted to buy this dress but the tailors refused because they wanted to keep it in their archives. It seems that this outfit was one of the favourites of the entire team.[14]
The stage outfit for Medea was entirely hand-painted and it took eight iterations to arrive at the final dress.
Another highlight is the replica of Callas’s dress in with a dramatic cape which she wore when performing in London in 1973. One of the major moments in the movie is Callas’s performance of Anne Boleyn in Venice in 1957. The diva wore a blue velvet dress and according to the costume designer it was challenging to find the right hue of blue. Additionally, the jewellery deserves credit as it is recreated to the tiniest detail.[15]
Footnotes
[1] Motion Pictures Association 2025
[2] Motion Pictures Association 2025, Netflix 2025, Refinery29 2025
[3] ibid.
[4] Motion Pictures Association 2025, Netflix 2025
[5] Harper’s Bazaar 2025, Motion Pictures Association 2025, Netflix 2025
[6] ibid.
[7] Refinery29 2025
[8] ibid.
[9] Motion Pictures Association 2025, Netflix 2025
[10] ibid.
[11] Refinery29 2025
[12] Harper’s Bazaar 2025, Motion Pictures Association 2025
[13] Town and Country 2025
[14] Motion Pictures Association 2025, Netflix 2025
[15] ibid.
Sources
Greek City Times, ‘Maria’: How the film’s costume designer transformed Angelina Jolie into legendary soprano Maria Callas, published by Paul Antonopoulos on 24 November 2024, last accessed on 10 February 2025.
Harper’s Bazaar, Maria Is a Cinematic Fashion Feast Fit for a Diva. How costume designer Massimo Cantini Parrini helped Angelina Jolie transform into the most famous opera singer of all time, by Bianca Betancourt, published on 25 November 2024, last accessed on 10 February 2025.
Motion Pictures Association, “Maria” Costume Designer Massimo Cantini Parrini on Designing Angelina Jolie as Legendary Diva, published on 9 December 2024, last accessed on 10 February 2025
Netflix, The Costumes of Maria, by Alex Frank, published on 17 January 2025, last accessed on 10 February 2025
Refinery 29, How Angelina Jolie’s Costumes In Maria Embody Maria Callas’ Most Memorable Looks, by Fawnia Soo Hoo, published on 27 November 2024, last accessed on 10 February 2025
Town and Country, Are the Jewels in Angelina Jolie’s Maria the Real Thing?
T&C’s resident jewelry detective is on the case, by Stellene Volandes, published on 27 November 2024, last accessed on 10 February 2025.
Sources Title Image
Massimo Cantini Parrini Official Instagram Account, Netflix, 01 Distribution, StudioCanal
Disclaimer
This article is based on the personal, views, experiences and research of the author, no fees were received by the organisations and people mentioned above. All information as of the date of publishing/updating.
More Fashion Topics
Iconic Accessoires
The Hermès Scarf Explained – All You Need to Know About the Famous Carré
The Artists Behind the Infamous Carré Hermès
Luxury Bags
Louis Vuitton Bag Materials Explained
The History of the Prada Nylon Bag
The History of Delvaux – All You Need to Know about the “Belgian Hermès”
Are Designer Bags a Good Investment?
Iconic Bags and the Women Who Inspired Them
Further Fashion Topics
Pierre Balmain’s Designs for Queen Sirikit of Thailand
The Y2K Fashion Trend Explained – What We Really Wore in the 2000s
Barbie – A Miniature Protagonist of Fashion History
Lady Gaga’s Best “House of Gucci” Outfits and How to Wear Them
The Haute Couture “Looks” of the Heidi Horten Collection in the Context of Fashion History
The Fashion History of the Dirndl – How Did This Iconic Trachten-Garment Come About?
Office Outfits Inspired by Emily in Paris’s Sylvie Season 1 and Season 2
Business Style Guide – What to Wear in Vienna in Winter