Rosebush Pruning Uses Fashion to Expose a Dysfunctional Family’s Privilege
Wednesday, 19 August 2026, 05:45
“They have nothing better to do, so they amuse themselves with fashion,” says Bina Daigeler, the costume designer for “Rosebush Pruning,” describing the film’s fashion-obsessed family. Mubi
A vintage dress becomes an unexpected flashpoint, while one inherited accessory quietly hints at a shift in who belongs inside the family
In Karim Aïnouz’s “Rosebush Pruning,” costumes do more than merely complement the characters; they become an important tool of satire aimed at an extremely wealthy and deeply dysfunctional American family. The adults – Anna, Jack, Ed, and Robert – live in a modernist house in the Catalan countryside, where fashion shapes their habits, conversations, and relationships
The characters’ style underscores their detachment from reality and their unhealthy need to display privilege. For this family, clothing is not only a means of self-expression but also a way to compete for status and attention
Fashion as a
The arrival of Marta, the girlfriend of Jack, the eldest son, almost immediately disrupts the family’s usual order. Anna dismissively comments on Marta’s black dress with a red floral print, calling it mass-market. Yet costume designer Bina Daigeler found the vintage piece in Barcelona
The episode reveals less about Anna’s attitude toward clothing than about the other family members’ jealousy of Jack and their distorted sense of exceptionalism. Even a random dress worn by a newcomer to the house becomes an excuse for them to judge, belittle, and mark the boundaries of their closed community
How Bina Daigeler Created the Characters’ Wardrobes
Bina Daigeler, who previously worked on “Mulan” and “Tár,” developed the costumes together with Karim Aïnouz. Oneorolla
The fittings resembled a dress-up party. This approach suited the characters: the family has unlimited money, lives through fashion, and can afford bold, unexpected, and at times chaotic combinations. Every look had to feel carefully considered, but not overly perfect
Character Costumes: Versace, Neutral Tones, and a Pistachio Suit
The youngest, Robert, is the most demonstrative in his approach to clothing. His wardrobe consists of Versace silk shirts and knitwear, and the character’s obsession with the brand takes on an almost unsettling quality
Ed, by contrast, chooses textured fabrics, light neutral colors, and sporty silhouettes. Jack has a much more restrained style: he mostly wears simple T-shirts and shirts. The most striking item in his wardrobe is a pistachio-colored suit
Anna’s Look and the Symbolic Velvet Shawl
The film’s central fashion figure is Anna, played by Riley Keough. Her costumes combine vintage pieces with designer details, including blue Chanel boots and a bright tweed dress
A dark blue velvet shawl inherited from her mother plays a special role in Anna’s wardrobe. At the end of the story, the item passes to Marta. This change of ownership becomes a visual sign that Marta’s place in the closed, tense world of this family is gradually shifting
We recommend paying attention to:
- Rosebush Pruning uses costume design to reveal a wealthy family’s rivalries, power struggles, emotional dependence, and shifting relationships through vintage fashion and symbolic accessories.
- Rosebush Pruning uses designer fashion, vintage clothing, and striking colors to expose power struggles, hidden desires, and emotional fractures within a wealthy Catalan family.
