Ella Doyle — BFA Fashion Design 2025

Materiality

Video: Ella Doyle's Frankenstein Trailer

Ella Doyle's Frankenstein

Frankenstein, The Modern Prometheus, identifies the consequences of using forbidden technology in a world that isn’t designed for it. The story is set in the early 18th century. Victor Frankenstein constructs the Creature using a series of the deceased, combining the past with an incompatible future. Reimagining the costumes of the period through the lens of 1920s precisionism challenges the combination of geometric rigidity with smooth floral designs, two styles and time periods that could also be considered incompatible yet eerily intertwined.

The Story

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus is a Gothic novel that follows Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist whose ambitions go against what is considered natural and is obsessed with the idea of reanimating life. Spending all of his time constructing a being made from human body parts, Victor is ultimately horrified by his creation, leading to its abandonment. With this creature’s new found life, it is left to fend for itself, learning quickly that it isn’t meant for this world. Rejected by society and its own maker causes the Creature’s spirit to become increasingly bitter, lonely, and vengeful. Its fast learning ability enables it to gain awareness of the injustices put on by man.

After rediscovering Victor, the Creature forces him to create a companion, in an effort to solve his loneliness. However, after his demands were met, Victor destroys his second creation out of fear of its potential. Enraged, the Creature vows to cause tragedy on Victor’s family, ending the lives of all of his loved ones. In the end, Victor is left guilt-ridden and hopeless with only one thing driving him; to kill his creation. In an effort to end its own life, the Creature leads Victor into the Arctic where he shortly dies after being found sick by Captain Walton, the one who shares Victor’s story.

Image: **The Creature** is a tragic character who was created with a childlike innocence and desire for companionship until he was met with extreme backlash and rejection after entering the world, thus turning him into a vengeful being. He represents the consequences of unchecked ambition although his fast emotional and intellectual growth create more empathy for him. He takes shelter in the wild, the only place that accepts him while his anger towards Victor and society grows.

Image: **Elizabeth Lavenza** is Victor’s fiance and adoptive sister. Her family abandoned her at a young age before the Frankensteins took her in. Despite her lonely origins, she finds love and acceptance through her plentiful upbringing. She is seen as compassionate, virtuous, the care taker, and moral center of the family. She truly sees the good in people, especially Victor, not knowing his biggest mistake until it eventually conflicts with her life in her tragic ending.

Image: **Victor Frankenstein** is a young scientist in his early twenties who comes from a wealthy family in Geneva, giving him the resources to pursue his ambitious goals that override his moral obligations to society. Despite his intelligence, his emotional unavailability and desire for glory are blinding features that lead him to create a monstrous creature who drove his life into a world of chaos.

Image: **Henry Clerval** is Victor’s childhood friend who can be considered to have the opposite traits as him. He is a loyal and compassionate person who is motivated by friendship and values human connection over intelligence. While also being a doctor, he focuses his skill on helping people in need, nursing Victor back to health at different points of the story. He symbolizes what Victor could have been if he decided to embrace his natural human responses. His tragic death by the Creature is a huge turning point for Victor towards his guilt and isolation.

Image: **Captain Robert Walton**, the narrator, is responsible for framing the story by appearing at both ends of the novel. He is an ambitious explorer in his late twenties with the desire to achieve glory, similar to Victor. When coming into contact with him on his journey to the North Pole, Victor relays his story of tragedy in the hopes of preventing him from having the same fate as him. Inspired, Walton decides to turn around for the safety of his crew. He is both strong and determined, yet lonely and introspective.

Credits

A film by Ella Doyle

Costume Designer Ella Doyle

Victor Frankenstein Jeff Byrd

The Creature Craig Doyle

Elizabeth Lavenza Mia Rouba

Henry Clerval Tony Vellecco

Captain Walton Alan Ceppos

Director Craig Doyle

Production Assistant Jesse Hernandez

Camera Operator/ Costume assistant Tatianna Agopian

Bio

Ella Doyle is a New York City based Costume Designer who leverages historical and cultural themes to create character-based aesthetics in fashion and photography. Her passion for film and theater support her exploration of character, story, and setting. Born in Los Angeles, she is currently a student at Parsons living in New York City. This context has allowed her to work on several productions and to assist the atelier at Eric Winterling Co. Her admiration for the people she has met along the way is what inspires her the most.

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