Netflix’s new film “You People” has resonated with viewers since its release date — becoming the streaming service’s number-one film with more than 55 million hours viewed following the late January release, according to Netflix — thanks in large part to the film’s stacked cast, comedic plot and streetwear-focused fashion.
Directed by Kenya Barris, “You People” tells the love story of Ezra (played by Jonah Hill) and Amira (played by Lauren London), an interracial couple who are navigating the cultural and social difficulties of bringing their families together. The couple initially bonded over their love of fashion, connecting on their first date through their footwear with Ezra’s Off-White x Nike Dunk Low sneakers and Amira’s Gucci shearling slides.
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Barris enlisted costume designer Michelle R. Cole to curate the film’s wardrobe after working with the designer on “Black-ish.” Cole explained that she looked to a vast range of resources for the “You People” costumes, sourcing from Los Angeles-based stores, vintage retailers and online to bring together unique streetwear pieces from Gucci, Dior, Dries van Noten, Prada, Nike and many other brands.
“We tend to do everything from head-to-toe,” Cole said about her process curating the costumes. “Then we’ll get it all in a fitting room and I’ll just start playing with it, so it’s like a garage sale when you do a fitting with me. That’s how we decided on the Gucci slides with the socks and the coveralls with the knit hat [for the first date scene]. That came together just being creative in the room.”
Cole said she worked closely with Barris and the actors on curating the costumes and found inspiration, particularly for Hill’s character, by following basketball players and their off-court style.
Hill’s character arguably had the most standout fashion in “You People.” The actor sported an array of Nike sneakers and other graphic pieces. The character — who was raised Jewish and works as a broker, but has aspirations to work full-time on his podcast that focuses on culture — has a love of streetwear that’s engrained in his personality, which was something Cole wanted to highlight through his costumes.
“I don’t think we went over-the-top for him,” Cole said. “We showed that he is in the culture and that he was raised on hip-hop. I felt like we didn’t outshine his personality. We met him with his personality where his clothes weren’t over-the-top even though we had a Gucci T-shirt or sweater.”
For London’s character, Cole explained she wanted to reflect Amira’s confidence through her wardrobe by dressing her in sophisticated, yet trendy pieces.
“She’s very chic and urban,” Cole stated. “She knows her style and she knows who she is.”
Cole, who has been nominated for nine Emmy Awards and has a lot of experience working in television, explained that one of the biggest things she was surprised about working on “You People” was how fast the process was. She stated pre-production started in the summer of 2021 and shooting was wrapped up between September and November that year.
“Being in the Costume Designers Guild, we talk about this how our costumes have now really become a big deal in our union and industry because we’re able to tell stories and we’re getting noticed a lot more,” she said. “We do take a director’s point of view, the executive producer’s point of view and actor’s point of view and our job is to convey that to the audience. On TV, I have 22 minutes for a show, so I have to make sure the audience sees something and understands in that second of time. The same thing comes when you do a movie — the audience has to read it and I think we did a really great job.”