How Bojana Nikitovic's Emmy nominated costumes on 'Dune: Prophecy' make history

The HBO prequel TV series Dune: Prophecy is set 10,000 years before the world of Paul Atreides and focuses on the origins of the supernatural force of the Bene Gesserit, which began as the Sisterhood. Covering two timelines and differing sections of society, the series proved a multi-faceted challenge for Emmy nominated costume designer Bojana Nikitović. 

“You have to make everything from scratch,” explains Nikitović, “In a way, it’s a different world [to the Dune films], because the time distance is so big.” The series was developed by Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker, with Schapker also serving as showrunner and writer.

Developing bespoke costumes while producing ensemble wardrobes totalling more than 3,000 outfits requires working on a huge scale. Filming took place in Budapest - where production services were provided by Pioneer Stillking - and Jordan between November 2022 and December 2023, with hiatuses for the WGA and SAG strikes. Despite such a sprawling production, Nikitović never lost sight of the little things. “I like details,” says Nikitović, “and everybody in my crew, they are really dedicated to that.”  

What was it like coming into the Dune franchise? How much of the source material did you consume beforehand? 

With a franchise as big as this one, and known so well as this one, it was important to have a good base. I read the first three of Frank Herbert’s books when I was younger. Then I started reading the books that are connected with our story, like Sisterhood and Navigators 

Josh Heuston, Jodhi May, Mark Strong in 'Dune: Prophecy'; Source: Attila Szvacsek/HBO

At that time we didn't even have the whole script. We had only pieces of it. So that was really important, to get into that world well, and to be secure, to move in it. 

How did you deal with the practicalities of making so many similar yet necessarily distinguishable outfits for the Sisterhood? 

That was really the biggest task - we started from that group, because the sisterhood is such an important part of our story. 

It was really important to make the uniform that we all liked, and not only that we all liked, but that the uniform that would fit different body types, different ages - that was the main task.   

How did you source such vast quantities of fabric? 

I mean, it was a nightmare. We were lucky enough to have one factory [Fucotex, in Germany] that were almost producing only for us. 

We finally got the cut [of the uniform], and we knew that we like the cut, so we had to find the fabric that worked well with the embossing.  After we finished sisterhood and all these different groups, then we did [the costumes for] the Truth Sayers.  

We ended up making [the veils] with laser cut fabric because it's there, it's kind of a shield that they have in between them and the world, but at the same time you can see every blink of their eye, which was really important to us. 

Jihae as Reverend Mother Kasha in 'Dune: Prophecy'; Source: HBO

We made the gloves the same pattern as the veil, because we really want them to look particularly interesting and mysterious. 

You had teams doing laser cutting, 3D Design, metals and fabric work. How did you manage to put your own creative input into each of those individual groups?  

When you start doing a job like this, you can't rent this kind of stuff, neither you can buy. So you have to produce. You have to make everything from scratch. 

I must say, I'm really lucky, because I have a big team, and we work together whenever there is a big project such as this one. We have a metal master, leather master, a laser cut prop guy who is making in printing. Then we have the most wonderful women from Italy that are doing hand painting. I have the most wonderful milliner who did the head piece for Inez and corset.  

We know each other very well, and we understand each other. So to have them with me, it's a treasure. 

What was important to me [in production] is that we were mixing high tech things, like a laser cut and 3D printing, with handmade things. Mixing something that is total perfection, like 3D printing, with the hand made things that have this imperfection makes something really exquisite and special. 

How much of your design on this production was influenced by Couture fashion? 

I like to hope I'm always inspired by fashion, depending on what I'm doing, of course, what kind of period.  

Sarah-Sofie Boussnina in 'Dune: Prophecy'; Source: Attila Szvacsek/HBO

Fashion designers get inspired by the movies very often. I was an assistant on Marie Antoinette with Sophia Coppola, and I know how influential it was, but at the same time we were influenced by high fashion. So it's always good to mix those things and include fashion in the research. 

What was your process for the engagement ceremony dress? 

I'm pretty much a control freak; because of the passion that I have for this work I was really involved. My assistant made the pattern. We practically made the fabric [ourselves]. I was involved in making a drawing with my illustrator, because I also draw a lot. 

When we started making it, we put a nude tone underneath and started putting red [over it]. And I was like, it's not red, you know. It won’t look red.  Then we realised that, ‘okay, we are doing the red dress and we are going with the red base.’ And it worked. But it took time. 

How often do you find that the costumes adapt and change due to the actors’ interpretations? 

I think that costume is good when it works for the character, and that's the only purpose. That's the only way it should be. I really work hard to get to that point. I want to hear their feedback, and I want them to feel free to tell me if they're not comfortable.  

In the end, costume is really there to tell you something about the character. Even before that character starts to talk, when you see it, you have to understand, more or less, who is that?