The Blind Assassin: The Novel That Inspired My Costume Designs

If you know me a little, you probably know that I have more than one website.

One of them is my book review blog, where I write about the books I love most. And if you have visited that website before, you will also know that I often write about my favourite author: Margaret Atwood.

I have read almost all of her novels.

Some are brilliant.

Some are thought-provoking.

Some stay with you for weeks.

But one book stands above them all.

The Blind Assassin.

Without any doubt, it is one of the best books I have ever read.

A Story That Slowly Reveals Its Secrets

It is not an easy novel.

In fact, that is exactly what makes it so wonderful.

Margaret Atwood tells one story through several different layers.

There is the life story of Iris Chase.

There is the mysterious novel inside the novel.

There are memories.

There are conversations.

And there are newspaper articles.

Slowly, almost without noticing, all those pieces begin to fit together.

The result is heartbreaking.

When everything finally falls into place, you suddenly understand what has really happened.

It is one of those rare books that becomes even better the second time you read it.

Most Readers Skip Them...

I Read Them Twice

Many readers probably hurry through the newspaper articles.

After all, they interrupt the story.

They almost seem like background information.

But I loved them.

In fact...

Sometimes I read them twice.

Why?

Because they contain something I find endlessly fascinating.

The clothes.

The newspaper reports describe important social occasions, weddings, dinners, ceremonies and public appearances.

And almost casually, they mention what Iris and her husband are wearing.

Not in a few words.

But in delicious detail.

Silk.

Velvet.

Fine wool.

Elegant gloves.

Beautiful hats.

Perfectly cut coats.

Soft colours.

Sharp tailoring.

As a costume maker, I could almost see the fabrics moving.

I wasn't only reading.

I was designing those garments in my imagination.

Clothing Is Never Just Clothing

One thing I have learned from making costumes is that clothing always tells a story.

A dress can reveal wealth.

A worn sleeve can suggest hardship.

A perfectly fitted jacket can show confidence.

A carefully chosen hat can reveal social status before a character even speaks.

Margaret Atwood understands that perfectly.

She rarely describes clothing simply because it looks beautiful.

She uses fashion to quietly tell us who these people are.

How they wish to be seen.

And sometimes...

Who they are trying to hide.

As someone who designs historical and fantasy costumes, I admire that enormously.

A World That No Longer Exists

Whenever I read The Blind Assassin, I feel transported to another era.

Early twentieth-century Canada was certainly not a perfect world.

Life could be difficult.

Expectations were strict.

Opportunities, especially for women, were often limited.

Yet there is something deeply beautiful about the elegance of that period.

People dressed for the occasion.

They chose fabrics with care.

A coat was made to last.

A hat completed an outfit.

Gloves were not an afterthought.

Clothing reflected dignity, personality and craftsmanship.

Perhaps that is what fascinates me most.

Not the luxury.

But the care.

Inspiration for My Own Work

Looking back, I realise that this novel has influenced my costume designs more than I ever expected.

It encouraged me to slow down.

To study historical silhouettes.

To appreciate beautiful fabrics.

To understand that texture can tell a story just as powerfully as colour.

Sometimes, while choosing velvet or searching for the perfect trim, I remember those newspaper articles.

I can almost hear the voice of an old society columnist describing every elegant detail.

That may sound a little strange.

But inspiration often arrives in unexpected ways.

More Than a Book

For me, The Blind Assassin is much more than a novel.

It reminds me why I love historical clothing.

Why I enjoy stepping into another century.

Why I find myself looking—perhaps a little voyeuristically—at photographs of people long gone, wondering who made their dresses, how heavy their coats were, or what kind of fabric they wore on an ordinary Tuesday.

Books like this remind me that fashion is never only about fashion.

It reflects society.

It reveals character.

It captures a moment in history.

And sometimes...

It quietly inspires someone, many years later, to sit behind a sewing machine and create something entirely new.

"A story is never just told in words. Sometimes it is woven into the fabric, stitched into the seams and hidden inside the clothes people choose to wear."

If you have never read The Blind Assassin, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Not only because it is an extraordinary novel.

But because it taught me to look at clothing differently.

And perhaps, without even realising it, it helped shape the costume maker I have become today.