How ‘Cruella’ Hair and Makeup Designer Nadia Stacey Was Inspired by ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’

When you think of Cruella de Vil, you probably first think of her hair. The stark black-and-white is the character’s signature look, but no villain’s back story is compelling without its grey areas. With an iconic character like Cruella, any designers might be intimidated by the largeness of the character, but makeup and hair designer Nadia Stacey leaned into the character’s punk beginnings.

When I re-watched , I couldn’t help but notice that she was only using makeup to disguise herself whenever she crashed a party thrown by The Baroness. There may be a mask involved here or there, but Estella was only using makeup to change her face. She could’ve worn a mask make out of fabric or rubber, but she gives herself a mask with powders and lipstick. Her transformation reminded me so much of how modern drag queens use brushes to apply a new persona, and that’s something Stacey said was a clear influence for Estella’s simple but effective approach.

One of the most remarkable things that I learned from Stacey is how little time they had to achieve the proper effect. For both the garbage truck look and when Cruella has ‘The Future’ written on her face, Stacey and her team didn’t have the time to test it on Emma Stone’s face before the cameras rolled. It’s an amazing exampled of how a makeup department has to have faith in their work on the day to achieve a compelling look.

Above all else, Stacey and her team (along with costume designer Jenny Beaven) have taken the Cruella that we love to hate and given her a stylish, individual beginning.