The merch of "Poor Things!" is as good as the film

At a certain point in Poor Things!, Bella Baxter wears a rather bizarre pair of sunglasses, just like her outfits. They are tortoiseshell, square-shaped, and with side flaps, and at first glance, they almost resemble 3D glasses from the past. Contrary to what one might think, that accessory is perhaps the most realistic among the costumes of the film: the glasses, in fact, are truly typical of the era in which the story is set - that is, the Victorian period, spanning approximately from 1840 to 1900. In a short time, they became a highly desired object among those who loved Yorgos Lanthimos' film. Not surprisingly, they are at the center of the film's marketing campaign, nominated for 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Emma Stone), and Best Costume Design. The latter were curated by the English costume designer Holly Waddington, who has already worked on films like The Great or Lady Macbeth, and were selected with the aim of reflecting «the curiosity and imagination» of the protagonist - as explained to Refinery29 magazine.

Poor Things! sunglasses

Bella Baxter is a suicidal girl who is awakened by a scientist, having her brain implanted with the fetus she was pregnant with: in this way, she learns about the world with the innocence of a child in a woman's body. It's a story of female self-determination, and indeed the film is considered feminist in nature, since being "born" already an adult allows the protagonist to not suffer the restrictions imposed on women by the society of the time, which are still indirectly present. For this reason, Bella Baxter has a very open relationship with her desires, sexual and otherwise, and avoids submitting to the will of the men around her. The protagonist soon develops an adventurous spirit, and the sunglasses appear precisely in one of the first scenes where she is free to explore the world. For Bella Baxter, wearing a pair of sunglasses was a completely new gesture, just as it was for people in the Victorian era. What later became modern sunglasses, in fact, were not very common in the nineteenth century, although they had existed for several decades. Initially, they only had colored lenses, mostly to protect sick people and those with photosensitivity, and they became fashionable and more similar to those we know today only at the end of the century.

All about the merch of the film Poor Things!

In the Victorian era, sunglasses were made with materials such as bone, horn, or metal. Those used in Poor Things are made of tortoiseshell (a material that is now banned), feature small side protections to shield more from the sun, and can be folded to become a pocket-sized object: speaking with GQ, costume designer Waddington defined them as «absolutely unique». The American film company that supported Poor Things, Searchlight Pictures (which is owned by Disney), collaborated with the New York luxury brand Selima Optique to reproduce a collection of sunglasses - in limited edition - inspired by those of Bella Baxter. They are available in black, white, or tortoiseshell (the most similar to those in the film): they can be purchased for just over 500 euros at two of Selima Optique's stores in New York, as well as on the brand's e-commerce site. Here, however, only the white version is not sold out, while the other colors - for which there is a waiting list - should become available again starting mid-February. Those who purchase the sunglasses also receive a film shopper as a gift. A sardine box was also reproduced - also in limited edition - inspired by those eaten by Bella, and at the New York establishment Dante, you can taste the cocktail “Bella Martini”, made in collaboration with the brand Fords Gin. Finally, at Pat McGrath's store, you can purchase the same lipsticks and eye shadows chosen to make up the protagonist.