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The most high-tech gear on the Dune set wasn’t just the sandcrawlers or ornithopters. It was hidden inside the costumes. Around 400 of the nearly 2,000 outfits used in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune came with built-in cooling tech. It wasn’t sci-fi. It was survival. With filming set across scorching deserts, overheating wasn’t just a concern. It was a constant threat.
Enter Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West, who took the mission of blending function with style and ran with it. According to West, they created what she described as a “micro sandwich” of fabric layers that wicked away sweat while allowing air to circulate.
She told The Hollywood Reporter, “When there was a breeze in the desert, there was a cooling effect on the wearer — and the actors said it really worked.” These weren’t your average movie costumes. They looked like desert gear straight out of Frank Herbert’s Dune pages but with a modern twist and much more tech tucked in. And while the movie didn’t use literal stillsuits, West’s versions served a similar purpose, keeping the stars from melting under the sun.
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But these outfits didn’t just work hard. They looked incredible. West pulled inspiration straight from Herbert’s book, which, while rich in lore, kept descriptions loose and dreamy. Instead of copying every line, she channeled what she called “a feeling.” That feeling turned into what she and Denis Villeneuve dubbed mod-ieval, a blend of modern and medieval aesthetics.
For House Atreides, she leaned into a noble, knightly look. Think armor with Templar vibes. The Bene Gesserit? Their long, flowing black robes nodded to tarot cards and mysticism. And the Harkonnens? West went full creepy. Helmets were shaped to resemble ant heads. Their black armor shined like insect shells, pulled from medieval sketches of creepy-crawly creatures.
Behind all that style was sweat-soaked practicality. While audiences saw epic battles and desert drama, the actors inside were being cooled down by layers of hidden tech. No one looked overheated, but everyone definitely would have been without those suits. Bringing Dune to life was no easy feat. Herbert’s novel had a reputation. For decades, it was the sci-fi classic that just couldn’t be filmed. David Lynch gave it a bold try in 1984, and SyFy gave it a go again in 2000. But neither really stuck the landing.
Then came Villeneuve’s 2021 take, starring Timothee Chalamet in the lead role. Premiering on September 15, it finally cracked the code. Stunning visuals, powerful performances, and meticulous costume work made it a hit for fans and critics. So yeah, the sandworms were scary. The politics were deep. But what really kept the stars cool? A costume department that quietly packed 400 wearable air conditioners into the wardrobe. Now that’s Dune tech done right.
For more such stories, check out Hollywood News
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