Green is generally associated with hope and freedom, but it is also associated with jealousy and money. In the George R.R. Martin universe, it is the color of House Hightower‘s war, with one of the most striking moments in House of the Dragon when Alicent, the queen consort, is late for the wedding feast of her friend and stepdaughter, Rhaenyra Targaryen. The walk was powerful.

The green of the Hightowers is a reference to the Hightower Lighthouse, which is only lit to call the family’s vassals to war and its light is bright green. Therefore, by choosing to wear green from that moment on, Alicent is declaring her position and at the same time indicating that she will wage a war to keep her House in power. Against Rhaenyra, who wears black or red.

There are countless moments on TV and cinema in which green gained prominence. Alfonso Cuarón is a fan of the tone, which was instrumental in the narrative of his version of Great Expectations in the late 1990s. Green is Anne Boleyn’s “signature color” in The Other Boleyn Girl, it marked the turn of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind and it was what marked the Stepmother’s wardrobe (by Cate Blanchett) in Cinderella, among many others.

“Green is the color that helps to promote internal balance and reduce stress”, comments the specialist in chromotherapy, Camilla Mundell. “It has a refreshing and calming action, helping to promote physical and mental well-being,” she says.

Green is also a cruel color, not everyone shoots well in tone. In Hitchcock‘s films, he used color for various messages. In Vertigo, Scottie’s (James Stewart) obsession with Judy (Kim Novak) is highlighted. Verde also appears in The Rear Window and, of course, The Birds. There are beautiful green dresses in The Great, Cleopatra, Sisi, and other classics like House of Flying Daggers.

The use of green in the 1997 Great Expectations narrative seems to be an allusion to the opposite of what happens in the Charles Dickens classic, where any and all expectations of happiness are destroyed by life in some way. Still, in the 1990s, Gwyneth Paltrow‘s wardrobe made a big splash. Signed by Donna Karam, it is still cited as one of the actress’ most defining moments when she became a fashion icon.

After the outfit she wore on screen, another green model that became legendary was Keira Knightley‘s dress in Atonement, created especially for the film by costume designer Jacqueline Durran.

In addition to Alicent Hightower highlighting the ‘downside’ of green, how can we not mention Scarlett O’Hara’s (Vivien Leigh) ultra-classic curtain dress in Gone with the Wind, which epitomized her obsession with money?

Or Cinderella’s cruel Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett), whose envy and anger towards her stepdaughter couldn’t be even clearer in the green tones? Something that Camilla confirms as the perfect association. “Green can even be associated with greed, immaturity, and power,” she explains.

“You definitely get Sandy Powell [costume designer] directing,” Cate Blanchett said at the time of the film’s release. “She is a genius. If you’re wearing green, you don’t have to feign jealousy because the clothes, in a way, are doing it for you.”

But certainly, nothing detracts from the prestige of the dress created by Jacqueline Durran, with spaghetti straps, a flowing vaporous skirt, and a plunging neckline at the back. She had already worked with Joe Wright in Pride and Prejudice and had as a reference some basic criteria requested by the director: color (green), lightness, long length, and a look that was revealing, yet delicate and subtle. For the director, the color green symbolized both Cecilia’s (Keira Knightley) passion and Brionny’s (Saoirse Ronan) jealousy.

In House of the Dragon green will be even more present in the second season, since like his mother, Alicent, Aegon Targaryen will embrace his Hightower side. “Yes, colors are essential to differentiate the Houses, as it was in Harry Potter, for example”, costume designer Jany Tamime spoke to me last year. “Dragons are now everywhere in House of the Dragon, they are the source of details, prints, jewelry, etc. Fire and tails. I designed the embroidery, and I used many scales in leather, in fabrics. On to the armor… There is no Targaryen costume without a dragon association. Trying to find the dragons must be a challenge! I leave it to the fans to have fun tagging them!”, she added.

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