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Alina Starkov of Shadow and Bone
Alina: Jessie Mei Li
Costume Designer: Wendy Partridge
Based on books from The Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo, the Netflix TV show “Shadow and Bone” combines the first book of The Shadow and Bone trilogy and weaves into it the characters from the Six of Crows duology.
The premise is Ravka is a country that is figuratively and literally torn by war and a dark accursed shadow region filled with monsters called “The Fold.” Grishas, special humans that have powers to help manage the fold however only one fable Grisha has the ability to tear down it, The Sun Summoner, a grisha who can manipulate sunlight. However there are those who want to use the Fold for their own ambitions.
Who is Alina Starkov?
Alina Starkov is a mixed-race orphan and humble cartographer in the first Army who turns out to be the sun summoner. This not only puts a massive target on her back but upends her life as she is taken away from her crush/childhood best friend to live and train with other Grisha.
She is taken under the wing of the leader of the second army (Grisha) by General Kirigan, the Darkling, a shadow summoner. Kirigan is an enigmatic individual who has his own motivations for Alina and her powers, basically he is the charming villain who is obsessed with Alina.
Season 1’s Best Costumes
Throughout season one Alina doesn’t have many costumes and most of her costumes are either uniforms, disguises or garments she is forced to wear. Her costumes do not express her as an individual but her function as part of a unit or the sun summoner.
That is not to say Alina’s costumes are not interesting, pretty or well designed. They are! Some may be simple but others highly decorative and symbolic. This is a list of her best costumes from Season 1. As she doesn’t have many costumes this list is her five best and most memorable costumes.
FYI: List could change in future.
**SPOILERS AHEAD**
5. Black Antler Gown
Alina’s ultimate goal as the Sun Summoner is to destroy the Shadow Fold and heal Ravka. This leads her to Morozova’s Stag, one of three legendary amplifiers that can theoretically make her strong enough to accomplish the feat. However things go awry when she doesn’t land the killing blow, a seemingly necessary requirement to gain the power of any amplifier.
As a means to control Alina’s light power Kirigan kills the stags and has the stag’s antler fused to her resulting in a horrific bony protrusion out her shoulders. Alina is dressed more formally when confronting Kirigin for all his lies and misdeeds against her. The scene ends when he utters his iconic villain line.
Her costume in this scene is a floor length black gown with a yellowish-gray antler motif along the sweetheart neckline and at the hem. It has long sleeves. The back closure is metallic gold laces. The skirt has a wide waist pleating which gives some fullness.
Her hair is done up with flower hair ornaments along with Ravakan royal treasure at the back that has a black tassel adding a regal feminine touch. This color scheme and motif is to show that Alina is under Kirigan’s control as well as elevating her into a regal status.
4. First Army Uniform
In her introductory scene Alina is wearing her first army uniform. First army is made up of normal people, or Otakazat’sya, and used for warfare. The second army is made up of Grishas. Her role in the first army is a cartographer. The uniform is standard issue consisting of an olive-green jacket with karakul curly wool trim along the high collared neckline and center-front and at the cuffs.
There are touches of blues at the collar and cuffs. She also has a lightweight blue scarf with a light yellow crochet trim which doesn’t seem to be a standard issue. The scarf could be a forwarding for her concealing her true self especially since it flies off when she enters the fold and it flies near Kirigan.
When we first see Alina in her uniform she is wearing matching pants that are held up by suspenders worn under the jacket along with a loose-fitting white tunic. There are a few times in season one when she wears this costume.
She wears it without the jacket when it is formally revealed that she is the sun summoner. Wearing it pared down shows her not only her vulnerability but strips away of her old identity as an outcast nobody to show who really is, a powerful and legendary grisha.
After this she is given a borrowed healer’s kefta, a red one with gray embroidery. While it is not her’s it does indicate her role for healing her country. The kefta are the uniform for the grisha that mark their orders and abilities with the orders.
She is seen again in a first order uniform when she is presented to the King but this time with an olive-green skirt and a veil embroidered with gold metallic bullion thread. Alina herself calls this look ridiculous but it’s meant to be symbolic of the sun summoner being plunked from the King’s own army.
3. Sun-Gold Kefta
The climax of season one has the main character entering the fold as Kirigan unleashes his powers and extends it outward on to his enemies thus weaponizing the fold. Alina does gain an upper hand and regains her power as the antler fully assimilates into her.
The costume she wears during the final confrontation in the season finale is between a kefta and a dress due to the neckline which is to accommodate the horns. It’s made from green-ish gold rib-like textured silk. It has striking black embroidery all over it with black beading sewn into the embroidery giving a subtle reflective element.
Like the antler dress it has a sweetheart neckline. It has black border down the center and trimming the neckline. The center front is closed with black buttons with hooks and eyes. There is also a military belt with a gold buckle which Alina typically wears with her keftas. The under sash is black and edged with gold which is typical for her.
Most likely she is wearing the antler dress underneath as you can see the design at hemline when Alina is lying on the deck. She also wears the same hair ornaments as well. She also has a black fur collar cloak with gray embroidery over this costume.
2. Etherealki Kefta
The Kefta are the Grisha’s uniform. Canonically they are made from a special fabric that is bullet-proof. The color and embroidery mark their orders and sub-types. Alina is a special type of summoner or Etherealki who wears blue.
While Kirigan wants her to wear his color, Alina choses to wear blue. This one her few fashion related choices she has throughout season one. As she is the Sun Summoner her embroidery is gold and metallic gold.
Her kefta looks like it’s made from the same type of fabric as her black just in a darker blue. During the training scene the other grisha wears woolen keftas but during the dinner scene later in the same episode you can see the other etherealki wearing keftas with the same type of shiny darker fabric as Alina.
Unlike other grisha she has a gold double eagle belt buckle which is seen on her other costumes. And her wide waist sash while also blue is edged with gold like black versions. The fur lining is gray and she wears a silver silk high necked blouse underneath. She does pants and a skirt pending on the scene.
1. Black Kefta
The inverse of the sun-gold kefta is the kefta Alina wears during the Winter Fête which is black with gold bullion embroidery with a sun motif. Up until this point Kirigan has been trying to get Alina into his color, black, the ultimate power color. This would signify Alina as his equal as he believes her to be his power’s counterpoint as well the only one who is as powerful as himself.
Alina also mentions that she will be wearing black moving forward signaling Kirigan is winning her over to his side which doesn’t last long after this episode. Her black kefta is made from a textured fabric or patterned silk. It is lined with black with a high collar. Underneath she wears a black silk blouse with a skirt.
She wears a three-strand beaded necklace with gold and black beads. In her hair is a large golden hair ornament made up of gold and black beads, gold metal components and linked chains. The piece further adds to her prominence, importance and power.
Fun fact: The Winter Fête episode is where the Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows plots converge.
