<Insects, Dresses, and Rebellion: Why 'The Law of Lidia Poët' is Different from All Other Costume Dramas — Art News
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Insects, Dresses, and Rebellion: Why 'The Law of Lidia Poët' is Different from All Other Costume Dramas

Insetti, abiti e ribellione: perché “La legge di Lidia Poët” è diversa da tutte le altre serie in costume

The third and final season of the Netflix series "The Law of Lidia Poët" concludes the story of Italy's first female lawyer in 1880s Turin. While the narrative follows her legal battles and social defiance, the production distinguishes itself through a rigorous and symbolic approach to costume design led by Stefano Ciammitti. Rather than modernizing the past, the series uses historical aesthetics—specifically gothic literature and naturalistic obsessions—to construct a visual language of rebellion.

This focus on sartorial detail matters because it elevates costume design from mere decoration to a critical political tool. By incorporating unconventional motifs like insects into the protagonist's wardrobe, the series rejects traditional tropes of female fragility. Instead, it uses the visual arts of tailoring and jewelry design to reflect Lidia Poët’s complex identity as a social predator and intellectual pioneer, challenging contemporary standards of period-drama aesthetics.