Fashionista: how costumes help deliver the powerful social commentary in “sorry to bother you”

"This movie is about black and brown people — a multicultural mélange of all of us," says Deirdra Govan, costume designer for "Sorry to Bother You," the buzzy new film written and directed by rapper Boots Riley. 

Set in an alternative version of Oakland, Calif., the Sundance darling packs a plethora of thought-provoking social commentary into a fast-paced satirical comedy. "Sorry to Bother You" takes on race and identity, labor, incarceration and capitalism, eventually crashing into a bonkers almost-sci-fi climactic point. Govan's costumes, which are (to borrow her words) a mélange of vivid prints, plaids, stripes and paisleys that jump off the screen, textures you can practically feel and evocative color palettes that help bring the story and compelling themes to life.