🤐 SPOILER ALERT 🤐
They Cloned Tyrone is a trippy urban tale about the discovery of a massive, mind-control and body-snatching conspiracy in a modern-day Black neighborhood. And while the movie sings with narrative mastery and is peppered with whiplash, WTF twists, it tells its gonzo tale in ways beyond its scalpel-sharp characters and hilarious dialogue — specifically, the clothes that stars Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, and Teyonah Parris wear in the film. Crafted by veteran costume designer Francine Jamison-Tanchuck, whose four-decade career includes work on Glory, Boomerang, One Night in Miami, and the forthcoming musical adaptation of The Color Purple, the wardrobe choices in They Cloned Tyrone speak volumes without the use of words and bring the world envisioned by director Juel Taylor to vibrant, soulful life.
Here, Jamison-Tanchuck describes seven of the movie’s most memorable — and metaphorical — outfits and how they add rich new layers to this uniquely stylized film.
For most of the movie, Fontaine (John Boyega) wears the same uniform: a green, military-ish jacket and a hoodie. On the surface, the drug dealer’s ensemble might not look like it’s saying much, but we can glean a lot from his day-to-day look. From the start of the film to the end, Fontaine’s existence is marked by a sense of world-weary defeat. He doesn’t have a lot to live for, and it shows in his utilitarian, bland clothing choices. Add in his hoodie –– a symbol of working-class life, nonconformity, and dope-boy street swagger –– and we know exactly who Fontaine is just by looking at him. “We wanted to give the character a signature color,” Jamison-Tanchuck tells Tudum. “It’s a dull color. So it really is about not bringing too much attention to himself but, at the same time, being comfortable and having enough pockets on him.” He needs someplace to hold all that product and cash, after all!
We learn a lot about Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris) and Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx) before they utter a word. Yo-Yo is dressed for the job… and that job happens to be the oldest one in the world: sex worker. With her revealing halter top, teeny skirt, and door-knocker earrings, her working-girl look is punctuated by long boots that seem tailor made for walking the streets, and maybe concealing a weapon or two. Her big Afro and bold purple lipstick also tell us that Yo-Yo is a woman with her own unique and attention-grabbing style — a woman has to stand out to attract clients, after all. In an interview conducted in June, Parris described Jamison-Tanchuck to Tudum as “a legend in the industry.”
Slick Charles, meanwhile, looks very much like the archetypal pimp. His satin, shawl-collared paisley robe, gold chain, and rings on every finger not only tell us this guy is a player, but also intentionally help cloud the exact time period we’re in. “Charles really is about going back in time — he lives in the past,” Jamison-Tanchuck says. “His outfits have to be kind of slick. He is trying to bring attention to himself. He likes to be the focal point of the room. We loved the idea of him being in the bell-bottomed trousers. I borrowed from the ’70s, certain Blaxploitation movies and trends of that era quite a bit.”
Our heroes’ quest to get to the bottom of the strange happenings in their neighborhood leads them into a church –– the last place we’d expect to see them and very likely the last place they want to be. That pitstop gives the audience a glimpse of the fiery clergyman, played by the veteran scene-stealer David Alan Grier. The actor’s pitch-perfect ensemble is classic Black-preacher-in-working-class-neighborhood chic: a pinstripe three-piece suit in maybe not the best fabric; a collar wider than an ocean; a contrasting polka-dot necktie. “We were borrowing from the flamboyant pastors out there,” Jamison-Tanchuck says. “I wanted to create a look that was speaking to what this guy was about: pastoring at a church and then he and the deacon are going to the strip joints. We thought about putting spats on his shoes, but then thought that maybe that was too much.”
Here it is: the defining image of They Cloned Tyrone. The shot that’s used in promotional pics that effectively summarizes the movie –– and it’s a doozy. Fontaine is in his standard jacket and hoodie, while Yo-Yo and Slick step out fresh to death. “I remember being in the studio trying to figure out what we were going to do,” Parris said. “And each individual element, I was like, ‘This might be a lot, no? Yellow sky-high boots, with leopard, fur… big-ass Afro, lipstick, cheetah nails? OK! It was embracing that this is who this woman is, and this is normal for her. That wardrobe definitely helped me get into character and spoke a lot to just who she is.”
Slick, meanwhile, steals Yo-Yo’s shine in his getup: a showstopping lavender coat with a fur collar worn over a matching lavender suit with a belt detail. “Again, I was borrowing from past images, Blaxploitation movies of the ’70s,” Jamison-Tanchuck says. “I wanted a fabric that was not quite real; this character is drawn to colors and flash. I chose faux leather, which I think is really over the top. There’s a little bit of modern as well. In the script, what I thought was kind of interesting is that his stable of women really pay no attention to him. In fact, they curse him out or say they’re not going to do [something], and I thought that was very funny. I wanted to create a look for Slick Charles where everything was matching, lots of jewelry, really go overboard.”
A cheetah-print top, faux-fur coat, and sequined fanny pack: Yo-Yo clearly doesn’t shop at Saks Fifth Avenue. More likely, Yo-Yo patches together cute outfits from secondhand shops, things people give her, and maybe the occasional splurge after a busy night on the corner. Props for creativity, Yo-Yo! “That was purchased out of several boutiques in Atlanta,” says Jamison-Tanchuck. “I thought it was really adorable for her. I saw a lady somewhere in Atlanta decked out in animal prints, high heels to match, and I ended up borrowing that idea. You can get some wonderful ideas going around in public, being around people.”
Biddy (Tamberla Perry), Yo-Yo’s “colleague” hustling on the streets and a bit of a frenemy, makes Yo-Yo look like Jackie Onassis by comparison. Her all-pink outfit near the midpoint of the movie signals that Biddy is up for anything and sure to show you a good time. “Biddy is probably one of Slick Charles’ older women,” Jamison-Tanchuck says. “But Biddy also feels maybe time has gone by for her a little bit. She still feels that she has something about her that she can attract someone, can still be out there. That’s what I like about Biddy: Even though she may not have the figure like Yo-Yo and some of the younger ones, she’s still not afraid to try it.”
Slick Charles’ final ensemble, which he wears while leading a team of well-armed allies and enemies from the streets down the nefarious underground cloning lab, is nothing short of instantly iconic: a brown leather coat with a fly-ass collar, gold and ice on each finger. It’s a loving homage to Ron O’Neal in Super Fly, and it took countless hours to pull off. “That was totally built [from scratch],” Jamison-Tanchuck says. “I just wanted it to be something so special. I shopped for the leather in a leather store in Atlanta. And it had to be laid out in different patterns to see how it would work. For Slick Charles, this was like armor, because he was ready to battle. He was coming to rescue Yo-Yo. It was a challenge, and I love how it came together.”
They Cloned Tyrone is now streaming on Netflix.
