The future of “The Fifth Element” is recognizable enough, though some of the costumes contained within the movie are definitely eyebrow-raising, to say the least. With plenty of colors, straps, and absolutely bonkers hairstyles, the fashion of the future definitely helps to highlight the passage of time. Just look at how the antagonist of “The Fifth Element,” Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg (Gary Oldman) appears in his very first scene — an almost iridescent flared suit-dress, covered neck, and plastic half-dome upon his head. Likewise, even Korben Dallas’ costume features bright plastic suspenders, and the cheetah-print outfit Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker) is anything but subtle. However, perhaps the most iconic costume of “The Fifth Element,” and one that probably shouldn’t have been greenlit, is the famous bandage outfit worn by Leeloo (Milla Jovovich).
Speaking with Vogue, Jovovich explained how the famous costume came to be, and it was created by director Luc Besson and world-class fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier. She elaborated, “Being in a hospital, they put a robe on you that is open in the back so they can reach in and put injections and tubes. So you have to have as little as possible, but for the sake of modesty, you have to cover up … When people get wounded, like, they just put bandages to cover the necessary bits. And Luc and Jean Paul talked about this bandage idea, and Jean Paul was like, ‘Genius! I love it.’”
