Madison Montgomery is the Egotistical Anti-Villain in American Horror Story:
Coven and one of the main protagonists in Apocalypse. In her early life, she was a
child star then a $7 million Hollywood starlet is known for her demanding prima donna tendencies
and her out-of-control partying that would go on to becoming a Member of the Witches Council
in her main timeline. Madison is confident, charismatic, intelligent, and seductive.
She has a vulnerable side beneath her icy, done-up designer exterior,
but rarely shares this as she is egotistical, sarcastic, and manipulative psychologically.
She jabs with her words and also utilizes the world around her for instance how she
is unable to take feedback about her performance in regards to direction, hence telekinetically
dropping a spotlight on the director. Following this event, the knowledge of her abilities became
public and she went on to joining Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies: a safe haven
for young witches and a pivotal location in Coven where her narcissistic and sociopathic tendencies
run wild between her telekinesis and spellcraft to her inner turmoil and outer complexities.
I'll be breaking down how her style materializes her journey while projecting
a curated head-to-toe put-together persona in AHS: Coven through fashion psychology
and the relationship Madison has to her own image as well as a sense of self. I'll
also be explaining the high fashion and cultural influences that hone Madison’s
appearance between her life as a Hollywood starlet to a Student at Miss Robichaux's
Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies where she seeks out to become the new Supreme
as well as her development into adulthood with the looks of her redemption arc in Apocalypse.
Madison’s look has three main components, one rooted in New Orleans that the costume designer,
Lou Eyrich, would research to capture the essences of this imagery to provoke the
undertone then translating this into contemporary wear. The second component is the cultural
influence where Eyrich would reference the 70s glamour and Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 2013,
which can be seen in promotional material as well as adapted into the overall tones, silhouettes,
and styling of Madison’s look. The third component of Madison’s style is her placement in this world
and how her character functions in terms of personality, demeanor, and relation to others.
For example, Madison is The Lancer, the primary foil, but have a friendly rivalry
who is equal to the protagonist rather than a sidekick, but they fall into second place,
hence saturating the gap of what the hero lacks through their differences of training styles,
approaches to goals, and cultural perspective. However the Lancer is not the opposite, they
have similar expertise, resources, and proficiency so variables are very similar, but their execution
creates meaning of their individual traits. In this case, Madison is everything that Zoe is not,
she is lofty, glamorous, unafraid, and promiscuous while Zoe is a girl next door type who comes from
humble beginnings and is concerned with navigating the world with caution and a mindful view.
This is tangibly signified in their respective high fashion ascendancies.
Zoe is noted to have her look derived from brands such as Margiela and Ann Demeulemeester in tone
over a cult of personality. Ann Demeulemeester is noted to be for poetic balancing acts of shadow
and light that provoke a serene and romantic feeling infused with a nuanced rock spirit.
In relation to Madison, the more conservative, gentle, and lightless
nature of Zoe creates emphasis on Madison’s nature- very forward, pessimistic, and dark.
Madison’s upbringing causes her to bury her humanity deep and develop a prima donna complex
that increasingly grows due to her Narcissistic personality. A narcissistic personality disorder
is developed through a combination of environmental, neurobiological, and
genetic factors that causes one to feel a great need for admiration, lack of empathy capacity,
and not being able to handle criticism even if constructive due to their overall entitlement.
Often these individuals will experience high degrees of anger, sadness, or even become numb at
low points. Each case is very specific and there is not one defining known cause to pinpoint. For
Madison, her environment and neurobiology, defined as the connection between the brain and behavior
and thinking, in adolescence have led to this development.
Her neglectful stage mother capitalized on her beauty and talents and even once blamed
her personal drug offense on Madison. This in hand with grouping in the spotlight,
Madison has honed her alpha bitch facade to protect herself. Her idea of nutriment
and love is to be adored and receive router validation for an inner sense of approval.
Madison holds onto her days in the spotlight and longs so deeply for this,
using cruelty as a coping mechanism for
the void of affection she would never receive unless performing or being admired by the public.
Hence psychologically speaking, Madison’s traits of vanity, lack of discipline,
and ego inflation. Her lack of a strong sense of self and confidence provokes feelings of emptiness
when unfulfilled as she is in need of a constant stream of applause to feel worthy.
Madison’s fashion is a form of wish fulfillment on a never-ending feedback loop, she can no longer
do what she has always known and sets her sight on becoming the next supreme taking any measure
necessary. While in the process she keeps her look as she is someone who has a materialistic approach
to fashion and self-image but utilizes it as a way to retain what she sees as the highlight of
her past in the present. Eyrich states on this, “Madison wore high-waisted short shorts and a
lot of fur because she was playing the rich Hollywood actress. And then always the hats.”
Like many in the Coven, Madison primarily sports black, but there is a much more elevated
and trendy approach in her look. For instance, texture play with furs, sequins, and leather
or overt pops of gold, linked psychologically to accomplishment, esteem, and triumph.
The only color she consistently wears is shades of red which are linked to
passion, desire, aggression, and dominance. Other elements of her style play into the
visuals of her role as a lancer through high hemlines, sheer elements, and eye-catching
embroidery in visual contrast with Zoe’s low hemlines, high coverage fabrics, and
subtle expressions. Visually they play off one another’s traits.
In 2013, the date of the show and the era of collections Madison's ensembles
are most inspired by we see the mission statement released by Kering which reveals,
“Yves Saint Laurent is into a new era, recapturing the impulses of youth, freedom, and modernity.”
These factors play directly into Madison’s strengths and she harnesses these traits
to achieve, in the most positive light these are her strong points, but her weakness of narcissism
and egotistical rises make her a shell of the person she used to be since this is no longer
reflected back to her in the eyes or desires of others. It is the image she consistently
wants others to see her in so much so, that her versions of hell revolve around this.
Madison’s prima donna complex runs so deep, this is amplified visually by her and Zoe,
the spectrum of their opposition and rivalry is revealed through the Alexander McQueen
Asymmetrical Button-Down Shirt sported by Zoe in juxtaposition
with Madison’s Criss Cross A-Line Dress by Herve Leger and Leather lace-up platform
boots by Prada finished off with sanity jewelry for a hint of glamour and a headband.
For recommencent, an outfit change occurs Madison is now in standout
pieces such as a are the gold beaded and mesh Swan Lake Headwrap and teddy faux fur
peacoat over a mini dress and boots completed with much adornment. Again
another visual contrast of Zoe and Madison’s strengths is revealed,
but since this is a test, they no longer are able to complement one another.
The matrons deem her unworthy of becoming Supreme and Madison becomes vapid.
This look, one of her downfall internally, due to her narcissism and prima donna complex,
reveals how despite her many redeeming qualities,
skill sets, and intelligence she internally stands in her own way.
We see this vapid nature captured in the final look. A stylish look unsuited to the occasion
fabricating this superior look and fashioning the look of the supreme as short in terms of the test,
a way of compensating for what she is lacking as she is a loose cannon with many outbursts.
Later Madison returns once again as a Member of the Witches' Council. This is a form of a
redemption arc for Madison, as it is clear there has been primarily off-screen development. Her
vulnerability begins to be displayed, her facade of not caring for those or wanting to be a part of
the coven falls as it is evident she was blinded by herself- that the role of supreme wasn't
actually about dominance and power, but that she longed for a place of belonging and acceptance.
The nature of her personality has refined and matured as her signature witch look’s execution.
This cruelty is still present, but there is a newfound sense of self. Madison has become much
more mindful, less overt. She has developed an understanding of her place in the world
and has grown to respect limits when necessary. Her lines have become cleaner, but she is still
herself sporting patterns and different textures with details that are much more concise as well
as streamlined. A new headstrong confidence that is no longer overt, she continues to uphold her
subtly over-the-top looks in a restrained manner. For instance in this look, where
she is sporting Versace Studded Flat-Top Wrap sunglasses with Studded Faux-Leather Moto Jacket
and leather gloves. A more luxurious and minimal take on her previous leather and spiked elements.
Overall, Madison proven to be one of the most dimensional characters going from her
dubbed shallow cold-hearted bitch title to a person who constantly was in a defensive state
constantly striving for more to a woman who harnesses her intelligence,
positive traits, and skillset to go beyond herself in her own
skewed way. Stylistically she holds onto her past and feels a great sense of comfort in this, her
high fashion inspired looks remain in tact though style becomes one that is esteemed
while in the detailing remaining as complex as she. Madison's character and style has made her
into one of the most iconic AHS characters that many love to hate and hate to love.
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