Margot Robbie’s messy, heavily accented, and frequently skipping version of Harley Quinn graced the big screen for the first time back in 2016’s Suicide Squad. While the movie generally disappointed fans, Robbie’s performance was its biggest redeeming factor, making fans fall in love with the psychiatrist-turned-antihero and bringing with it a wave of “Daddy’s Little Monster” shirts, doodled baseball bats, and Puddin’ chokers.
Earlier this month, Harley returned to theaters in Birds of Prey, joining Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) to save Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) from Gotham City’s notorious Roman Sionis/Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). The film — and its girl-power group dynamic — inspired a whole new assortment of quirky apparel, cosmetics, and collectibles for fans.
In the latest flick, Harley is dressed to kill in distressed denim shorts and a clear jacket that has colorful streamers and caution tape hanging from the arms. Her Universe immortalized the newly iconic look, offering a cosplay version of the jacket in both standard and plus sizes. Shawn Smith of Warner Bros. Consumer Products says the outfit really captures Harley’s personality in Birds of Prey.
“This new look is so vibrant and fun and reflects her sassy, independent attitude,” Smith says. “It is a unique departure from her traditional black and red outfits that show a whole new side of her.”
This color departure isn’t only reflected in the outfits — the entire movie has a shockingly bright color palette. The film’s promos, posters, and teasers looked as though they were dipped in neon paint, packed with the flashing glow of carnival lights and old-Hollywood razzle-dazzle.
Smith says the bright and eclectic style translated well into products for the movie, especially the fashion offerings. “It also allows us to differentiate this product from previous Harley Quinn product,” she says. “There are so many colors and textures used for all the characters that have been translated into cool and modern product(s) in both apparel and accessories.”
And while the electrifying Harley Quinn is the star of the movie, her girl squad also takes a turn in the neon lights, leading to a broad assortment of apparel and collectibles for fans to hunt. Funko’s line of Pop! figures includes Black Canary and Huntress, and Hot Topic’s collection includes T-shirts and jackets inspired by each character.
While all of the leads in Birds of Prey are women, Smith says merch for the movie is designed to appeal to all fans. Anyone can rock the dozens of T-shirts and sweatshirts on offer from Hot Topic, with designs ranging from the in-the-know “I shaved my balls for this?” Renee Montoya shirt to more generic prints featuring the movie’s title.
To quote Ms. Quinn, “Psychologically speaking, vengeance rarely brings the catharsis we hope for,” but getting your hands on this merch just might do the trick.
This article was originally published in the Pop Insider’s Winter 2020 Issue No. 6, click here to read more!
