
In the Netflix romantic comedy “Voicemails for Isabelle,” actress Zoey Deutch is serving up entertainment and relatable fashion.
From a throwback color-blocked North Face puffer to a floral Reformation dress, the 31-year-old hints at her character’s homesickness with her wardrobe choices. Costume designer Carla Hetland had her work cut out for her, given that Deutch has 30 costume changes. Her personal favorite combination was Deutch’s parting look — the “No Doubt” T-shirt and Levi’s cut-offs — that she wears smiling in a final scene, after her fledgling food truck has become a success.
As Jill, Deutch’s you-can-be-it attitude to her terminally ill sister translated to her playful and joyful clothes, Hetland said. Her cowboy boots, turquoise jewelry and suede jacket hint at the character’s Austin roots. Her costumes involved a good amount of thrifting. Many of the turquoise earrings, necklace and rings came from Hetland’s personal collection. Deutch has a few keepsakes from the shoot too.

The lead actress hints at her character’s Austin roots with cowboy boots and turquoise jewelry.
DIYAH PERA/NETFLIX ©2026
“There are people, who now dedicate their time sourcing where the clothing worn by characters on series clothing comes from. It’s amazing. I am fascinated by that — it’s definitely a full-time job but I’m sure they’re not making a living from it,” Hetland said.
With millions of consumers spending more time watching characters on their favorite films and series than socializing with their friends, many are increasingly taking their fashion cues from their screen time. The Retrofete‘s “Corralee” dress that Deutch’s character wears at a wedding scene is nearly sold out on the company’s site. Marked down to $239 from $598, the frock was only available in one of its seven sizes — extra, extra small. Shoppers could also find them at Revolve, where the dress was being offered at $503, discounted from $598.
MJ Corey, the psychotherapist behind the “Kardashian Kolloquium” Instagram account and a new book by the same name, said that expressing one’s fandom through clothes reminds her a lot of the common practice of what some scholars call “film-induced tourism,” or set-jetting, where fans visit the sites in their favorite media content. “Many TV shows are putting more care into ‘world-building,’ by using fashion,” she added. “Clothes have always been essential, but there may be a consciousness on the part of TV people to produce looks in their shows that would inspire mimesis online, [as HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ has.”
In addition, the churn of fast fashion and online shopping have chipped away at subcultural fashion trends, which have given more space to television and film driving trends, according to Providence College professor of communications Andrea McDonnell. “With streaming being such a dominant platform, characters offer a window into style as it currently exists and also aspirational style,” she said. “Reality television stars, for example, reflect contemporary trends and set beauty standards.”
Deutch has been known to wear Chanel, Armani Privé, Elie Saab, Jacquemus, Vivienne Westwood and Moschino on the red carpet. But her “Voicemails for Isabelle” role called for more relaxed styles. Deutch was on trend with a few Doen dresses, Adidas Gazelle Indoor sneakers in green and a coral-colored dress from Retrofete.

Zoey Deutch wears Retrofete’s “Corralee” dress in one scene.
DIYAH PERA/NETFLIX ©2026
And millions of viewers are tuning in. For the week ended June 21, “Voicemails for Isabelle” was the second most popular movie on Netflix with 17.5 million views, according to data provided by the streaming service.
Next month Deutch can be seen along with Jon Hamm and John Slattery in the summer flick “Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass.”
Hetland said, “I feel that people resonate with characters in films and series, if it feels authentic and relatable. It is aspirational, but something that can be achieved,” she said.
All in all, viewers might be missing one key piece about costume design — the psychology behind what is chosen for a character, according to Hetland. “The goal is not just that it’s fashionable or trendy, the goal is for it to be authentic — and to show where she is at and how she is feeling,” she said. “We didn’t want Jill to become dark and in mourning after the death of her sister. We wanted her to still carry that color to prove that yes, she is mourning the death of her sister, but she still hasn’t lost herself.”
Corey wonders if the immediacy of social media that we’ve become accustomed to — “watching regular people become notorious as they accumulate followers, and keeping our smartphones attached to our hands like extra appendages — has influenced the way we consume all content.”








