Antoinette Messam Reimagines Pirate Costumes for Amazons The Bluff

When Antoinette Messam stepped into the world of 19th‑century Caribbean piracy, she didn’t just design costumes—she rewrote the genre’s visual language.

Messam, the costume designer behind Amazon Prime Video’s swashbuckling 2026 feature The Bluff, revealed how she created a fresh aesthetic for a cohort of pirates living at the tail end of the era. The film, directed by Caymanian filmmaker Frank E. Flowers and headlined by Priyanka Chopra, Karl Urban, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Safia Oakley‑Green and Temuera Morrison, premiered on Prime Video on February 25 2026.

In a conversation with No Film School, Messam explained that her first instinct was to sidestep the stereotypical black‑clad buccaneer silhouette. "I wanted to avoid the familiar pirate silhouettes and imagery we’ve all seen so many times before," she said. "Our story takes place at the tail end of the pirate era, and that gave me the opportunity to create a new silhouette and reimagine what these characters could look like."

Her research was exhaustive. Messam consulted a 19th‑century volume from the CAFTCAD library in Toronto that featured black‑ink drawings of Caribbean life, and she worked closely with Caymanian historian Henry Mutoo, whose insights helped weave authentic cultural details into the costumes. She also turned to the Caribbean Photo Archive at the Art Gallery of Ontario, which holds 1830s photographs that, while not specific to the Cayman Islands, provided context for Jamaican attire of the period.

Collaboration with Flowers proved pivotal. Both share a Caribbean heritage, creating a shared creative shorthand. "From the very start, Frank and I connected through our shared Caribbean heritage," Messam noted. Their offices were adjacent on set, allowing for rapid iteration. "I could walk in to show him a costume idea and get instant feedback, or he would suddenly appear in my office with a new visual reference he had discovered or a question inspired by another department."

Messam balanced historical authenticity with cinematic flair. For the film’s central pirate, Connor, she drew on the structure of a captain’s coat, layering dark, weathered fabrics with metal details and beaded accessories. The result was a silhouette that felt leaner and sharper than traditional pirate costumes, yet still rooted in the period. "I wanted the silhouettes to remain rooted in the period, but feel leaner, sharper, and more dangerous," she explained.

Priyanka Chopra’s character, Ercell, required a different approach. Living in disguise, she blends into island life, so Messam focused on realistic, everyday garments that could pass as “Sunday best” for a Caribbean townsperson. "Everything had to feel real and effortless," she said.

Production posed significant challenges. The film was shot in Australia during winter, while the story calls for a hot, humid Caribbean climate. Messam had to keep actors comfortable without compromising period detail. "I had to find creative ways to keep the actors warm without affecting the silhouette or movement of the costumes," she said. Solutions included open necklines, rolled cuffs, hidden long underwear, fleece panels, and discreet pockets for hand warmers.

One of the most demanding pieces was Bloody Mary’s cuirass. The leatherwork required multiple departments: a cutter produced the pattern, specialty leather makers shaped the piece, and art finishers aged and detailed it. Because the process was time‑consuming, only three versions were produced: a hero piece for Priyanka, a battle‑worn version for her, and one shared between stunt performers.

Messam’s previous work on the 2021 Western The Harder They Fall informed her approach to period detail, though she noted that the only reference she used for The Bluff was her own film. "The only real reference I used was actually my own film," she said.

As of the interview, The Bluff is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and Messam expressed pride in the final look of the costumes. "I’m so thrilled with how those costumes came to life from the original concept art," she said. "They literally stepped off the page."

The film’s release has positioned Messam as a key creative force behind its visual storytelling, and her work on The Bluff demonstrates a new direction for pirate cinema that blends cultural authenticity with cinematic boldness.