costume/cinematography, Armand
AnOTHER THING about how they dress Armand so deliberately: Fake Rashid wearing open necked deep cuts to give the Intentional Illusion of Submission vs Armand wearing open necks because he's the baddest bitch vamp in every room he's in—therefore when he's wearing a high neck it's plain that he's being secretive/avoidant/guarded. We knew that part, Carol did tell us that.
BUT ALSO, now that we've seen him out and about more,, he's in a headspace closer to Children of Darkness
Armand dresses in vERY loose-fitting clothing, (polished! intentional! very trendy in menswear right now, so it never looks sloppy. reminds me of "mode" street fashion in japan--where disguising or changing the silhouette is the whole point) in very muted colors that almost intentionally do nothing for him. Even black looks too bold on him—we get these charcoal grays and army greens and dull navy hues that don't do anything for his coloration, as though he is hiding and trying to melt into the background.
But the thing is, they could put him in a burlap sack and he'd look phenomenal. and THAT!! feels like the point.
"Armand's ability to seduce was almost entirely outside his control" or thereabouts quote
He is so lovely that he CAN'T melt into the background without literal supernatural aid. All it does is make his face stand out like a framed cameo, like all the warmth in an entire shot might be from his face and his eyes alone, which then draws the onlookers gaze DIRECTLY TO HIM.
(Compare this to Paris in the 40s, where he dressed VERY fashionably and with a lot more color variance--even with a few accessories that drew attention to his eyes. He was peacocking! He wanted Louis to see and notice him.)
(Then shoot to 1973--the entire episode is shot in this hazy green/gold fog, which we have been told in previous seasons are meant to be Louis' colors. Even Armand is DRESSED in Louis' colors. But what stands out to the viewer (Daniel sharing our POV) is what DOESN'T blend in--Armand's eyes, looking directly into the camera. The "rest" scene, they've changed the temperature of the lighting to match.)
