Breaking Down ‘Bridgerton’s’ Most Over-the-Top Wig Creations

When it comes to the ladies of “The Ton” on Bridgerton, hair and makeup designer Erika Ökvist equates each new season with Paris Fashion Week. “No one would be caught dead wearing something from last season,” she says. “They live for that kind of superficial armor that they’re projecting to the world around them.” Yet there’s an even more distinct character motivation that drives the direction of Ökvist and her team, she says: “There is a super efficiency with how they’re trying to get married off.”In season three, it was Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), i.e., Lady Whistledown herself, who made it her mission to transform herself into a desirable spouse. “She’s coming into her own,” Ökvist says of the season-long metamorphosis, inspired by such Hollywood sirens as Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe and, yes, Jessica Rabbit. Behind the scenes, keeping track of the character’s arc was a full-time job. “We designed 47 different looks for Penelope’s hair and makeup,” says Ökvist. With...