Daenerys Winter Coat Designed by Michele Clapton

Though Game of Thrones fans are still recovering from the loss of one of Daenerys's dragons in this week's episode, they've managed to find some solace in an unexpected place: the dragon queen's costume. For her ill-fated trip North, Dany donned a show-stopping gray-and-white fur coat which promptly set the Internet ablaze. But taking Daenerys's look in a new direction was a big step for the show, costume designer Michele Clapton tells HarpersBAZAAR.com. "They were nervous it would be too much of a statement," she says of showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. "They were like, ‘White? You think that’s gonna work?’ and I was like, ‘Yes, it’s really, really, really gonna work.'"

HBO

Clapton was right, of course—fans on Twitter dubbed Dany an "ice queen" and claimed the look "stole the entire episode." The designer admits it was meant to indicate a turning point in the young queen's life. "I can’t think of another time she’s gone to the aid of someone who is also, to some extent, a rival," Clapton says, hinting at Dany's burgeoning relationship with Jon Snow. "It had to be a real statement piece. It looks very warrior queen—she’s a vision when Jon looks up and sees her arriving."

Though the faux coat easily looks like couture, its inspiration came from an unexpected, practical source: the Wildlings, who famously camouflaged themselves to blend in with their surroundings north of the Wall. "I liked the idea of her being at one with the snow and the rocks," Clapton says. This could, of course, also demonstrate Daenerys's willingness to ally herself with Jon, who spent his entire life amongst the snow of Winterfell and later, the Wall. It also makes for an interesting contrast when Dany sits next to Jon's men, who all wore Wildling garb to venture North, after pulling them to safety on Drogon's back. It's a moment which quickly turns cruel, though, as they watch Viserion fall to his death.

HBO

But now it's time to look to the future, and with a romance between Jon and Daenerys all but confirmed, we can't wait to see how their relationship inspires Clapton next—particularly when it comes to wedding gowns.

Julie Kosin is the senior culture editor of ELLE.com, where she oversees all things movies, TV, books, music, and art, from trawling Netflix for a worthy binge to endorsing your next book club pick. She's the former director of audience strategy and entertainment at HarpersBAZAAR.com. When not glued to her laptop, she can be found taking pictures of her dog or haunting used bookstores.

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