Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson’s ‘Doctor Who look’ drives a surge in fashion interest
Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson’s new Doctor Who costumes drove an immediate surge in interest among fashion-conscious TV and Doctor Who fans keen to get the look of the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday, Screen OD can exclusively reveal.
Whovians were delivered an early Christmas present in late December 2022 when the first photographs were released of incoming stars Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson in their new character costumes, and TV fans quickly began searching for similar clothes online – with some garments garnering triple-figure percentage spikes in searches in the final week of December following the costume reveal.
According to eBay search data exclusively provided to Screen OD for analysis, the online marketplace saw a sudden surge in search in the last week of December around suits, coats, shorts and jackets in a similar style to those worn by the Doctor Who stars.
The most prominent spike in interest was seen in check overcoats similar to that worn by Ncuti Gatwa with data showing a 175 per cent week-on-week increase in searches, followed by sherpa denim jackets as worn by Gibson which saw an equally impressive 125 per cent uptick from the previous period.
There was also heightened interest in check suits and tartan jackets, up 48 per cent and 42 per cent respectively, with a 30 per cent increase in eBay users looking for shorts in a similar style to Gibson’s character.
And it wasn’t just the clothes that fans were after, Whovians wanted similar shoes to the Doctor Who stars too with the search around biker boots increasing by 19 per cent and brogue boots 18 per cent in the week following the costume reveal.
Doctor Who has a long history of bold and trend-setting costumes for its lead characters, and it appears that the new costumes – which have a number of nods back to retro outfits from the show’s past – are no different.
Lucy Peacock, Head of Preloved Fashion at eBay told Screen OD: “Whether it’s long multi-coloured scarves, bowties or suits with converse, The Doctor and his companions have helped certain fashion items make the leap to wardrobe staples. The most recent first look of Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson as The Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby is no different, with his striking check suit, brogue boots and her sherpa denim jacket making an impact with shoppers.
“Very much like The Doctor, while these clothes may have had a previous life they feel fresh and new. The impact on customers searching for eBay preloved items to create modern looks shows how easily classic pieces can be brought into the 21st century and beyond.”
Doctor Who returns to TV screens in November 2023 with three special 60th-anniversary episodes penned by showrunner Russell T Davies and starring David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor. The shows will also feature Catherine Tate reprising her role as Donna Noble as well as among others Yasmin Finney, Ruth Madeley and Neil Patrick Harris. It’s widely expected the specials will feature other special guests and potentially the return of more fan favourites from the series.
Ncuti Gatwa, one of the most searched-for actors in 2022, rose to international stardom as Eric Effiong in Netflix’s coming-of-age drama Sex Education. He will make his full debut appearance as The Doctor in a special episode of the show around the festive season of 2023. Gatwa will be joined by Millie Gibson, best known to TV fans for her award-winning performance as Kelly Neelan in long-running soap opera Coronation Street, as his companion Ruby Sunday.
With just under a year until the new stars appear on screen together and excitement growing for a new era of Doctor Who under Russell T Davies with a recently formed partnership between the BBC and Disney+ in place – fans still have plenty of time to find their perfect costumes and get the new ‘Doctor Who look’ in time for party season 2023.
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