Valentine’s Day weekend 2025 is a special one for rom-com lovers because it just so happens to be when the new Bridget Jones movie releases. Entitled Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, the plot is expected to follow Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) after she begins dating a man named Roxster (Leo Woodall)—who is much younger than she is. This is the franchise’s fourth installment and is expected to star beloved actors Colin Firth and Hugh Grant.
To celebrate the release, First for Women recently sat down with costume designer Molly Emma Rowe to discuss where she found inspiration for the outfits and what Zellweger was really like on set. Keep scrolling more.
First for Women: What is it like to be involved with such a highly anticipated film, and what was the costume design process like?
Molly Emma Rowe: My career goal for forever has been to do a rom-com, but I never, kind of ever, ever imagined that I would get the opportunity to do the rom-com.
It’s very overwhelming, and I can’t believe it’s happened. It’s still unbelievable, and I’m blown away by the opportunity.
What we wanted to do was make the wardrobe feel very authentic and realistic, so everything is kind of worn and there’s nothing new in the film. Everything’s had some life before. I got some things out of the archive from the first film, because we were trying to create a wardrobe that felt authentic and that Bridget doesn’t feel styled or out of reach.
FFW: How has Bridget Jones evolved since the first film, and how does her wardrobe play into that?
MER: Bridget’s 25 years older. She’s in her early 50s and what was very interesting for me was to look back at the first Bridget Jones film. I wanted to honor all of the costume designers who had worked with Renee to create Bridget along the way, because that feels very important.
One of the main things about Bridget’s wardrobe is that she always wears mini skirts and little tight-cropped cardigans. And I felt very passionately that just because she’s in her 50s, she shouldn’t suddenly stop wearing those things. So it felt very important to have Bridget wear things she’s always worn. It doesn’t matter what age you are—if you like something that makes you feel good about yourself, you should wear it.
FFW: The film stars incredible stars like Renée Zellweger and Hugh Grant. What was it like to be around them, and was there anything that they taught you?
MER: Renee is incredible, and working with her is inspiring. She’s very smart and meticulous. She really cares about everything, and that makes everybody who’s there making the film feel very involved and excited. She’s just so cool.
Hugh Grant is just the greatest, and it was really fun working with him. He wasn’t in the third film, so I wanted to talk to him about who [his character] Daniel Cleaver was and where he’d be now. He was so smart, interested and meticulous, and it was such an amazing experience.
FFW: The film’s premise is learning to love yourself and put yourself out there. How can women like Bridget learn how to dress their age without feeling like they have to dress for their age?
MER: For me, the essence of dressing is doing what makes you feel happy and confident when you step out the door.
I think it’s really important that we stop dressing for other people’s criticism and other people’s kind of pre-judgment, especially for older people.
We need to stop thinking about the gaze on you when you’re wearing something and how it makes you feel. Because if you love something, it can make you feel really confident and happy. It can change your mood
FFW: Speaking of women, how can they use clothes to help themselves feel more confident?
MER: I think confidence is very much a feeling. There’s a lot of pressure on what we look like. Don’t dress for other people, because I think it affects other people when you dress for yourself.
I get very upset when people make comments about other people’s appearance. It takes a lot to leave the house sometimes, and telling somebody that you love their jacket or that they look great can change someone’s day. It’s a really simple thing, and it’s something we have to actively try and do for each other.
FFW: What is one fashion rule you have to follow and why?
MER: I don’t have any. In fact, I like to break the rules of fashion. People always say, “I can’t wear gold and silver jewelry” or “ I can’t wear black with navy.” Yes, you can. It’s very chic. So, I like to break the rules.
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