Game of Thrones Costume Designer Reveals the Hidden Meaning Behind Daenerys' White Coat

Daenerys Targaryen's (Emilia Clarke) costumes always spoke volumes about her state of mind throughoutGame of Thrones, but that was especially true in Season 8 as she suddenly turned into the Mad Queen. As the fabrics Dany wore darkened, became tinged with brighter reds, and even took on a dragon-like quality in key scenes, her outfits reflected how she was unraveling beneath the surface. However, when she first arrived in Winterfell at the beginning of the final season, she was still sporting the bright white coat that she'd worn to save Jon Snow (Kit Harington), and costume designer Michele Clapton has an interesting explanation for why Dany needed to show up in the same design in the Season 8 premiere.

In the exclusive video above, the Emmy-winning designer details the message she wanted to send with Dany's white coat. "Initially it was about the idea that if she's riding a dragon to the North, she should be warm. And then I decided that actually it's the first time she's performed a completely selfless task -- because it's usually for her own gain -- and on this occasion, it was actually for her love," Clapton explained. "So, I loved this idea, as I developed this costume, that it's almost [as if] she sees herself as this savior, this angel. And so when she arrives and descends on this dragon, she is this sort of angel of mercy. I think it just said so much about her mental state at the time, how she saw herself."

The Ultimate Game of Thrones Shopping Guide

Clapton's words here echo what she wrote about the costume in her companion book Game of Thrones: The Costumes, which hit shelves in November. In the book, Clapton adds that the light hue of Daenerys's coat was meant to symbolize purity and, at the same time, echo Dany's coldness and offer a parallel to the look of the White Walkers.

Find out more fascinating details about Dany's coat and all of the costumes in Game of Thrones in Game of Thrones: The Costumes, on shelves now.

Game of Thrones Seasons 1-8 are available on HBO.

PHOTOS: Daenerys Targaryen's Style Evolution Throughout Game of Thrones