Latest news with #Bovaird
The Guardian
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Everyone can have a bit of White Lotus in their wardrobe': how fashion fell in love with the hit show
The third season of The White Lotus finishes on Monday, marking the end of group chats and column inches devoted to the Thai hotel and its super-rich guests. While some of this chatter has been dedicated to theories of who kills who in the finale, or the alleged fallout between creator Mike White and composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer, a lot is focused on something else – the fashion. Some of this season's most popular items include the Tombolo crocodile-printed shirt worn by Lochlan, the younger Ratliff brother, the Zimmermann printed halterneck dress worn by his sister, Piper, and the Hunza G green bikini worn by Chloe, the French-Canadian ex-model living on the island. All of these have sold out online. Designers know very well that the TV show – which boasted a new high of 4.8 million viewers in the US for its seventh episode – can work as a platform to market their clothing. Simon Porte Jacquemus contacted costume designer Alex Bovaird on Instagram with a request to collaborate before the latest series began filming – a reversal of the typical process, where a costume designer will contact a brand to borrow clothes. The result is two custom looks for Chloe, including a pink swimsuit and cover-up with brimmed hat for her to welcome guests on her partner's superyacht in episode four. Bovaird says this is the first time that a designer as renowned as Jacquemus has contacted her. 'White Lotus fills this specific niche of being quite cool,' says Bovaird. 'People want to be involved with it.' Bovaird has been the costume designer since the series began. She requests items to borrow from brands but also finds them in 'a mix of flea markets, showrooms, charity shops, [and] we make some stuff. The unitard that Nadya [the partner of Aleksi] wears in the latest episode came from a market in Essex. There are bags from Hermès – and other things that cost £5.99, like that unitard.' Part of the fashion appeal, she says, comes from the characters always being on holiday. 'When you're going on holiday, you're dressing up, you're not wearing your everyday clothes. With other contemporary shows, you're nailing actuality. I get a chance to play dress up.' Bovaird also collaborated on The White Lotus H&M collection, around half of which has already sold out at the high-street chain. 'The idea was that not everyone can afford luxury hotel resorts but everyone can afford to be glamorous and have a bit of White Lotus in their wardrobe,' she says. TV has a long history of boosting the sales of fashion brands. Sex and the City in the 90s made Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo household names – a Newsweek article from 2000 quotes a buyer for department store Neiman Marcus saying Blahnik's sales tripled because of the show – and Mad Men characters such as Joan Holloway and Don Draper inspired countless designers during its seven seasons. The White Lotus is not the first TV series to partner with a brand, either. In 2009, New York designer Anna Sui created a collection for Target that was inspired by the clothes of Gossip Girl, and Banana Republic worked with Mad Men in 2011 (and has also worked with The White Lotus this season). More recent TV shows with fashion kudos include Euphoria, which influences twentysomethings with its eclectic thrifted style, Emily in Paris, with its ultra-fashion look, and Succession, which arguably contributed to the rise of the quiet luxury aesthetic and 'finance bro' gilets. Apple TV's office-based Severance, meanwhile, is a reference for the current return of workwear in fashion. 'We've seen TV and fashion intersecting for quite a while but in this current era of prestige TV, it's dialled up to 11 in terms of the impact,' says Beth Bentley, the founder of brand strategy consultancy Tomorrowism. 'Succession brought heat around brands that people maybe hadn't encountered before – like Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli. It made people curious about those brands.' Paul Flynn, who writes about TV for Grazia, says: 'There's an argument to be made somewhere that [Succession's] Kendall Roy is the most influential menswear figure of the last decade.' The love of these shows – and the discourse around them online – means fans will pore over the outfits, thinking of them as what's known as 'Easter eggs', or clues to the plot. Bovaird says she does use outfits to plant clues – in an interview with Dazed, she revealed that a mannequin wore one character's dress in series two that foreshadowed that character's death at the end. 'I know people have delved into the outfits and their meanings,' she says. 'Some of it is true, definitely, I just couldn't say what.' Flynn praises the costume design in everything from EastEnders to Ryan Murphy's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, but he says the attention to what characters wear is also a sign of how TV is changing. 'Wardrobe is one of the things that has started to make terrestrial TV look so 20th century, as opposed to the streamers,' he says. Bentley adds: 'It's a badge of honour within the industry to be able to say they got on [a show] before everyone else.' The White Lotus has been on fashion's radar since series one, where Sydney Sweeney's sardonic teen character, Olivia, became a favourite. Haley Lu Richardson's Portia in season two became the poster girl of gen Z 'schlumpy' style. While independent brands often don't have the resources to lobby for their designs to be featured in these shows, they notice the impact when they are. Scooter LaForge created the T-shirts that Chloe and Chelsea wear for the full-moon party in the current series of The White Lotus. He says the response has been 'overwhelmingly' positive. 'My Instagram following has skyrocketed throughout season three.' While LaForge hand-paints his T-shirts, meaning fans cannot buy the exact ones featured in the show, he sold similar designs at the Patricia Field ARTFashion Gallery in New York. 'Sales have been strong,' he says. 'I've been very busy, [even if] there's no mass production or printing involved.' Often, designers won't know that their products have made it on the show before it's aired – as was the case with the green Hunza G bikini worn by Chloe. 'When I watched the episode, I saw [the bikini] at the same time as everybody else,' says the brand's founder, Georgiana Huddart. 'My phone went crazy.' The bikini sold out within a week. Huddart says Hunza G has appeared in other TV shows, including Bad Sisters, but The White Lotus has a special status. 'It [reaches] such a wide demographic of people.' Bentley agrees the series has a unique place in culture, partly due to the fact that episodes are only released once a week. 'There's shared anticipation,' she says. 'I was in a hairdresser in Somerset, and people were talking about it. It's not just in media hotspots, or in city locations, or among gen Z – it's everybody and their mum.' If watching these shows is a relatively universal experience, the worlds and people they often depict are anything but. 'If you look at Succession or The White Lotus characters, the writers of the shows are skewering the rich and poking fun at them – and yet, at the same time, we want to dress like them. There's a crazy irony there.' Despite this, Bentley believes the connection between TV and fashion brands isn't going away. In fact, she predicts they will fuse even more. '[There will be] collabs and capsule collections, and also maybe brands digging in financially and funding original content to create moments that have more intention and more control, from the brand's point of view,' she says. As for costume designers' work continuing to make a mark on consumers' wardrobes, Bovaird – who is, admittedly, somewhat biased – argues that it's a good thing. 'People should be influenced by experts in how they dress,' she says. 'I'm not saying a TikTok influencer can't influence, but we really are the experts. We think about clothes all the time.'
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The White Lotus' Costume Designer Alex Bovaird on Season 3's Style Stars and How to Get Their Looks
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission. Judging from the wave of collabs that have already dropped (and sold out), White Lotus Thailand is shaping up as this season's fashion inspiration. More from The Hollywood Reporter The Woven Bag Jennifer Lawrence and Gisele Bündchen Can't Stop Carrying These Hollywood Beauty Pro-Approved Essentials and Star-Owned Brands Are On Sale at Sephora's Spring Savings Event Gap's Muppets Collection Is Nostalgic and Delightfully Understated While the legendary Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge) and her larger-than-life floral maxi dresses are — spoiler alert — sadly missing from season three, the Southeast Asia-set installment's hotel guests are already style icons in their own right. Costume designer Alex Bovaird has been responsible for the Emmy-winning HBO/Max series' wardrobes since season one, and she tells The Hollywood Reporter that her favorites so far are the 'girlie duos. Olivia and Paula [Sydney Sweeney and Brittany O'Grady] from season one, Mia and Lucia [Simona Tabasco and Beatrice Grannò] from season two and now Chloe and Chelsea in season three!' Related: Counting All of The White Lotus Collections From Bloomingdale's, Banana Republic and More (Exclusive) Bovaird dressed White Lotus Thailand guests in labels from around the world: European fashion houses such as Valentino, Hermès, Lanvin and Jacquemus alongside Bangkok-based silk label Jim Thompson (the presumed late entrepreneur had a Hollywood-worthy story of his own), Hong Kong-based designer Marie France Van Damme (whose pieces can be shopped in L.A. at Peninsula Beverly Hills), Australia-based Zimmermann, Paris-based Mes Demoisselles and Corsica-based swimwear designer Tara Matthews. 'We mix our favorites that will always be suited to the White Lotus resort vibe — Valentino, Poupette St Barth, Lunaflo London,' Bovaird tells The Hollywood Reporter over email. 'They fit the show so well because they are romantic and fun. Hermès has some insanely gorgeous resort clothes and bags, and I've always wanted to use David Webb jewelry — a little bit eccentric and old school glamour. Jim Thompson and Marie France were local finds, such perfect fabrics and silks for the tropics.' Viewers saw a slew of stylish guests check into White Lotus Thailand in the first episode, including the the girl tripper trio made up of actress Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), burnt-out executive Laurie Duffy (Carrie Coon) and Texas socialite Kate Bohr (Leslie Bibb); and the Southern Ratliff clan consisting of Loraaaahzepam-loving matriarch Victoria (Parker Posey), financier father Timothy (Jason Isaacs), eldest finance-bro Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Buddhist daughter Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) and slouchy youngest son Lochlan (Sam Nivola). There's also the free-spirited British bohemian Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) and her moody, Hawaiian shirt-loving boyfriend, Rick Hatchett (Walton Goggins); glamorous Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon), the Quebec-bred girlfriend of Gary/Greg (Jon Gries) and visiting White Lotus Hawaii spa manager Belinda Lindsey (Natasha Rothwell). Bovaird tapped West Village-based artist Scooter LaForge to create hand-painted tees for Chelsea and Chloe's party moments. The costume designer also teamed with H&M on a now-sold-out capsule collection inspired by the series, and the show has debuted collabs with Banana Republic, Brunch, Away, Abercrombie & Fitch and many other brands. The White Lotus Thailand cast also wear pieces from contemporary labels such as Johnny Was, My Beachy Side, Ciao Lucia and many others. Fans of The White Lotus also get a peek of the staff's off-duty looks. In addition to Belinda, the Southeast Asian resort's staff includes health mentor Mook (Blackpink superstar Lisa, credited as Lalisa Manobal), security officer Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong), Russian expat Valentin (Arnas Fedaravičius), resort owner Sritala Hollinger (Patravadi Mejudhon) and hotel manager Fabian (Christian Friedel). The season three finale of The White Lotus airs on Sunday at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET on HBO and streams on Max. But with one final episode left, Blackpink fans are left wondering if they'll ever see Mook out of her khaki co-ords. 'She's mostly in her cute uniforms, but you'll have to wait and see,' Bovaird reveals of her off-duty ensembles. As for the season three guests at the top of her list? 'Chloe's Jacquemus custom fits are so striking and chic, and Chelsea is a boho queen,' says Bovaird. 'I'm also obsessed with Rick's shirts and floppy linen pants with leather sandals. Fabian [played by Christian Friedel] is a fashion star, a little overlooked I fear.' For those heading to a tropical locale soon, Bovaird has a few words of advice after living in Thailand while working on The White Lotus. 'Bathing suit tops instead of bras! So helpful and real,' she suggests. 'Classic straw hats from Mon Panama, handmade sandals from a foot tracing (get them over in Thailand), viscose dresses, linen shirts and vintage aloha shirts. Thai fisherman-style pants and elephant pants — give into them!' Ahead, we've rounded up the best White Lotus outfit ideas featuring official fashion collabs and pieces seen on screen. Though many of the exact past-season designer pieces from The White Lotus season three are no longer available, pre-loved options can be found at Vestiaire Collective, the Real Real, Rebag, eBay and other designer resale marketplaces. Keep scrolling to shop looks inspired by the women of White Lotus, from the same exact eyewear, resortwear and swimwear sported by Chloe and Chelsea to the cottagecore-meets-coastal dresses from Buddhist sister Piper and more. Whatever you do, don't call her French. Chloe's luxe looks reflect her island-dwelling aesthetic with high fashion, as seen in her custom Jacquemus outfits and breathable, beach-ready ensembles by Rabanne, Agua by Agua Bendita and $525 at Khaite Chloe wears these exact 1983C cat-eye frames from Khaite and Oliver Peoples' summer-ready collab. (The luxe eyewear brand also offers a similar option at a lower price tag.) $65 at Amazon Get the same dramatic look for a fraction of the price with Le Specs' best-selling Hypnosis cat-eye frames. $70 at Victoria's Secret $415.20 $519 20% off Buy at MyTheresa Chloe's white one-shoulder bikini top is seen with this Rabanne purple floral wrap skirt. $155 $430 64% off Buy at FWRD Buy at SSense Jean Paul Gaultier's sheer skirt another way to channel Chloe's vibe. $220 at Wolf and Badget Jacquemus is responsible for Cloe's custom-made wide-brim hat, but this chic sun-shielding topper by Chanel Joan Elkayam is a worthy swap. $99 at Gooseberry Gooseberry's baby pink one-piece swimsuit offers a similar look to Chloe's custom Jacquemus bodysuit on the show. $410 at Farfetch Chloe wears Agua by Agua Bendita's fun tie-back floral top to dinner. $1,235 at MyTheresa $1,450 at Nordstrom Chloe carries Jacquemus' Le Bambola zebra tote $390 at Saks Fifth Avenue $190 $240 21% off Buy at Rue La La $202 at Farfetch $230 at Revolve $240 at Hunza G 'Boho queen' Chelsea's (Aimee Lou Wood) closet is defined by woven bohemian mini dresses, colorful sheer cover-ups over vibrant bikinis and whispy caftans. $314 $448 30% off Buy at Revolve $399 at Saks Fifth avenue Chelsea wears this exact crochet mini dress by My Beachy Side to make her debut at the White Lotus Thailand resort. $328 at Farfetch Chelsea dons the animal print version of Jacquemus' Ovalo sunglasses. $75 at Frankies Bikinis Among Chelsea's many poolside ensembles is a red bikini top with a tropical print skirt. $270 at Awe Inspired The Manchester-bred character is also known to wear jewelry with meaningful messages, including this $10K piece by Lunaflo London. Get the look — and equal inspiration — for a fraction of the price with celebrity-loved brand Awe Inspired's Celestial Duo pendant necklace. $22.40 $32 30% off Buy at Etsy Chelsea explores the resort in a cropped Blondie tank and a (now-sold-out) Loewe parrot print skirt. $238 at Revolve Chelsea wears a vintage coconut shell bikini top with a fringe mini skirt by My Beachy Side, which also makes this similar style that Chloe wears at the yacht party. $158 for Tunic $125 for Shorts Chelsea never shies away from a bold print, and LSpace's tunic and shorts set could easily be in her Koh Samui kit. $245 at Clare V. Clare V.'s Pot de Miel bag — with interchangeable straps available — would fit seamlessly into globe-trotting Chelsea's Thailand wardrobe. $920 at Saks Fifth Avenue These statement cat-eye sunnies by Valentino are among Chelsea's poolside 'fits. Costume designer Alex Bovaird looked to Ralph Lauren, Los Angeles-based label Ciao Lucia and Aussie brand Zimmermann to build the wardrobe of Piper Ratliff (Sarah Catherine Hook), who sports vintage-inspired silhouettes throughout the season. $330 at Ciao Lucia Piper takes her first steps into Thailand in Ciao Lucia's sailor-inspired Florencia dress, which is available for pre-order and ships the week of April 28. $298 at Reformation $298 at Saks Fifth Avenue The original Ralph Lauren dress seen in the series is no longer available, but this Reformation cotton-voile option is equally vacation-ready. $185 at Nordstrom Although the original Polo Ralph Lauren seen on the show is sold out, this tie-front linen shirtdress from Lauren Ralph Lauren has a similar look. $165 at Ralph Lauren $395 at Ciao Lucia Piper's Ciao Lucia cotton-silk slip dress is also available for pre-order and ships the week of June 2. $315 at Ciao Lucia Ciao Lucia's pajama-like Cloe dress is available for pre-order and ships the week of May 12. Can't wait? The resort-ready brand offers other breezy silhouettes. Buy at Monday Swimwear $90 Piper wears an orange ribbed version of this one-piece by Monday Swimwear that also comes in black, ivory, light blue and other hues. $850 at Saks Fifth Avenue Zimmermann's paisley-print halter dress — worn by Piper in episode five — is no longer in stock, but we can see the Ratliff family middle child in this similar spaghetti strap midi style. $98 at Favorite Daughter Middle Ratliff daughter Piper sports these pink pajamas from starry sisters Erin and Sara Foster's label, Favorite Daughter. Parker Posey's oft-imitated Southern matriarch, Victoria Ratfliff, isn't afraid to flaunt her status with luxe accessories and designer carryalls by Valentino, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Jim Thompson and more. $70 at Quince Ganni designed the original (and now sold-out) striped cotton dress, but Quince offers a similar version (with pockets!) in organic cotton. Buy at Banana Republic $65 The UNC alum pairs a longer version of this Banana Republic Factory poplin dress with a silk blue scarf (below) during her first days at White Lotus Thailand. $376 at Swaine $1,750 at Gucci Victoria carries the white version of Gucci's Bamboo 1947 leather bag, available in this travel-friendly nano size. $875 at Lagos Victoria incorporates Lagos' stainless steel bracelets (similar to this one) into her White Lotus Thailand looks. $99.50 $138 28% off Buy at J. Crew The next time you need to arrive in style via boat, twin with Victoria in J. Crew's blue and white polka dot slip dress. $350 at Jim Thompson Burnt-out executive Laurie Duffy (Carrie Coon) reps her New York fashion sensibilities in her Koh Samui looks and dons luxe dresses and bags from the likes of Zimmermman, Giambattista Valli and Loewe. Buy at Saks Fifth Avenue $249 Ronny Kobo's yellow halter neck maxi is a luxe look-a-like for Laurie's dress seen above. $4,950 at Loewe $4,950 at Saks Fifth Avenue Laurie carries Loewe's buttery-soft Medium Squeeze leather bag in Oak in the first episode of The White Lotus season three. Buy at MyTheresa $429.60 Joanna Ortiz is known for her eclectic prints inspired by her native Colombia. The original dress seen on Laurie is sold out, but this linen cutout piece from the designer is a chic alternative. $850 at Shopbop Though Zimmermann's original linen A-line dress is sold out, the Aussie label offers an updated style in white with a blue tropical print. $554 at Farfetch $590 at Amazon $590 at Mytheresa $590 at Bloomingdale's Alemais' Surrealist Summer Sundress is another option if you're looking for a style similar to Zimmermann's graphic picnic dress. $350 at Banana Republic Laurie's looks are often punctuated with bold tropical prints and illustrations. We imagine she'd reach for many of the items from Banana Republic's official The White Lotus collection, such as this matte silk cowl neck maxi dress. $295 at Amazon Laurie wears a (now out of stock) Zimmermann one-piece — Patbo's plunge neckline swimsuit gives the same luxe aesthetic. $325 at Nordstrom Helen Kaminski's packable raffia hat shades Laurie from the sun in episode four. $2,995 at Fashionphile $1,956 and up at The Realreal $3,016 and up at Vestiaire Collective Laurie's Goyard Goyardine Alpin Mini backpack also gets soaked during the Songkram scene. The compact carryall is available to buy pre-loved at Fashionphile, the RealReal, Vestiaire Collective and other luxury designer resale sites. Actress Jaclyn Lemon (Michelle Monaghan) is the bohemian-leaning designer label lover of the girls' trip trio, often wearing logo-happy pieces from Valentino and Gucci. $710 at Gucci Gucci's GG print straw bucket hat is a shorter version of the canvas one — first released by the Italian fashion house in 2023 — seen on Jaclyn. $2,800 at Valentino $2,800 at Neiman Marcus $250 at banana republic Jaclyn has a penchant for bold prints, and this cotton wrap dress from The White Lotus' official Banana Republic collection is a perfect fit for her wardrobe. $685 at Neiman Marcus Jaclyn wore an orange assymetrical swimsuit similar to this one by luxe resort brand Eres beneath a sheer maxi dress from the Chanel archives. $320 at Poupette St. Barth Poupette St. Barth was behind the three-piece look seen on Jaclyn — and though the original kimono, bandeau top and shorts are sold out, this ruffled dress from the label is a vacay-ready stand-in. $250 at Same Jaclyn throws a Valentino button-down shirt over this Same colorblock one-piece. $385 at Sun Child While Bovaird dressed other characters in Sun Child's beach-boho pieces, we also envision Jaclyn in this Studio 54-inspired caftan from the breezy brand. $495 at Nordstrom Jaclyn's movie star style includes sparkling sequin mini dresses. This statement-making Ramy Brook stunner is similar to a Valentino silhouette seen on the show. $150 at Same Jaclyn wears a striped version of Same's rosette triangle bikini top and matching bottom. $395 at L'Agence Jaclyn is also seen in a number of flowy floral kimonos over her swimsuits, so it's likely that she'd approve of L'Agence's Kara cover-up. $9,500 at Net-a-porter Jaclyn totes her pool essentials in the large version of Bottega Veneta's Cabat intrecciato leather tote. $285 at Naghedi Another budget-minded (and perhaps water-friendlier) option for the style above? Go for Naghedi's St. Barths medium tote made of neoprene. The self-professed conservative of the trio, Californian-turned-Texan Kate Bohr (Leslie Bibb) showcases her Southern socialite sensibility through attention-grabbing hues, bold prints and textures. $128 at bloomingdale's Kate is often seen in swingy, pleated silhouettes. Aqua's metallic knit halter midi dress (from the official White Lotus collab) would be right at home in her Koh Samui closet. $585 $3,755 84% off buy at Yoox $2,579 at Farfetch Splurge on this decadent Lanvin pleated dress to channel Kate's evening-in-Thailand look in the first episode. $725 at camila Yet another fashionable White Lotus collab, Camilla's one-shoulder dress would be a sartorial match for Kate's luxe tastes. $101 $182 45% off Buy at Revolve Kate gets soaked during Thailand's Songkran celebration in a sold-out cutout dress by Alemais. For a similar look, try Luli Fama's tropical print minidress. $1,500 at Marie France Van Damme Marie France Van Damme's luxurious resortwear makes many appearances in The White Lotus, including on Kate, who sports this silver and black lamé jacquard silk caftan. $260 at Nordstrom $260 at Shopbop If you're thinking, 'WWKW?' (What would Kate wear?), she'd likely reach for Farm Rio's Tropical Swing Midi Dress given jer penchant for pink, prints and anything loud luxury. You don't need to splurge to emulate Kate's plunging neckline looks. Demi Moore-approved label Andie's Mykonos one-piece is similar to items she's worn throughout the season. $119 at Juillet Kate was an instant poolside style star when she stepped out in Juillet's Luisa bottoms and Lulu bikini top (with a vintage sheer top that was a perfect match). Shop Beckett Top, $138 Shop Kimber Bottom, $98 For a bolder take on Kate's floral swim set, Cleobella's Foraged Violets print on this bikini top and high-waisted bottom makes a splash at the beach or pool. When she's not studying White Lotus Thailand's spa program under (ahem) the guidance of her counterpart, WL Hawaii spa manager Belinda Lindsey (Natasha Rothwell) steps out of her uniform and into a kaleidoscope of tropical print dresses and lightweight caftans. $298 at Saks Fifth Avenue Belinda's exact Johnny Was floral cotton and silk coverup is sold out, but the bohemian brand offers plenty of other print-happy alternatives — like this black and pink V-neck kaftan dress. $98 at bloomingdale's We can see Belinda wearing this fun fringe cover-up from Aqua's White Lotus collab at Bloomingdale's. $1,300 at Everything But Water $ Belinda wears a pink and green hand-beaded floral kaftan with flowing striped sleeves by Verandah, and the brand's maxi dress has the same print in a sleeveless style. $198 at Lilly Pulitzer Belinda's original Lilly Pulitzer dress is no longer available, but the iconic American resortwear brand's best-selling Wisteria maxi dress in the Multi Totally Koalified colorway is a close second. $290 at Jim Thompson In episode two, Belinda wows in Jim Thompson's luxurious cockatoo print silk dress. Though Blackpink fans don't get a chance to see Mook (Lalisa Manobal, aka Lisa) outside of her kakhis, the White Lotus Thailand health mentor gets the chance to show her personal style in a few scenes. $89 at Mitr Thailand label Mitr's Poisson Cru Midi Dress was one of the lucky few to dress Mook off duty. $425 at Fleur Du Mal A luxurious, lingerie-inspired alternative to Mook's dress comes in the form of star-loved label Fleur du Mal's dreamy silk floral dress. $159 at LilySilk This contrast trim blouse from Hollywood stylist Elizabeth Stewart's collab with Lilysilk perfectly captures Mook's utilitarian work uniform (but make it silk and chic). Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List Rosie O'Donnell on Ellen, Madonna, Trump and 40 Years in the Queer Spotlight
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The White Lotus' Season 3 wardrobe malfunctions that fans never saw
Piper, no! While not even a tsunami could have stopped 'The White Lotus' Season 3 from delivering the top-tier costumes viewers expect, production on the series was not without a few wardrobe malfunctions. Over its three seasons, HBO's Emmy-winning hit has become renowned for its costumes, with the wardrobe even evolving into a de facto character. This is thanks to costume designer Alex Bovaird, who has collaborated with show creator Mike White and her talented team to create the show's iconic looks. But making sartorial excellence come to life is not without its share of fashion mishaps, as Bovaird revealed to The Post.'I remember Parker [Posey]'s gold cuff snapping in half at dinner,' Bovaird said of one behind the scenes wardrobe malfunction during filming. The Emmy-nominated costume designer, who has worked on all three seasons of 'The White Lotus' in addition to other prestige shows such as 'True Detective: Night Country,' also shared that 'shoes breaking are a common hazard' during production. Filming in Thailand presented challenges for the wardrobe department because of the tropical climate. 'The heat on the boat was absolutely monstrous,' Bovaird said of filming Season 3's opening scene. 'One of Piper's breakfast shirts was from the 1930s and more or less exploded one day in a scene,' she hilariously shared. But despite all the setbacks, Bovaird's all-star team pulled them through. 'My set costumers were incredibly hard working and have solutions for everything,' the designer effused. 'They kept everyone looking crispy and fresh in extreme conditions and 12-hour shooting days.' 'We are a pretty tight ship and generally stick to the plan as far as choices go. Mike White approves everything in advance so there are no surprises.' Much like its characters, the show's clothes got the VIP treatment, having their own villa at the Four Seasons in Koh Samui, Thailand (the real-life resort which doubled as the fictional White Lotus). The 'costume office,' as Bovaird called it, was an 'identical' suite to the one where Hollywood actress Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) stays with her frenemies Kate (Leslie Bibb) and Laurie (Carrie Coon). 'When they arrive, Mike White wanted them to look interchangeable, like a cohesive blond blob,' Bovaird said of the women who have become memes on social media. 'I gave them all similar bright, sunshine-y linen sundresses and they are decked out in fancy bags, shoes and sunglasses.' 'As we go forward we begin to know their differences,' Bovaird explained. 'Laurie is more practical and apt to be comfortable, so she dons the loose Thai traveler pants. Jacqueline is a social butterfly and a maven and show-off, so she's always dazzling in her outfits. Kate is just a smidge more buttoned-up and prissy.' Referring to the late-night pool shenanigans that ensue at the end of Episode 5, Bovaird added, 'So when they go back to the villa for a party, [Kate] adds clothes instead of losing them!' Among all of the cast, Posey, who plays matriarch Victoria Ratliff, had the strongest vision going into production about how her character would dress. 'Parker was very collaborative and knew how she wanted to play Victoria,' Bovaird shared. 'She was cast relatively early so we had a lot of discussions about where she shops and how she dresses. 'She has amazing style and instincts and was a delight to work with,' the designer added of the actress. No closet is safe from a raid if Bovaird senses a perfect find. 'Chelsea [Aimee Lou Wood] wears dresses that belonged to my assistant Giulia [Moschioni]'s mother and my mother!' Bovaird revealed. Asked which actor dresses the most like their character, Bovaird replied, 'Not Lisa!' The Thai-born member of South Korean girl group BlackPink, who is billed as Lisa Manobal on the show, made her acting debut on 'The White Lotus' Season 3, playing a resort employee and health mentor named Mook. 'We gave her a glam-down!' Bovaird said of the pop star. As for who was her favorite character to dress: 'I always enjoy the girlie duos — Chloe and Chelsea were my favorites because they are more eclectic and DIY style. I also love Piper's outfits.' 'The White Lotus' airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO and Max.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'White Lotus' costume designer teases upcoming Season 3 party scenes: 'Another chance to make people look fabulous'
In Sunday's episode of The White Lotus, viewers got a look inside a monastery when Piper and Lochlan Ratliff (played by Sarah Catherine Hook and Sam Nivola) leave the hotel property — and their unraveling family — for a night of meditation and reckoning. The HBO series' costume designer, Alex Bovaird, said the scenes shot inside the monastery were challenging to dress but playful. 'That was really fun,' Bovaird told Yahoo Entertainment about dressing the actors playing monks in traditional orange robes, with some strict limitations. "[They wore] sacred garments that I was respectfully asked not to touch with my hands. My male staff could wrap them only," she said. At the monastery, Piper and Lochlan agree to spend the night as part of a challenge set forth by their mom, Victoria (Parker Posey) — a ploy to show Piper just how uncomfortable a Buddhist lifestyle can be as she makes the case for her plans to live there for a year after college graduation. Meanwhile, Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon), Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) and Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) revisit their late-night partying that ended on a yacht. For Bovaird, those are some of her favorite scenes to costume. 'I love party scenes,' she said. 'Sometimes in real life, you go to these hotels and people are actually wearing sweatpants. But we don't do that in our show. There's a heightened energy that we bring to our clothes.' Party scenes also mean more background actors, which can take some time. 'We put a lot into dressing the extras,' she said. 'There's a lot of prefitting. They come in days before everybody. You don't always see it, because TV is quite tight and there's a lot of intensity to how the characters are feeling, so you get a lot of close-ups.' She continued: 'The cast really appreciates it because they feel that they're in all those party scenes, there's hundreds of extras, and they're all in some crazy outfits. So it helps them feel like they're really in a club in Phuket.' The party energy isn't slowing down. Bovaird said viewers can look forward to an upcoming party scene in Bangkok that features one of her favorite looks of the season. 'There is another party coming up with another chance to make people look fabulous,' she said. 'One of my favorite outfits on Chloe is at the party. She wears a really fun thing.' There's also an upcoming episode featuring a scene at a Bangkok strip club. Though Bovaird was cautious not to give away spoilers, she acknowledged the trickiness of outfitting actors for shoots like these. "That's always fun to put people in clothes that they can take off,' she said. Bovaird said that the clothes are integral to the storytelling in Season 3. 'We're always thinking about the clothes telling the story, always. Even if you don't notice it, there's a lot of thought that goes right through,' she said. 'My job is to serve [creator Mike White], serve the characters, serve the story. I'm truly honored that I get to go and live out these amazing experiences that are really hard, but really fulfilling.' She added, 'I get to be a part of this cultural phenomenon. I really enjoy being, you know, a small part of the story.' airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET and streams on Max.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The crocodile shirt. The bikini tops. How 'The White Lotus' costume designer uses clothing to tell a story.
With each season of The White Lotus, the fashion gets as much attention as the drama — and that's by design. Costume designer Alex Bovaird, who has worked on all three seasons of HBO's hit series, uses clothing to reflect everything from class dynamics to emotional unraveling, whether it's the crocodile shirt worn by Lochlan Ratliff (Sam Nivola), custom Jacquemus designs on Charlotte Le Bon's character Chloe or the endless stream of curated resort wear spotted throughout. 'I do feel very lucky,' Bovaird told Yahoo Entertainment. 'I've done plenty of shows where the costumes are good, but there's something about The White Lotus that everybody just loves to love. [Creator] Mike White has created something that's like a phenomenon.' Bovaird first worked with White on the 2017 Ben Stiller film Brad's Status, which ended with a week of filming in Hawaii. 'I was very fortunate that when The White Lotus came around, I was the last person that had worked with [White], and so he called me,' she said. Now three seasons in, with each installment set in a different location — Hawaii, Italy and now Thailand — Bovaird has been behind the visual evolution of every character who checked into the fictional White Lotus resort. She works hand in hand with White to build a visual language through the characters' clothing. 'Mike tells me a little bit, as he's writing, about who the characters are. Then I start thinking,' she explained. 'Looking back, there's definitely a world that we've now created and come to know. There's a little bit of, like, overdressing, and everything's got some character to it.' Bovaird's ability to decode character arcs through clothes is particularly evident in Season 3's gal pals Jaclyn, Kate and Laurie, played by actresses Michelle Monaghan, Leslie Bibb and Carrie Coon, respectively. Though they share nearly every scene together, their styles quietly track the growing passive-aggressive tension simmering beneath the surface. 'That's exactly what costume design is,' Bovaird said. 'It's trying to underscore the characters and kind of help you understand who they are.' Take Jaclyn, the attention-seeking actress. 'She was a butterfly, so her clothes are often bright and bold and colorful and sparkly. She sort of flips around, and it's beautiful,' she explained. Kate, who is more restrained, 'goes home and puts her pajamas on after a night of partying as the other girls are taking their clothes off,' said Bovaird. Then there's Laurie, a high-powered New York lawyer, who started off 'a little more drab' as a way to 'project an image' but becomes bolder as the season evolves. Southern belle Victoria Ratliff, played by Parker Posey 'doesn't really leave the hotel. In fact, she barely leaves the villa,' Boivard said. 'She's just gacked out on her lorazapam and not really interested in exploring Thailand or even knowing where she is.' The costume designer worked closely with the actress early on to capture that specific, elitist coastal Southern vibe. 'She brought some family heirlooms to the shoot,' Bovaird said of Posey, who grew up in Louisiana and Mississippi. 'She really wanted to feel the character, so everything we tried had to be something that felt correct for the South.' Not every outfit makes the cut. One T-shirt — a Bella Freud design that read 'Hello c***y' — was a favorite of hers and White's, but 'it was always overpowering the dialogue,' she said. 'We kept trying with that T-shirt really hard. I still have it now. Maybe next season.' For Season 3, Bovaird meticulously built out mood boards: one for Thailand, one for the show as a whole and one for each character. Her inspiration for the resort wear the hotel guests are lounging in came largely from past eras. 'I love the '60s and '70s resort wear,' she said. 'We dissect the scenes and the characters, and I have to break down everything we need to do very methodically. Then I start gathering material, casting a net far and wide.' With limited on-island resources, Bovaird and her two assistants had to prepare ahead and move fast, especially for culturally specific scenes like the traditional Thai dances featured throughout. 'I really leaned on my Thai staff and the choreographer,' she said. 'Certain dances required slightly different looks.' The party scenes came naturally to Bovaird. 'I love party scenes,' she said. 'I'm just an old party girl, so it's an excuse to remember the untamed fun and going out for the night.' That's especially true for Chloe, played by Le Bon. 'There's probably more of me in Chloe than anyone else,' Bovaird said. 'She's a free spirit. She collects different things from around the world. I remembered all of the markets I went to [in Thailand] and how I ended up just wearing my bikini top the whole time because it was so hot. That's Chloe.' The heat became a character of its own. 'My hats off to [my department]. They were the true heroes, fanning people and giving them ice packs. They never stopped.' Beyond the mood boards, Bovaird also had bigger plans to call back to earlier characters that never quite materialized. At one point, she tried to sneak in a tribute to fan-favorite Tanya, played by Jennifer Coolidge, who died in Season 2. 'I brought Tanya's dresses that she goes overboard in. There were like six of them because she had to do it many times,' Bovaird said. 'I took those dresses to Thailand with the idea that maybe, I don't know, like on the yacht, there could be a little Tanya floating by — or maybe at one of the parties, there was an apparition of Tanya because I knew everyone was gutted that she wasn't going to be in Season 3. I floated the idea, but it didn't happen. Still, I thought it was really funny.'
