Drama and fashion
Eight shows to binge for the fashion after Emily In Paris.
FOR all the flak Emily In Paris has drawn (for its simplistic Parisian cliches, cringe-worthy dialogue; the list goes on), the Netflix show is not only a hit but has also caught the eyes of fashionistas with its parade of chic outfits.
And with good reason. The series – which stars English-american actress Lily Collins and has been renewed for a second season – has on its creative team legendary costume designer Patricia Field, better known as the mastermind behind the outfits of iconic fashion-conscious shows Sex And The City (1998 to 2004) and The Devil Wears Prada (2006).
Letting slide the fact that Collins’ 20-something Emily Cooper – an outspoken American who moves from Chicago to Paris for a social media strategy job – could never afford her wardrobe of Chanel, Kenzo and Christian Siriano in real life, the fashion is, as always, a great escape.
Want more drama and fashion? Tune in to these eight TV shows.
1. Gossip Girl (2007 to 2012)
A series so iconic for its sartorial moments it was even earnestly referenced on Emily In Paris, the show chronicling the lives of New York’s Upper East Side elite earned many nods from fashion critics throughout its six-season run.
The drool-worthy ensembles of Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) and even the precocious Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen) set real-life trends for millennial girls in the late 2000s.
Helmed by costume designer Eric Daman, the enviable wardrobe counted among its roster designers like Diane von Furstenberg, Elie Saab, Marc Jacobs and Moschino.
2. Dynasty (2017 to present)
The reboot of the seminal 1980s soap opera series of the same name has, thankfully, retained the original’s keen eye for fashion – albeit with updates for this century.
There are no casual outfits here. Heiress to the Atlanta family fortune, Fallon Carrington (Elizabeth Gillies) outdoes herself each week in extravagant corporate looks that toe professional and sexy.
Balmain, Saint Lauren and Christian Louboutin are just some of the designer labels gracing her wardrobe of power suits and cocktail dresses.
Dynasty’s catfighting Carrington wives, Cristal and Alexis, are not far behind, in gratuitous ensembles of fur, silk and sequins.
The men – Blake Carrington (Grant Show),
Jeff Colby (Sam Adegoke) and Sammy Jo (Rafael de la Fuente) – are equally dapper in three-piece suits, with Adegoke often dressed in head-to-toe Gucci.
In press interviews, costume designer Meredith Markworth-pollack said she sourced widely – from luxury department store Barneys to Atlanta consignment stores – to create looks for “the 1%” on a budget.
3. Crash Landing On You (2019 to 2020)
If you can get past the ridiculous premise of a literal whirlwind romance between a South Korean heiress (Son Ye-jin) and North Korean soldier (Hyun Bin), Crash Landing On You has plenty of fashion moments to offer.
Son plays Yoon Se-ri, a rich heiress at the head of her own fashion company who is always impeccably dressed to reflect it.
A woman of (expensive) taste, she totes every designer bag imaginable – Chanel, Fendi, Dior, Celine, Hermes – while her wardrobe spans power suits to tailored floral dresses to floaty pastel numbers.
4. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020)
Yet another fashion-forward K-drama, rom-com It’s Okay To Not Be Okay managed to carve a distinct style identity for its lead character Ko Mun-yeong (Seo Ye-ji), who wears everything from chic blazer dresses to floor-length maxis.
Some might even argue that the show is this year’s most fashionable K-drama.
For a children’s book author (a humble profession, one might assume), Ko is often impressively dressed in designer gear.
She sports Dior and Louis Vuitton bags, heels from Gianvitto Rossi and Jimmy Choo, and a lot of Celine. Even her sneakers are Chanel.
The show has also been praised for spotlighting Korean designers – such as Minju Kim, known for her bold silhouettes and the winner of Netflix’s fashion reality competition Next in Fashion (2020).
5. Killing Eve (2018 to present)
Possibly TV’S best-dressed murderer, English actress Jodie Comer’s Russian assassin Villanelle sure puts the killer in killer fashion.
In between having to borrow clothing from the homeless, Villanelle sports some pretty impressive threads from Burberry, Phillip Lim, JW Anderson, Chloe and Miu Miu – and a number of luxe silk robes.
And who can forget the frothy bubblegumpink Molly Goddard dress she wore in one iconic episode? The British fashion designer shot to mainstream recognition after it aired.
In an interview with culture website The Cut, Comer listed a patterned Dries van Noten suit as her favourite look from the series – she almost bought it at the end of filming.
6. Record Of Youth (2020)
Park Bo-gum, Byeon Woo-seok and Park So-dam (of 2019’s Parasite fame) star in this series about hip 20-somethings somethings tr trying ing to make it big in the fa ashion industry.
As a model, mode el- turned-actor and make-up artist resp ectively, they provide some of the show’s trendiest t looks.
It is a rare show where w the men’s looks outshine the l adies’.
Pick up style insp piration from the two male leads, who tog ggle between model off-duty streetwear and sharply tailored suits.
They stay cosy in preppy knitwear from Polo Ralph Lauren and hoodies s layered under designer blaz zers. The show also trend d- spots mini bags, slung effortlessly over bot th the guys and gals.
7. Search: WWW (20 019)
Expect lots of offi ice wear envy from thi s corporate K-drama set in the tech industry.
Leading lady and d search engine extra aordinaire Bae Ta-mi (Im m Soojung) gets her reven nge on her backstabbing ex xemployer – clad in pastelp blazers with pops of f colour.
Her contemporar ries – both on set and inn th he fictionfiction al tech world – ar re just j as fierce.
New manager Ch ha Hyun (Lee Da-hee) Da hee) pairs bold,d bol embellished
outfits with hoop earrings and red lips, while Bae’s ex-colleague Song Ga-kyung (Jeon Hyejin) creates a signature look in coloured pantsuits.
8. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017 to present)
For a slice of period couture, look no further than the Amazon Original dramedy that follows follo s a burgeoning b rgeoning stand stand-up comedian in late 1950s and early 1960s New York. Rachel Brosnaahan plays the titular character, who ggoes from upper-class housewife tto downtown club comic. The devil iis in the details, with accessoriies like satin elbow gloves and mattching hats pulling her many brighttly coloured ensembles together. Costume deesigner Donna Zakowska cclinched awards for her work at both the Eemmy Awards and Costuume Designers Guild Awards.
In 2019, the costumes – particullarly the women’s hats and dresses – were feattured in an exhibit tittled Making Maisel Maarvelous at the Paley Centerr for Media in New York. Twwo outfits from the firstt season have also been colllected by The Smithsonian’ss National Museum of Ammerican History in Washhington. –