JOANNE Watkinson a new style icon has arrived
Countless fashion icons have come out of films and TV shows, from Annie Hall, to Alexis Carrington, Holly Golightly and of course one of the biggest fashion inspirations of modern day – Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw. Then it all went quiet.
There were the odd highlights. The fashion in The Devil Wears Prada was titillating but there were no memorable outfits.
I remember the nipped-in waists on Mad Men but couldn’t describe the frocks. Then along came Schitt’s Creek and Moira Rose.
Schitt’s Creek is a Canadian sitcom about a billionaire family gone broke and forced to move to a backwater.
The cast are almost all unknowns apart from American Pie’s Eugene Levy and star of the show, Home Alone’s Catherine O’hara, who plays Moira.
An eccentric former soap star who doesn’t know the meaning of the word casual, her character exploded onto the screen in edgy monochrome tailoring, vertiginous heels and an array of wigs, and a new style icon was born.
With British heiress Daphne Guinness said to be an inspiration, the attention to detail and expert layering of statement necklaces over geometric prints is a joy. But the best part is how her wardrobe tells the story of how incredibly misplaced this outrageous character is in a sleepy town.
Co-creator and co-star Dan Levy was heavily involved in the creation of Moira Rose’s style, alongside Emmynominated costume designer Debra Hansen. He has said how the wardrobe was the second most important part of the show after the script, as the clothes we wear say so much about who we are as people, and more importantly how we want people to see us.
Moira is not alone in her pursuit for sartorial nirvana in Schitt’s Creek, husband Johnny wears only impeccable suits, even when cleaning out the gutters, while daughter Alexa loves her bohoinspired mini dresses and son David his statement designer sweaters.
The whole show is a dream for fashion junkies, and that’s before you start on the funny, heartwarming storytelling and the most realistic same-sex relationship ever depicted on television.
Get acquainted with the Rose family – you won’t regret it.