How Costumes From Shows Like ‘Emily in Paris’ and ‘Sirens’ Illustrate That Fashion, Like Friendships, Is Complementary and Competitive
Whether dressing in opposition or mirroring each other, wardrobes speak volumes about the complexities of kinship this Emmy season.
At a client launch party in Emily in Paris, the titular marketing maven (Lily Collins) confidently works the crowd in a structured PVC dress, with exaggerated floral appliqués, by Balmain. Her roommate and BFF Mindy (Ashley Park), conveniently a showstopping singer, also commands the room in a sparkly pink Germanier minidress with a contoured-plunge neckline and architectural ruffles. Their dresses convey their complementary personalities: Emily the restrained and controlled yin to Mindy’s vivacious and adventurous yang.
“Both are joyful characters but are eclectic, unique and risky in their own ways,” says costume designer Marylin Fitoussi. “Opposites attract.”
But, at closer look, the lustrous, sculptural aspects of Emily’s and Mindy’s dresses compose a perfect harmony. The two-time Emmy nominee always coordinates the duo’s costumes in shared scenes through color palette and/or eye-catching details. “It’s a question of avoiding trends and finding the most eccentric, precise and funniest details or accessories to make them both interesting and bold, to create their own styles,” says Fitoussi. “That expresses their friendship.”
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Fitoussi made an exception when Mindy supported a heartbroken Emily by lending her best friend one of her most outrageous outfits to match for a girls night out. “They were both sad and depressed, so Mindy gave Emily a makeover with the red leather [Jitrois] catsuit and high boots,” explains Fitoussi.
Twinning can be weaponized, though. In The White Lotus, three childhood best friends reunite for a luxurious jaunt to Koh Samui, Thailand: TV actress Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), New York City attorney Laurie (Carrie Coon) and Austin socialite Kate (Leslie Bibb). They arrive seemingly in sync — dressed in a sunny yellow palette with tropical motifs. But, in trios, the math often adds up to two against one. In their shared villa, Jaclyn immediately lends Kate a fuchsia V-neck maillot and a fringed panther sarong from a Valentino swag box — an imagined celebrity gift conceptualized by costume designer Alex Bovaird.
“They’re sharing in wanting to be each other and morphing into each other,” says the four-time Emmy nominee, who dressed a preening Jaclyn in a vintage blocked Chanel caftan over an asymmetric Eres swimsuit. “They’re just like butterflies. Showing off their flashy colors. They’re trying to outshine each other, but very passively at the moment.”
Jaclyn and Kate proceed to shower each other with backhanded compliments. Amid a divorce and career stagnation, Laurie looks on and interjects with tentative laughter.
“Jaclyn does not share her designer swag with Laurie,” says Bovaird, who peppered Valentino resortwear into Kate’s wardrobe. “That’s a little signal of Laurie being on the outs.”
Within a beachfront compound on a tiny East Coast island in Sirens, Simone (Milly Alcock) emulates her boss — dressing for the role she wants, both personally and professionally. As an eager assistant to society doyenne Michaela (Julianne Moore), Simone tackles responsibilities beyond office hours, joining morning workouts in matching gear and presenting herself in her boss’ image to an absurd degree, like chewing a piece of gum straight out of Michaela’s mouth to freshen her breath.
“Simone is always working in mimicry of Michaela,” says costume designer Caroline Duncan, who custom designed Simone’s iridescent lilac sports bra and running pants and Michaela’s taupe-hued ballet-wrap top and leggings. “It feels hallucinatory and leads to questions of appropriateness of their relationship.”
Simone’s devotion blurs boundaries, leading her estranged sister Devon (Meghann Fahy) to believe that Michaela is a cult leader. That’s understandable, as the enigmatic, baton-wielding grande dame presides over her high society acolytes in an alabaster white silk halter tunic over wide-leg trousers, custom-designed by Duncan, at a party that Simone flawlessly orchestrates in a highlighter pink and white shift dress by Goop x Lilly Pulitzer. Only Simone enjoys the privilege of incorporating white into her wardrobe, as Duncan intentionally dressed the rest of island society in Easter egg colors only.
An aspirational Simone also borrows pieces from Michaela’s glamorous, otherworldly wardrobe. At one point, Michaela’s billionaire husband, Peter (Kevin Bacon), accuses her of dressing Simone “up like a doll.” But Michaela sees herself in her protégé. “She really does tenderly love Simone,” says Duncan. “So she’s trying to polish Simone — crossing every ‘T’ and dotting every ‘I’ — and helping her have this outward perfectionism, so that she quickly learns how to climb the ladder herself.”
In Dying for Sex, aligning styles symbolize the deepest commitment of friendship as actress Nikki (Jenny Slate) becomes the caregiver to bestie of nearly 20 years, Molly (Michelle Williams), during her final days battling Stage 4 cancer. Tending to her time-sensitive bucket list, Molly leaves her performatively caring husband, Steve (Jay Duplass), to explore her sexual boundaries. Since Molly jumped into Nikki’s car, getaway style, she needs to borrow her best friend’s comforting sweaters and easy shirts.
“Twinning is just a natural occurrence, especially if they’re spending a lot of time together,” says costume designer Melissa Toth, who needed to emphasize realistic New York City wardrobes of a 40-something struggling actress and her terminally ill friend who’s finally grasping independence.
After a brief stay with Nikki and liquidating her 401(k), Molly moves into her own modest apartment, but the sartorial connection with Nikki remains. “Maybe they’re not trading clothes anymore, but they’re becoming a symbiotic creature,” says two-time Emmy-nominated Toth. “Molly is becoming, essentially, Nikki’s partner.”
Adjusting to their new daily obligations, the duo convene on a park bench for an intimate, heartfelt and revealing conversation. Nikki self-soothes in layers of an oatmeal sweater, a Uniqlo down puffer and a dark-denim shacket by Frame while Molly swaddles herself in her trusty navy APC overcoat and an ombré earth-toned scarf knitted by Toth’s niece. The theme of companionship runs deep, as Williams and Toth also collaborated on Williams’ Emmy- and Oscar-nominated turns in Fosse/Verdon and Manchester by the Sea.
“We have a really special working relationship that’s actually evolved into a friendship,” says Toth. “[Dying for Sex] is a love story between two friends.”
This story first appeared in an August stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
