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It can be hard to describe “The White Lotus” universe to those who haven’t seen the delightfully wonky Mike White-created show, which returns for its third season this weekend. Off-kilter, eccentric, absurd and quirky are a few words that come to mind. But sprinkled atop all the kookiness is an undeniable romanticism and allure that makes you want to sip a Pina Colada on the beach with the characters –despite knowing their vacation, like in every season of the show, ends in a blood-curdling murder.
So how do you reflect these unique vibes onto the clothing? “Maybe they’re not completely head-to-toe perfect. It’s a little off. It’s wild. It’s emotional dressing,” costume designer Alex Bovaird, who worked on all three seasons of the show, tells Variety. “Sometimes the way we put it is like they’re wearing clothes that they feel represent their mood in the moment.”
While specific pieces from the forthcoming season are strictly under (floral-printed) wraps until the show’s premiere on Sunday night, you can get a pretty good sense of Bovaird’s bold costuming sensibilities in a new resort collection she co-designed with H&M, inspired by the newest season of the Emmy-winning HBO series. The 25-piece womenswear capsule is reflective of what you see in the show — skin-baring crochet, haltered necklines, ruffles, loud colors and dynamic patterns.
Highlights include a bright orange kaftan, babydoll dress, knitted top and frilled pants. Of course, accessories such as sunglasses, sandals and swimwear, top off the collection.
“You can dress up to go to the pool. You can play it down to go to dinner. You can sort of choose your own adventure with the clothes,” Bovaird says.
The season’s Thailand setting was naturally a huge inspiration for the show’s costuming, and in turn, the retail collection. Each piece nods, in varying degrees, to Thai culture — from the vivid greens of the jungle to elephant prints and indigenous mural designs. “The retail collection has the fingerprints of Thailand on each garment,” Bovaird says.
Below, Bovaird talks through her inspiration for the H&M resort collection, her work on “The White Lotus” and the differences between costume and proper fashion design:
How would you describe the general style in the White Lotus universe?
Well, it’s a lot of moving parts. Each character has their own style and their own taste, and then there’s sort of my taste I put on top of that and then put it all in a blender. It’s elevated holiday dressing. I would say most people, when they go on holiday, have a range of modes. Whereas on ‘The White Lotus,’ it’s only up while still being grounded in reality. It’s not too much like other shows like ‘Emily in Paris,’ which is very, very put together. On ‘The White Lotus,’ you could actually see yourself wearing these. Maybe they’re not completely head-to-toe perfect. It’s a little off. It’s wild. It’s emotional dressing. Sometimes the way we put it is like they’re wearing clothes that they feel represent their mood in the moment.
What design elements from the show did you bring into the collection?
Just the idea that you could dress up to go to the pool. You could play it down to go to dinner. You can sort of choose your own adventure with the clothes. The difference with the retail collection is that we made clothes that you get to choose how and where you want to wear them. Whereas for costume design, we have the scene, we have the character, we have all the nuances of the relationships, and then we need to choose the clothes that fit the setting. So, we’re making clothes that distill the essence of ‘The White Lotus’ — fun, brightly colored, versatile – that you can choose where you want to wear them and pack in your suitcase. If you’ve got a holiday planned, you could have a capsule wardrobe ready. You could buy everything in the collection. If you haven’t got a holiday planned, you can wear your bikini top with your denim and an oversized shirt and go to the bar and order a White Lotus cocktail.
Fabio Lovino/HBO
Fabio Lovino/HBO
How did Thailand help inspire the pieces?
Everything was inspired by being in Thailand. When I worked with the lovely folks at H&M, I was in Thailand. So everything is related to that. First, the colors — there’s lots of vivid greens that come from the jungle, a citrus green and a chartreuse screen and a forest green. And we like pink in The White Lotus. There’s a nice juicy white lotus pink. There are motifs from Thailand. There are elephant prints. There’s a caftan that has a Thai mural design on it. And so, just like the costume design of the White Lotus, the retail collection has the fingerprints of Thailand on each garment. And also, just that sense of romance. There’s some dresses with frills so I think adventure and romance are the hallmarks of the costume design, and they’re in the retail collection as well.
What was the experience and challenge, if any, of going from costume design to proper fashion design?
Well I was afforded the luxury of having [H&M’s] wonderful team in Stockholm. They’re a massive company with lots of resources and many, many talents. So I just got to sit with them and bring what I know about this season and the flavors of Thailand to them. And it was honestly easier for me than costume design because it was just me and the H&M team cooking up some lovely ideas. And that’s it. There wasn’t really any other considerations. There’s no actors to take into account that are going to be literally wearing the clothes. The customer is more nebulous. It’s like the lady who loves ‘The White Lotus’ or the girl who is inspired by ‘’The White Lotus’ fashion and just trying to make her happy. Doing it more generally was more freeing. And it was a really, really good experience that I found much less complicated and very enjoyable.
There seems to be more and more crossover between the costume design and proper fashion design, with fashion designers now working on movies and vise-versa. Is fashion design something you’re interested in doing more of?
Yeah, I think if the opportunity came up and I had the time, I would definitely love to do more. I thought it was really fun and just really expansive and open ended, and really so many things you can do with it within the context of a romantic adventure. So yeah I’d love to do more.
What’s your favorite piece in the collection?
My favorite is a matching pair of trousers with flared frills and a oversized shirt, and it has a black and green tropical print, and you can wear the shirt open or closed, and it’s probably the most sophisticated, but rock and roll, and it’s inspired by one of the characters, and it’s probably the outfit that I would wear personally.
Do you have a vacation planned where you can wear it?
I I do not, but I can’t wait to go home. I live in Nashville, so I think the frilled trousers will be great for a night out in Nashville.
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