I think we all let out a sigh of relief — or maybe even giddily yelped — as we cozied up to watch The White Lotus season three premiere on February 16, eager to escape reality (at least for an hour). “There’s a wish and hope and fixation on traveling and escaping, and maybe right now, even more people look to a show like The White Lotus, and imagine that they could go on some escape,” says the HBO Max series’ costume designer Alex Bovaird. “I think people need more fun and magic and mystery in their lives.”
Bovaird, who has crafted the show’s now-iconic and viral costumes for the past three seasons, tells Refinery29: “There’s a lot of things that contribute to outfits, looks, and styles becoming iconic on the show. The performances are really good, the cinematography is beautiful, and the scripts are wonderful. So I think it’s all that magic,” adding: “It’s that kismet of being on the right show at the right time.”
Perhaps it’s even more fitting that Bovaird has now collaborated with H&M, a brand she admires (and shops for the designer partnership). While White Lotus-themed collabs have been rolling out, this is the only one the costume designer directly worked on — and the one she feels best reflects the series’ costumes. “The collection was born out of the exact same mood boards I had for the show,” she shares.
“The collection is directly inspired by season three in Thailand. There are bits and bobs of each character in [it],” Bovaird says, pointing to an “escapist aesthetic” that suits a “prim and proper lady” (perhaps Victoria, played by Parker Posey), a “mad, roving adventurer,” and a “sultry, pouting, mysterious girl.”
The H&M x The White Lotus resortwear collection, which launches on February 20, features luxe floral, lace, and crochet styles designed to transport you to a tropical vacation in Thailand. Bovaird explains: “I could put these clothes on those characters in the show if I wanted to.” The goal was to create styles that seamlessly transition from day to night or can be thrown on after a long beach day. The 33-piece range includes matching sets, swimwear and coverups, and tons of easy-breezy accessories.
“I think the accessories are really amazing. I love the sandals, the beaded necklace, and the beach bag — it has a little pouch attached to it, so you can put your keys and credit card in there,” Bovaird says. She also shares her favorite apparel from the collection, noting that while the pieces are suitcase-ready, they’re also easy to mix into your wardrobe before summer arrives. “I like the frill trousers with the oversized shirt in the black and green print. That’s something I definitely would wear and go to work in.” She also predicts the flouncy black mini dress will be a customer favorite.
Touching on more character-inspired pieces, Bovaird highlights the “sexy, sultry beachwear” influenced by Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) and a mix of long dresses and coverups “a little bit more like Sex and the City,” inspired by the season’s trio of friends: Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), Kate (Leslie Bibb), and Laurie (Carrie Coon). There’s even an ode to the late Tanya McQuoid (famously played by Jennifer Coolidge) via a pink and purple kaftan.
Bovaird says season three especially emphasizes resort guests dressing up for dinner — evident from the first episode, where female characters wear dramatic dresses, statement earrings, and luxe wedges — so she helped create shoppable versions to encourage others to “be bold and be daring and maybe be a slightly more romantic version of yourself.”
Shop the collection to channel your favorite White Lotus characters — whether or not you have a tropical vacation on the horizon.
Shop full H&M x White Lotus collaboration on February 20
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
The White Lotus Is Launching A Travel Collection
No comments:
Post a Comment