Category: PRESS

The costume designers behind “The Bold Type,” “Run the World” and “Younger” all weigh in on all that aspirational Gucci, Balmain and Chanel.

In recent episodes, these character portrayals through costumes also continue the ongoing discussion — and, hopefully, action — within the fashion and publishing industries to support and amplify Black-owned brands. 

Line, for instance, consulted with colleague Charlese Antoinette Jones and the Black Designer Database (which the “Judas and the Black Messiah” costume designer launched earlier this year) to feature the work of Black designers on “The Bold Type.” Former Scarlet social media guru Kat (Aisha Dee, who spoke out for more diversity behind-the-camera on the show), for example, wears two pieces from Keresse Dorcely’s Six/20: a statement varsity sweatshirt and a short-sleeved yellow baseball jacket with matching wide-leg pants, which pay homage to the Philadelphia Dolly Vardens, two late 19th century all-women and all-African American baseball teams (above). 

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After five seasons in the fashion closet of the fictional Scarlet magazine, The Bold Type is coming to an end. Since 2017, audiences have tuned in to keep up with the glamorous — if not slightly exaggerated — lives of Jane Sloan (Katie Stevens), Sutton Brady (Meghann Fahy), and Kat Edison (Aisha Dee), all of whom are rising stars at the beloved magazine.

The chemistry between the three women is a big part of the show’s appeal, and a key part of capturing that dynamic is getting their respective styles just right, down to the very last detail.

As for social media director turned activist Kat, her wardrobe becomes more of a reflection of her personal values and passion for social causes. Line turned to the Black Designer Database, created by her friend Charlese Antoinette, to connect with Black designers who would be a good fit for Kat’s style.

“My approach was, who is Kat today?” Line says. “Kat is a strong Black woman still figuring out what she doesn’t want. She has this voice and I was like, ‘what am I going to bring to this? I need to bring heart and soul.’”

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InStyle spoke to costume designer Mandi Line about putting her touch on the Freeform series’ final episodes.

In addition to having images of Lovecraft Country star Jurnee Smollett’s style “all over” her vision boards for Kat, Line turned to the Black Designer Database started by her friend, Judah and the Black Messiah’s costume designer Charlese Antoinette Jones. “I wanted to bring Kat’s strong Black voice to her wardrobe,” she says. “I created a book full of BIPOC designers to go to first, so we could put money back into the community before going to retail stores. It was a little tougher because we were filming in Montreal and nothing was open because of the pandemic. But we really wanted to go for it, and we did. At one point, Kat wears a shirt that says ‘Support Black Designers,’ and later in the season you’ll see her in a two-piece yellow outfit and on the jacket, it has the name of the first Black women’s baseball team from the early 1900s, which is a really cool story.”

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Hollywood costume designers set the sartorial scene for film and television shows, but their fashion influence reaches far beyond the big and small screens. Some have moved from behind the scenes to the commercial fashion world (see Janie Bryant and her menswear line, Taylor Draper), and creatives behind oft-imitated looks have amassed social media followings for their own personal style.

In addition to revealing their skincare secrets, the awards-nominated costume designers behind Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar, Birds of Prey, Da 5 Bloods, Emma, Euphoria, I May Destroy You, Mulan, Judas and the Black Messiah, and Snowpiercer share with The Hollywood Reporter their favorite fashion must-haves when they’re off and on the set. From the best red carpet-ready heels to a favorite pair of jeans and the best shoes for “working long days”, check out the top picks from these talents, all nominees at the 2021 Costume Designers Guild Awards, which will be held virtually on April 13 — and read on below.

4. Amina Muaddi Plexi Begum Slingback Sandals

“Currently, because of the pandemic, it’s sweatpants and cozy sweater sets. In real life, I’m obsessed with a great shoe,” says Judas and the Black Messiah costume designer and Black Designer Database creator Charlese Antoinette Jones. “I have a lot of sneakers I love and heels for days. A good shoe can elevate anything you’re wearing in my opinion. I’m obsessed with this purple glass slipper from Amina Muaddi.”

As we near the end of what has been traditionally known as Black History Month, it’s a good opportunity to talk about the people shaping Black Futures. The Movement for Black Lives defines Black Futures Month as “a visionary, forward-looking spin on celebrations of Blackness in February… using this time to both consider and celebrate our Black radical history, and to dream and imagine a world in which we are free and self-determined.” 

3. Charlese Antionette is one of the nation’s top costume designers, recently showcasing her skills as lead designer for Judas and the Black Messiah. She is also the founder of the Black Designer Database. Her pick: Aaron Clanton, founder of 9toFive.

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“There are a lot of people anticipating his story being told,” says “Judas and the Black Messiah” costume designer Charlese Antoinette, about the gravity and expectation involved in bringing the story of Illinois Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton to the screen. 

Antoinette created distinctive color palettes for each group to then “marry together” for the wide shots, while staying within the overall movie’s “grounded in earth and jewel tones,” she says. The Young Patriots wear “Americana”-inspired red, white and blue across rugged plaids, denim, corduroy and cowboy boots, while the Crowns “look really cool and sleek” in monochrome black, a sprinkling of marigold and “money green” berets.

The movie acquired the legal rights to use the actual colors of the Young Lords, as seen in the deep plum berets. Antoinette’s team “stitched together” multiple vintage sweaters to replicate the group’s purple and gold cardigans. (Letterman jackets and preppy cardigans played an integral sartorial role in ’60s and ’70s Chicago street gang culture, as the costume designer discovered in her research.) The real Young Lords leader, Jose “Cha Cha” Jimenez, (portrayed in the film by Nicholas Velez) also visited the set and gave his official approval, as well as a gift.

“He really loved everything and he said, ‘It looks just like that time,’ so that was really dope,” Antoinette remembers. “He personally handed me Young Lord pins to put on actors. It was beautiful.”

Her commitment and dedication to research not only helped bring authenticity to Hampton’s story — and continue his legacy — through costume, it also had an impact on Antoinette personally and professionally. She recently launched the Black Designer Database, which creates access and opportunity for Black brands to be featured on-screen. (She featured members’ designs during her promotion for the movie.) 

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