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The Who What Wear Podcast
The White Lotus Costume Designer Alex Bovaird on Season 3’s Designer-Loving Blondes, the Catalog-Worthy Ratliffs, and Chelsea’s DIY Expat Style
00:22:28
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- [00:01]
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- [01:09]
Bobby Schussler
Welcome to the who what Wear? Podcast, your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors and taste makers who are shaping the ever evolving world of fashion. I'm who It Wears shopping director Bobby Schussler, and today I'm chatting with the costume designer for the hit HBO show the White Lotus, Alex Bovaird. Alex is a tremendously talented costume designer who has been with the show since season one, and her ability to storytell through each character's fashion choices has been a huge part of the show's success. She joins me today to talk about all things season three, from how she developed the look and and feel of each character to choosing the looks that we see in the now famous boat ride in scene at the beginning of each season. Plus, we get into how she sources the right accessories and brands to highlight a character's journey, how Chloe's custom Jacquemus look came to be, and how she designed the hotel's uniforms to reflect and honor Thailand's culture. It's all coming up on who, what Where. Alex, thank you so much for joining me today. I am super excited to chat with you.
- [02:23]
Alex Bovaird
You're welcome. Nice to be here.
- [02:25]
Bobby Schussler
So, as many of our listeners know, you've been the costume designer for the White Lotus for the past three seasons. Can you tell us a little bit about how you initially got into this line of work and then how you got connected to the White Lotus specifically?
- [02:40]
Alex Bovaird
I started working in the costume department on a film in 2008. I had previously been doing just various odds and ends related to fashion and production, but still very much working out where I wanted to go. And then I heard about an apprenticeship on a film in the costume department And I thought that sounded really amazing, and I'd never heard of it. So I applied and they had me start two days later. And I absolutely loved it from the get go. It spread like nothing else. I've never worked so hard in one day and felt so accomplished at the end of the week. Yeah, I was sort of hooked on the hard work.
- [03:23]
Bobby Schussler
Seems like a lot of work.
- [03:25]
Alex Bovaird
It is.
- [03:26]
Bobby Schussler
And then what brought you then from 2008 into when you started on the White Lotus? What did that look like?
- [03:33]
Alex Bovaird
I had previously worked with Mike White on a film called Brad's Status, and that was in Montreal. It was a movie with Ben Stiller, and we had a really nice time. It was very successful collaboration. And he quickly started writing something after that that was similar to the White Lotus that he had set up. And it was about a honeymooning couple traveling around the world, and they kept bumping into the same people. So I knew about the seed idea, but for various reasons, that didn't go ahead. A few years later, we were in COVID lockdown, and I got a call from Mike's producer saying, we're gonna do the show. We're gonna start in a couple weeks. We're gonna go to Hawaii live in a hotel, not leave the hotel. And, you know, it was all very early days in how to work in lockdown with the testing protocols and all that. So it was all very wild but exciting, and it's just sort of dived right in.
- [04:34]
Bobby Schussler
So, like you said, you obviously have to immerse yourself into these locations. So Hawaii, then Italy, now Thailand. When you're given the script and tasked with building out the fashion direction for the season, what initial research and brainstorming process look like, and how has it evolved over these last three seasons?
- [04:55]
Alex Bovaird
I think with season three, now we know very well what we're doing and what the world of the White Lotus is going to look like. In terms of costume, we try to ground it in reality, but we also have created a little bit of our own world where everyone dresses up for dinner still, everyone has a nice outfit for the plane. Back to an earlier time when people did that. So I'm very inspired by 60s and 70s resort editorials. And then we also ground it in what's real. So there's lots of sleuthing I do online, just checking out all the different hotels. It's very easy to do real research now with all the social media and the fact that people very much project who they want to be onto their social media accounts. So it's very in Tune with what we do on the White Lotus as we imagine people bringing their best selves or wearing something they've always wanted to, or projecting their aspirations for the holiday into their suitcase. So it starts with a lot of research, a lot of photos. I do mood boards for the show, for the location, for the world, and then for each character.
- [06:11]
Bobby Schussler
So diving a little into the characters. You know, episode one of each season has the notorious boat ride arrival, and that's our first glimpse into who these characters are. And so what are you trying to achieve with that first look? What are you trying to tell people through their clothes? How do you and Mike White kind of work together for those specific details of each character right from episode one?
- [06:37]
Alex Bovaird
Yeah, you're right. The arrival scene is very important, and it's the one that Mike will really get more involved with. He wants to really evaluate and make sure that each costume signifies who that character is. I mean, costume design is supposed to underscore character plot, story setting, anyway. But if there's one outfit that is supposed to be sort of on the nail, who this character is, it would be the arrival scene. And that sort of evolved because of the first series. When you see them, it's really fun. It's the introduction. And then that scene became the poster for season one. And when we came to do season two, you know, it was a nice little tradition that they did the same thing, and you got to know them in the same way. And season three, you meet the Southern family. More than the other scenes, I would try and make a bit cohesive. So they look very similar. And tonally, they're all the same. And they're supposed to look like they just walked out of a Ralph Lauren catalog. And then, same with the ladies. They're supposed to look like one cohesive blonde blob. So they're wearing similar colors and similar dresses, and they've all got their fancy bags. And then with Rick and Chelsea, they come along, and you're supposed to think, well, who are these guys? You know, my inspiration was True Romance, another movie with James Woods. And they're supposed to look like scraggly characters that have been traveling for a long time. But maybe not your typical White Lotus guests. They look interesting, but they don't necessarily look like they're coming from a wealthy world of America. And you're supposed to just ask questions, supposed to be mysterious.
- [08:19]
Bobby Schussler
Definitely came across. So for the Ratliffs, which of the looks or vibes came together first out of that family of five, was there one that you focused on? First or was it kind of all cohesive together? What was that process for the family?
- [08:34]
Alex Bovaird
I believe Parker was cast first quite far ahead of any of the other family members. And then there's always a little bit of time between knowing who it is and being able to speak with them. But Parker is probably one of the most collaborative actors in the cast, and she comes from workshopping theater and really having a big say in how her character dresses. And she really thinks deeply about all the choices. So we got on the phone and talked a lot about what she would wear and all the different pieces and accessories. So we really worked on her first, and then she doesn't really go to the pool. She doesn't go to the beach. She just sort of hangs around being comfortable, getting massages, getting treatments, and staying in her comfort zone. She doesn't even know where she is really half the time. So she has these big flouncy caftans. She's very comfy, looks very elegant for dinner, looks spot on for arriving, but isn't laying out in the sand. We were inspired by a lady from Alabama who sells vintage clothes and caftans, and she gave me a bit of an insight into her country club world and how fun the women are down there with their choices. And then other than that, there was a lot of just classic looks, too. You know, blue and white and coral.
- [09:55]
Bobby Schussler
I feel like her eyewear also is, like, very specific and part of her whole ensemble as well.
- [10:01]
Alex Bovaird
I worked with the prop master, Michael. He had a relationship with a company called General Eyewear in London who make eyewear specifically for film and TV and do bespoke stuff. So that was a bespoke custom pair of frames that she wears a lot.
- [10:17]
Bobby Schussler
Of the time than the watches, too. I feel like each character has a very specific watch.
- [10:21]
Alex Bovaird
Yes, a lot of thought goes into it. Then we present options. I think I got about 70% of the watches, and then Michael Khoury, the prop master, helps as well. It's about securing the loans, convincing people that they can lend us all this product for a very long time, and then just feeling what's right for the character.
- [10:41]
Bobby Schussler
So for Piper, she also has, like, a very defined sense of style, and she's on this spiritual journey. I saw online, some people are comparing her looks to, like, an American Girl doll with her polo Ralph Lauren eyelet dress and that Ciao Lucia dress with the sailor bib. So how was it building her wardrobe, kind of knowing her journey and her connection to the family, but then obviously the spiritual journey as well.
- [11:05]
Alex Bovaird
That's funny that people are calling her a doll. Cause that's what we started to say, that she was like Piper Barbie compared to some of the other characters. She really has a mode and sticks to it. And she does have these rather chaste looking ensembles. And I took this sort of wholesome young Brooke Shields as an idea and made her look a little more ethereal than sharp. We kept her dresses quite long, mostly either tea length or longer, especially in the evening. She just has a sort of demure vibe because that's what she is compared to her brothers, who are more raucous and obnoxious. So, yeah, she definitely stays in this sort of fairy doll mode.
- [11:51]
Bobby Schussler
Totally. So for the trio of blondes, they certainly have this cohesive vibe, but also obviously their own nuances and specific, you know, Goyard bag or an Hermes watch or Loewe. What was your thought process with that trio? This cohesive look initially on the boat scene. And then they do have their own individual styles.
- [12:14]
Alex Bovaird
Yeah, exactly. So when they first arrive, they're presented as interchangeable ladies. And then as you get to know them, you can see that they come from different places. They've gone off and created their own lives and worlds. I feel like everything's global now, whether you're in Austin, New York or the middle of the country. You sort of know about the it bags and the trends. But Laurie's from New York, so she carries a Loewe bag when you first meet her. And then you see she's got a vintage jumpsuit that she goes to dinner in. Jacqueline is an actress. She's very glamorous. We like the idea that she was sent items from brands, you know, like she was a brand ambassador for Valentino. So she has lots of designer clothes. She goes down to the pool in a Chanel cover up and she's like a butterfly, very bright, very fluttery, always getting attention. And then Kate is from Texas, so she's just a little bit more conservative. She has a Cartier love bracelet. Some more quintessential classic wealthy woman choices.
- [13:19]
Bobby Schussler
Absolutely. Okay, so for Chelsea, who's played by Amy Luwood, who's definitely a fan favorite, what was your vision for her? Where did you source some of her pieces?
- [13:30]
Alex Bovaird
Yeah, with Chelsea. I think that the girly duos, they're always my favorites because you can go more eclectic and imagine that people are trying on different ideas still. Whereas maybe once you're a certain age, you've got your designated ideas. She's British. The idea was that she hadn't been home in A while. So she looks a little more worn and funky. And she's picking up stuff from the market. She's been in Bali, she's been in India, so she wears things that we bought in Asia. And she is a boho girl. She loves the 60s and. And crochet. And we chopped off a lot of dresses so that they were really mini. There's three or four dresses that were longer that we turned into mini dresses. So we did a lot of DIY on her because it seemed to suit her character. She's got some designer pieces, for sure, like everybody on the White Lotus, but mostly it's a little bit more DIY fashion.
- [14:31]
Bobby Schussler
Yeah. I feel like she was wearing the Loewe skirt with a tank top vibe, which. Very cool.
- [14:37]
Alex Bovaird
Yeah, I think it's Paulie's Ibiza for Loewe, which is such a great line for the White Lotus. If ever I spotted any of that, I'd try and get it because it's influenced by a famous shop in Ibiza that is also a party island. So they have great stuff.
- [14:53]
Bobby Schussler
Very fitting for the White Lotus. So for her friend Chloe, who I feel like has one of the most enviable wardrobes, especially for the fashion crowd. She's in her custom jacquemus when we first meet her, and then that pink ensemble on the yacht, which is just like, iconic. Why did you decide to go the custom route for her and what was that collaboration like?
- [15:16]
Alex Bovaird
So it's really hard to do that on a TV show just because of the timing, but because I knew the scripts, I thought this character who's very worldly and very fashionable would be a good fit to try and work with Jacques Mousse. I have been a fan of theirs for a really long time, and I wanted to work with them on season two, but it just fell through the cracks. And then they had reached out and asked me if I wanted to do something special for season three. They'd love to do it. So it's really difficult because you don't know the actor who's gonna come and play that character. You don't know their body type or height or hair color or preferences. And actually this character ended up getting recast. So we started designing with a completely different actress in mind. But it just worked out really well because by the time Charlotte got there, she's very chic. She really pulls off those looks beautifully. Jacques Mousse made lots of different amazing ideas that I wish we could commercialize. They're super cool, but, you know, it's a Bit much to have a character in more than two contrived looks like that. Otherwise it starts to look not realistic. So we did two of them.
- [16:25]
Bobby Schussler
What other brands besides Jack Mousse did you pull for that character?
- [16:29]
Alex Bovaird
She's got a Balenciaga bag that she saunters around with. I always like it when I can put the bag in the frame. Not just because I have a bag fetish, but because I feel like as women, we're always with our bags. They're right next to us, hanging off our chairs on the table. So I think it's a really realistic piece of the costume. What else? Oh, she has a great dress that we haven't seen yet. It's a vintage Versace dress that is pretty eccentric.
- [16:56]
Bobby Schussler
Amazing. Just because you mentioned bag fetish, which I also have. What's your process like for selecting the bags for each character throughout the season? Do you, like, have bags that you love in mind or what does that process look like?
- [17:09]
Alex Bovaird
That's a really exciting thing for me to do because I've been in costumes for a long time and I mean, bags are usually out of our budget. And so it's really a delight to work on a show like the White Lotus where people are commenting on the clothes. It's easier to ask brands to lend us bags. And on season one, nobody knew who we were. So the bags are borrowed from my sister in law. I think there's three designer bags and they all came from Renee. Thanks, Renee. And then by season two, people were watching the show, so understandably the brands were excited to lend us stuff. And then on season three, it was a big ask because we went to Thailand for eight months and we took everything with us on a Kane, which means you don't have to pay 80% customs on your goods, so you have to send it back at the same time after eight months. So instead of just borrowing bags and then sending them back if they didn't work, which you would do in America, we wanted to hold onto them for eight months. So we had a huge bag shop that we painstakingly dragged around with us. And we're very precious about. I think bags are a really good signifier of somebody's character and wealth. We certainly can't use knockoff bags. We wouldn't get away with it on this show. So we have to go for the real thing. And I'm just really grateful that we got to borrow some. And I think it's definitely an exercise in wish fulfillment for me. The ladies in particular kind of went with the idea that they had far more bags than would be realistic on holiday. But it's good fun.
- [18:50]
Bobby Schussler
Yeah, I love that evolution. Cause I'm pretty sure it was the green goyard from the first season. Like you remember that moment and that kind of person would have that bag versus, like you said in the beginning, the Loewe bag from the New Yorker, who certainly knows what they're doing. You know, we've talked about some of the characters for like the staff specifically. And now we have Belinda, who's come back from the Maui location. Did you draw inspiration from Thailand's culture and the climate when designing the looks for the hotel staff or how did that come about?
- [19:18]
Alex Bovaird
Yeah, the uniforms were one of the hardest things actually in America. You just get a catalog and order uniforms and tailor them. In Thailand, everybody who has a uniform, it's all made to measure. And so you go to a tailor shop. We had to make all our uniforms from scratch, which was great, but also a lot of work. There's 34 different uniforms in season three. So we did a lot of research about these high end resorts to get the right fabric. It's a sort of a linen look, but it's not linen because it has to stay really sharp and crispy. So it's a lot of polyester in there to keep it starched. And I wanted to use a company called Tombolo for some of the spa butler looks because the idea was these guys were from different places. There's Pam, who's Australian, Valentin is from Russia and Mook is. So wanted to give them a bit of a western look as well as having a Thai uniform. Tom Bolo is a company I've also been aware of since season one and they do these really great gift shop sets for this beautiful hotel in Portofino. And I wanted to do that for the White Lotus to have their own set that you could also buy at the gift shop. So they're wearing these shorts and cabana shirts with monkeys and coconut palms. The ladies are very feminine usually when they work at hotels. So you can see Mook and Pam, they have these form fitting tops and skirts and then everyone has these cute little short sets too that just feel very whimsical. There's a lot of whimsy in the clothes, I think.
- [20:50]
Bobby Schussler
Absolutely. Is there a favorite character that you got to dress this season?
- [20:55]
Alex Bovaird
I really like Rick and Chelsea. They were a lot of fun. He doesn't get written about by the fashion editors, but you should look into Fabian. I think he's got some really great looks. The Actor Christian Friedl is really awesome and we gave him all these Indo Western looks where he's wearing kurta pyjamas and he has his Asian bracelets and necklaces. But yeah, Rick and Chelsea are pretty iconic for me and just like a pleasure to work with personally as well.
- [21:25]
Bobby Schussler
Okay, so when this podcast comes out, I think there'll be like two episodes left in terms of important costume decisions. Is there anything we should look out for in the last couple episodes? Anything else we should be spotting?
- [21:39]
Alex Bovaird
Yeah, there's one more party scene in episode seven where Chloe dons her vintage Versace. I think Chelsea's in a little Moschino vintage number. Everyone's dolled up for a party. I love party scenes. There's so many great extras. My team and I love dressing the extras. Like everybody has their own White Lotus costume and it's good for the actors to feel like they're in a really fabulous party so they really appreciate it. Fabian has a cheeky moment you'll have to see. I haven't seen episodes seven and eight, so I'm not entirely sure how much is going to be shown, but I certainly know how I dress them.
- [22:19]
Bobby Schussler
Very iconic for sure. Well, thank you so much for chatting with me. I mean, we're all such huge fans of your work, so appreciate you taking the time.
- [22:27]
Alex Bovaird
Thank you.
- [22:33]
Bobby Schussler
A huge thank you to costume designer Alex Bovaird. Make sure to subscribe to our show wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode. And while you're there, I'd be so grateful if you'd rate and review us. If you have any guest suggestions or any other feedback, drop us a line@podcastooitwear.com or find us on social at who it Where. See you next Wednesday on the who It Where Podcast. This episode was produced by Hilary Kerr, Summer Hammerisk, and Natalie Thurman. Our production assistant is Claire Schmidt. Our editor is Ko Takasugi Chernovin. Our audio engineers are at Glen Canyon Audio, and our music is by Jonathan Leahy.
- [23:28]
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