How To Nail The White Lotus Look, According To The Show’s Costume Designer
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4 days ago
Costume designer Alex Bovaird talks us through updating The White Lotus look for Thailand, building mood boards and the one surprise British brand that became a hit this season
It’s been a long wait, but The White Lotus is back – and this time, we’re in Thailand. Mike White’s signature blend of quirky characters (rich and out-of-touch), stunning locations and interweaving plotlines never fail to hook audiences and get them talking. And one of the biggest points of conversation for The White Lotus season 3 is, undoubtedly, the fashion.
The woman behind it all is Emmy-nominated costume designer Alex Bovaird, who has worked the evolve the show’s wardrobe each season. ‘We always try to lean into the local colours, prints and brands,’ Bovaird tells C&TH, speaking on this season’s new location. ‘We also needed to dress the cast to withstand the heat in Thailand, which was a new challenge.’
Below, Bovaird gives us the inside scoop on creating the series-defining fashion for The White Lotus.
Alex Bovaird On Costuming The White Lotus Season 3
Hi Alex, how’s life going right now?
Hi! I am in New Orleans filming a movie for A24 called Primetime – we just started three weeks of overnight shoots and I’m slightly delirious.
The wait is over – The White Lotus is finally back on screens. How does this season differ from the last two?
It’s bigger and more action packed. It’s also hotter and longer and even more beautiful to watch.
(L to R) Morgana O’Reilly, Arnas Fedaravičius, Christian Friedel, Dom Hetrakul & Lalisa Manobal in The White Lotus Season 3 (c) HBO
What was it like returning to The White Lotus?
I love working with Mike White – and there are a group of us that have been on the show since Maui, plus some more that we picked up from Season 2 in Italy, so it’s a happy reunion. My team and I have established a heightened energy for the costumes, and it’s really fun to dive back in.
How do you get into the process of planning costumes for the show? Can you talk us through your mood board?
I have a lot of references from the real world, Instagram posts and society magazines. I even use some vintage fashion photography and period resort catalogues to help build the image of characters and settings in my mind.
As for mood boards, we start with a big one for the show, then move onto the ‘world’ we create that season, and then make smaller, individual boards for each character.
And how did you approach the new setting of Thailand?
I really got into researching fabrics and building up my knowledge of resources over there. I’ve also travelled there myself so I have first hand experience! We always try to lean into the local colours, prints and brands – but we needed to dress the cast to withstand the heat in Thailand, which was a new challenge.
(L to R) Walton Goggins & Aimee Lou Wood in The White Lotus Season 3 (c) HBO
Do you work collaboratively with Mike White and the cast when planning costumes?
Mike and I have lots of meetings where we talk about each character. The cast have varying approaches – some have ideas, some give themselves over to the process. It’s very much a collaborative endeavour and we learn as we go.
Do you find yourself gravitating to certain colour palettes or prints?
Tropical hues. Lots of glitz and glamour. Animal prints are always a favourite. White and pale linens. This season we used more orange and terracotta to reflect the Thailand setting.
And how do you go about selecting brands?
We go through a wide variety of brands each season – and a mix of designer, high street, vintage. We also try to play into the characters of the season; each character will have some favourites, just like we tend to in real life.
(L to R) Carrie Coon, Michelle Monaghan & Leslie Bibb in The White Lotus Season 3 (c) HBO
What role do British brands play in your selection process?
I’m always drawn to British brands – I’m from England myself, so it makes sense! We excel at a little wild and eccentric, creative styling, so I’ll always be inspired by what’s on offer back home.
Bella Freud, Orlebar Brown, Alexander McQueen and Annie’s Ibiza are some of the brands I like to go back to. I also shopped for this season’s costumes at vintage shops in Hastings, Margate and Southend-on-Sea.
Were there any specific characters you enjoyed dressing?
I love them all! But I particularly enjoyed dressing Rick, Chelsea, Fabian, Piper and Victoria.
One item we’ve seen a lot of discussion about is the blue silk scarf worn by Victoria (Parker Posey). How does this item fit into her lifestyle?
We sourced the scarf from Swaine – a British heritage brand – and then built a short narrative around it. We like to say it was a birthday gift from one of her country club friends, who brought it back from her trip to Europe.
(L to R) Sam Nivola as Lochlan Ratliff, Jason Isaacs as Timothy Ratliff, Parker Posey as Victoria Ratliff & Patrick Schwarzenegger as Saxon Ratliff in The White Lotus Season 3 (c) HBO
And were there any characters that were a challenge to dress?
Fitting room code of silence! (Although admittedly my Thai staff helped a lot with the traditional dance costumes!)
How has the clothing for The White Lotus developed since the first season? Was there anything you did differently (or wanted to try) for season 3?
I have better access to borrow designer clothing, bags and high-end jewellery – it’s a costume designer’s dream. This has given us a lot more freedom with our wardrobe choices.
And, for a contemporary show, we do dress people up; it’s fanciful, dramatic and they change clothes (a lot). The popularity of the show has brought more pressures and expectation, but the cast and the team enjoy the challenge.
Any fun BTS stories from filming you can tell us about?
We actually set up our own villa in Thailand while we were filing, and had our own pool to cool down and relax in – which was needed! I think I aged 10 years between the custom delays and shipping mishaps for costume items.
(c) Lalisa Manobal as Mook in The White Lotus Season 3 (c) HBO
What pieces would you include in a The White Lotus capsule wardrobe?
Straw hats and leather sandals, maximalist prints and colours. Some camp shirts and flow pants, like Rick’s.
Is there anything you’re particularly excited for audiences to see this season? (that you can tell us about!)
I think Chloe’s pink Jacquemus look on the yacht is iconic. I enjoy the big party scenes and dressing hundreds of extras in colourful outfits – most of it doesn’t get shown on camera but the lead actors get to enjoy the scene and feel like they are in a fever dream.
Where do you hope The White Lotus will go next?
The UK! A sort of The White Lotus meets Carry-On. (They would have to pack some fabulous rain gear though.)
The White Lotus Fashion edit
Watch
Episodes of The White Lotus are available to watch on Sky and NOW.
