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If you watch The White Lotus, you know part of the fun is looking for the easter eggs and symbolism hidden throughout the series, now in its third season. Maybe as fun, if not not more if you love fashion, is clocking all of the island-chic resort wear worn by the show’s ensemble cast. To dive deeper into the eye-catching costuming, we spoke with the show’s costume designer, Alex Bovaird.
“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,” Bovaird said. On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Bovaird shares how she got her start in entertainment, how she builds out the fashionable world of The White Lotus for each season, and more.
For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.
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?
I started working in the costume department on a film in 2008. I had previously been doing various odds and ends related to fashion and production, but still very much working out where I wanted to go.
Then I heard about an apprenticeship on a film, in the costume department, and I thought that sounded really amazing. I’d never heard of it, so I applied, and they had me start two days later. I absolutely loved it from the get-go.
It’s like nothing else. I’ve never worked so hard in one day and felt so accomplished at the end of the week. I was sort of hooked on the hard work.
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 a very successful collaboration.
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 and they were traveling around the world, and they kept bumping into the same people.
I knew about the seed idea, but for various reasons, that didn’t go ahead. Few years later, we were in COVID lockdown, and I got a call from Mike’s producer saying, “We’re going to do the show. We’re gonna start in a couple of weeks. We’re gonna go to Hawaii, live in a hotel, not leave the hotel.”
It was all very early days in how to work in lockdown, with the testing protocols and all that. It was all very wild but exciting, and it’s just sort of dived right in.
(Image credit: MAX)
When you’re given the script and tasked with building out the fashion direction for the season, what does that initial research and brainstorming process look like, and how has it evolved over these last three seasons?
I think with season 3, 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 costumes. 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.
It sort of harks back to an earlier time when people did that. I’m very inspired by 60s and ’70s resort editorials and then we also ground it in what’s real. 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 are bringing their best selves or wearing something they’ve always wanted to or projecting their aspirations for the holiday into their suitcase.
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.
(Image credit: MAX)
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?
I believe Parker [Posey] was cast first, quite far ahead of any of the other family members. Then there’s always a little bit of time between knowing who it is and being able to speak with them.
Parker [Posey] 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.
We got on the phone and talked a lot about what she would wear and all the different pieces and accessories.
We really worked on her first. 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.
(Image credit: MAX)
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.
I met 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.
Other than that, there were a lot of just classic looks, too. You know, blue and white and coral.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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