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Here's the Secret to Getting Retro Right
Costume Designer Cynthia Summers gives tips for shopping vintage and reveals the inspiration behind the Girlfriends' prom dresses.
If watching tonight's episode of #GG2D got you in the mood for a vintage shopping spree, we can't exactly blame you. Though the 80s had some truly atrocious trends come out of it, tonight reminded us of some of the more fun fashion moments from the decade. Costume Designer Cynthia Summers talked to us about creating the looks for each of the Girlfriends, plus offers tips for finding your own vintage finds.
"With the exception of Delia’s dress, we had all the outfits custom made, and Delia’s was altered to give it more of a period vibe," says Summers. "But that is not to say that most of these pieces could be found at vintage, thrift, and fabric stores! You really just have to have an open mind when vintage shopping and a bit of a knack for altering pieces and/or layering [other pieces] to create a period look...or maybe a friend who loves to sew!"
Phoebe
"We chose an iconic late 1980s/early 90s look, and who better to embody Madonna than our prom queen," says Summers.
Delia
"We decided to go with a 'prom princess' theme…it just seemed so right! Again, 80s, big bows (on dress and in her hair), sequins and taffeta, those black sheer pantyhose (ewww!), and the shoe silhouette of the 80s: the pump."
Jo
"OMG this may have been my favorite…Gold lame all the way baby!"
Barbara
"She actually says it in the script 'I’m pulling out my best Cindy Lauper,' so we started there and added a little Betsy Johnston and came out with an original 90s Barbara!"
And what about the amazing hair and makeup?
"I forwarded all our inspiration photos to the hair and makeup departments with specific notes," says Summers. "Hair and makeup are so intricate on setting the trend era, and as you can tell, the outfits really needed both to complete the looks. We have an amazing team led by April Boyes and Linda Jones, and they really made it all happen!"
