If you're the type of person who scours Etsy for treasures to add to your wardrobe, and loves a good thrift store shopping spree, the fashion on Netflix's Dash & Lily will speak to you. The eight episode series stars Midori Francis as Lily [1] and Euphoria's Austin Abrams [2] as Dash, who end up in a spontaneous, whirlwind romance during the holidays in New York [3], not unlike that of the one in Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. In fact, the show is a screen adaptation of Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, which was written by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, the co-authors behind Nick and Norah's story that originated in 2006. Nick Jonas is one of the executive producers on the project, so it's safe to say there's also a pretty solid soundtrack for you to listen to while you digest all this epic fashion.
"Lily would be a real Etsy gal. All the way. And she would definitely know everyone at her local thrift and fabric stores."
Enter costume designer Cristina Spiridakis [4], who knows just about every thrift store in New York City like the back of her hand. Many of the pieces in the show came from iconic shops in New York like Beacon's Closet, Lovefield Vintage in Kingston, Awoke Vintage, Alter Friends, 10 ft Single by Stella Dallas, and threads from B&J Fabrics, which Spiridakis used to hand-make some of the clothes. After all, we find out in episode one that Midori's character Lily makes her own clothes. "Lily would be a real Etsy gal. All the way. And she would definitely know everyone at her local thrift and fabric stores," Cristina assured POPSUGAR.
We love to hear that, as a designer, Cristina has been trying to take a more sustainable approach to fashion [5], which is why this project was so important to her. "Rather than being able to purchase what they see in the series, I hope that viewers are inspired to support smaller local retailers and makers, revamp an old favourite piece of theirs, or take the extra time to scour thrift and consignment shops for special pieces because, I am telling you, you will find real gems if you take the time!"
While many fans enjoy shopping the clothes right off their favourite characters' backs [6], we have a feeling Cristina's commitment to originality will inspire them to go vintage shopping [7] in the very near future. Ahead, get a breakdown of the standout pieces from the show, and find out the hard and fast rules Cristina and the wardrobe team set in place before shopping for the characters.
Lily's Style
Most of the time, Lily dresses in a festive colour scheme that plays up her fervour and vibrant personality. For that reason, the pieces she wears are unique, just like her character. "The majority of Lily's wardrobe is thrift and secondhand clothing. Because her character is meant to make her own clothes and have a very specific style, we spent a lot of time scouring Beacon's closet, Stella Dallas in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and every consignment shop for pieces that felt special or handmade, or pieces that we could make our own changes to to have them appear handmade. Any of her new pieces that we bought from traditional retail shops were carefully selected to be sure they felt vintage or thrifted," Cristina explained.
Dash's Style
Dash's style is completely separate from Lily's in that he's mostly wearing muted colours and sweaters. This speaks to his more polished, streamlined look and character. "The rule of thumb for Dash's costume pieces was to always select things or quality that last and show off their age with pride," Cristina said.
Boomer's Style
By the end of the first episode, it's easy to tell that Boomer, played by Dante Brown, is the clear style star. "We had so much fun shopping for Boomer and Dante was so down to try anything and really create a singular look for his character! New York City teenagers, especially today, put a lot of thought into their looks and we wanted to stay true to that. It was important for us to have pieces that people couldn't place from more local NYC shops rather than big retailers," Cristina said. So where did they shop? "Boomer's looks came from thrift shops, Kith, an amazing store called Alter in Greenpoint, Brooklyn that carries so many interesting, smaller designers, a little bit of Urban Outfitters, and some next level sneakers from Sole Stage in Soho."
Langston's Bedtime Chic Style
Lily's brother Langston, played by Troy Iwata, is just a little dramatic in the best possible way. Even this robe from Blockshop Textiles, which Cristina calls a showstopper, is so fun. "Langston's looks have a subtle comedy to them, whereas Lily's are more about sentimentality. When Troy was cast as Langston, he brought such an amazing energy to the role that felt really fun to build on . . . We joked about how little he is seen in real clothes, since he and [his love interest] Benny are so deep into the fun of a new romance, that we put a lot of work into creating a character through comfortable, bedtime chic clothes."
Dash's Navy Peacoat
The item is actually a real vintage naval peacoat that was aged and dyed to show how much wear Dash has given it. It was so perfect, the costume design team didn't create a second copy for filming, as many crews often do.
Lily's Anna Suit Jacket
Lily wears this embroidered, vintage Anna Sui jacket multiple times throughout the show. Cristina has a feeling she'll get the most DMs and inquiries about this stylish treasure.
Lily's Crochet Beanie
"That was a real find from 10 ft Single by Stella Dallas in Brooklyn," Cristina said, crediting her wardrobe department for ensuring that such a delicate, irreplaceable piece stayed in mint condition from day one of shooting to wrap.
Lily's Red Boots
The wardrobe department had 15 pairs of Lily's iconic majorette boots! Each one was hand-painted with six layers of red paint. You'll find how special and important these boots are to the crux of the story when you watch.
Lily's Red Puffer Coat
"I am ALL about a good coat! The infamous red puffer coat was a random find at Beacon's Closet that turned out to be THE coat," Cristina said.
Dash's Plaids and Flannels
"There's so much tartan [on the show]. It's winter in New York! Dash's checkered shirts are a mix of vintage and new. For his vintage pieces, our go-tos were Rugged Road Vintage in Williamsburg and Lovefield Vintage in Kingston. I would say the majority of the rest of the checkered shirts, if they weren't vintage, were from Alex Mill, Urban Outfitters, Scotch & Soda, J.Crew, and Theory," Cristina said.
Lily's Floral Staud Dress
Lily's Chandler floral velveeteen dress from Staud [9] is currently on sale, so you can snag it just in time for the festive season.
Lily's Orange Cropped Jacket
This piece was bought at a consignment shop. It's from Chloé's lower-priced label See By Chloé.
Lily's Christmas Tree Dress
Hell yes, Lily's Christmas tree dress lights up. And even more astonishing is the fact that costume designer Cristina Spiridakis made it by hand!
Edgar's Christmas Jacket
Edgar, played by Glenn Mccuen, attends the Christmas party in this plaid tuxedo jacket, which just happens to be Cristina's favourite checkered piece from the series. "J.Crew really surprised me with that one," she said. "That jacket is a real delight."