Ryan Murphy's new limited series Hollywood [1] has finally been released on Netflix, and you probably don't even have to watch the trailer [2] for more than 10 seconds to know you're going to want to soak up the glamorous 1940s fashion in this show. Murphy, who is also the master behind The Politician [3], brings us eight episodes filled with "what ifs?" [4] It's a spin on reality, forcing viewers to imagine a scenario in which the 1940s Hollywood scene looked very different. But when I spoke to Sarah Evelyn and Lou Eyrich, who collaborated on the show's costume design, I realised just how real their references and mood board actually were.
"1940s clothing is extremely difficult to find and generally really small. When it came to modern body shapes, we'd venture into made-to-order costumes."
"It was definitely based on Golden Age cinema. The idea of gold really sparked the colour palette into something we called harvest tones that consisted of golden brown, caramel, pinks, purples, greens, and red. Some particular '40s movie references included Gentleman's Agreement, The Killers, Casablanca, Gilda, The Red Shoes, and Woman of the Year. As we looked at the characters and made the tone board, we developed style icons for each of the characters," Sarah said, also explaining that she and Lou worked closely with the hair and makeup department on each and every look. If Ryan chose a specific hair colour for a wig, for example, that would affect their work greatly.
Lou, who is a longtime collaborator and friend of Ryan's, maintains a whole resource of vintage vendors that they'd tap for the 1940s clothing, which Sarah said was extremely difficult to find and generally really small. "When it came to modern body shapes, that's when we'd venture into made-to-order costumes and reproduction (which they relied on for shoes)," Sarah said. "All the characters were such awesome collaborators and were so excited about their wardrobes. We definitely had characters who got attached to their costumes and wanted to take stuff home."
After seeing some of the extremely beautiful looks Lou and Sarah strung together, it's plain to see why that'd be the case. Scroll through to find out more interesting tidbits about each character's unique wardrobe inspiration and read up on the service-station uniform from the first episode, which Lou calls the most memorable from the series. Even though Lou walked away from the show after the first episode to help Ryan on a different project, she consistently checked in on Sarah, and the collaboration came full circle from beginning to end. Considering some of Sarah's last-minute challenges — an added funeral costume, a year change for the Oscars scene — Lou watched from afar. "I was like, 'Are they going to make it?'" she said. Make it, they did.
Laura Harrier as Camille Washington
Laura Harrier stars as Camille, who wears plenty of furry stoles and glamorous dresses throughout the series. She's almost always seen with a red lip and elbow-length gloves, dripping in jewels.
Samara Weaving as Claire Wood
Claire's wardrobe was inspired by classic 1940s style icons like Veronica Lake, Ava Gardner, and a young Marilyn Monroe — with a touch of Grace Kelly, too. Her silhouettes are mostly tapered at the waist; she even wears a co-ord embroidered crop-top set and opts for furry boleros rather than long stoles.
David Corenswet as Jack Castello
Jack's dapper looks are fitted and prim. Corenswet owns a fedora from his grandpa from the 1940s, and Lou and Sarah were able to work it into the final episode, so keep your eyes peeled.
Darren Criss as Raymond Ainsley
Raymond pulls off suits, mostly in lighter, neutral tones, and he wears beautiful 1940s ties in iconic vintage prints.
Holland Taylor as Ellen Kincaid
Ellen is more refined and restrained and wears plenty of tailored skirt suits. Sarah noted that she had a couple of pants looks inspired by photos of Hedy Lamarr in the 1940s, adding that Holland Taylor's mother became part of the mood board for her character's wardrobe, as she lived through the 1940s and was very chic. Holland even brought in photos of her mom to collaborate with the costume designers on set.
Patti LuPone as Avis Amberg
Avis's wardrobe was inspired by Joan Crawford and Barbara Stanwyck — she could definitely pull off what Sarah calls "the best of the amazing, whimsical, or very fashion-forward moments of the 1940s." She wears these amazing shoes that are half mink with silver studs, which Lou secured while working on a different project in New York and brought back for Sarah to use during filming.
Dylan McDermott as Ernie West
Ernie's outfits were heavily inspired by Fred Astaire and Cary Grant in the 1940s. His looks are completely dapper — he wears scarves, smart oxford shoes, luxe-looking ties, and fedoras.
The Service Station Uniform
Lou calls this costume the most memorable from the series because it was the most fun to piece together with Sarah. "It started from scratch. We had to find the right fabric for the look and sketch out what the initials on the tie chain would look like, what the belt buckles would look like. The ties were custom made," Lou said.
See More Fashion Moments From the Series
