Photos by Lacey Terrell/Prime Video, Copyright Amazon Studios
Riley Keough (Daisy Jones) and Sam Claflin (Billy Dunne)
Having grown up in L.A. and toured as a stylist to the Bangles, costume designer Denise Wingate ("He's All That," "Wedding Crashers," "Cruel Intentions") was the perfect choice to bring the '70s rock world of Taylor Jenkins Reid's novel "Daisy Jones & The Six" to life in the series premiering on Prime Video March 3. Here, Wingate discusses which musical icons inspired her and how she referenced star Riley Keough's grandfather Elvis Presley with Daisy's wardrobe.
What attracted you to this project, and how did your past experiences help inform your work?
I read the book in one sitting and knew immediately that had to do it. I grew up in L.A. and was going to clubs at a very young age, so I felt like I knew the world. Also, having traveled as a stylist for the Bangles for a year, I felt I had an insider's perspective to the music side of the story. The producers really wanted the show to look realistic and I felt I could bring that.
As you were building the wardrobe for the titular character, which icons did you reference archival images of or research?
I had individual boards and did different research for each character. For Daisy, I was inspired by early Linda Ronstadt, Cher (in her Gregg Allman years(, and definitely Stevie Nicks, who was such a fashion icon.
Josh Whitehouse, Suki Waterhouse, Sebastian Chacon, Sam Claflin, Riley Keough and Will Harrison
Who were some of the designers worn? Where else did you source pieces from?
I sourced pieces from everywhere: costume rental houses, vintage shops, online shops, flea markets, contemporary pieces and of course we also made a lot of outfits as well. I spent so much time curating the look of the show. We had thousands of costume changes so I really had to acquire quite a bit of stock.
What inspired you to involve Love Melody? Tell us a little bit about the pieces she made for Riley's character and the connection to Elvis/ their significance.
I was working closely with Levi’s and wanted to see if they had any vintage '70s stock I could use. They introduced me to Melody Sabatasso, who during the '60s and '70s, made clothing for a lot of musicians under the name Love, Melody. I was excited that she wanted to make a few pieces for Riley, especially since she had made jumpsuits for Elvis. I thought it would be a nice bit of history to bring to the show.
What went into Daisy's iconic looks, and are there any unique stories behind any?
The Halston cape ended up being the perfect ending for the show. The dress for the Aurora cover shoot we spent so much time making—inspired by a photo Neal Preston had taken of Stevie Nicks—it was a beautiful ivory silk chiffon. Unfortunately, the day we shot that scene, there was a freezing wind storm. I ended up putting a fur coat over it. I feel like that dress didn’t get the attention it deserved!
How did you try to create an arc for Daisy's character through her wardrobe?
Daisy had so many changes—it was really fun to create that character arc of a young girl turning into a full-fledged rock star. Using cut-off shorts and cowboy boots (a la early Ronstadt) helped make her look youthful. As she gets more successful, her clothes become more elaborate. At the end of the day, Daisy is a free spirit and lives life by her own terms. I love that she would wear robes in the middle of the day, or a man's shirt and nothing else to her first recording session. She just wears what she wants and doesn’t care what anyone thinks.
Riley Keough
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