Blair Waldorf and Serena Van Der Woodsen have arguably the most envied closets on TV right now. (I mean, c'mon--have you ever seen these chicas wear the same outfit twice?!) Actually, make that the entire cast of "Gossip Girl." From sky-high heels to their iconic feathery headbands, head to toe the girls--and guys--of the Upper East side have it all.
I was lucky enough to get an up close glimpse of these amazing clothes and rummage through said closets. I met up with the man behind the wardrobe magic, "Gossip Girl" costume designer, Eric Damon. Immediately I could tell he took fashion very seriously. He looked as if he had just stepped out of a men's fashion magazine. With a blazer, neck scarf and a wrist stacked with bangles, he gave me a guided tour through the long rows of clothes brimming with accessories. I was like a kid in a candy shop, only it was better because you could actually wear this candy!
There were glittering stilettos, ball gowns, rockin' leather blazers, delicate lace tops, leggings in every color of the rainbow, rocker tees, satin bubble skirts and party dresses with designer labels straight from the pages of Vogue and the runways of Paris. This place was amazing! Every rack was arranged by character name. (Not gonna lie, I kinda lingered over the Chuck Bass section.)
I was interested to know if the actors get to keep any of the clothes they wear on the show. Eric said that unfortunately, once the clothes are worn on the show, they become the property of the show and are kept in plastic bags in storage. Too bad for Blake and Leighton!
Then came the icing on the cake: the jewelry closet. Um, OK, I pretty much just wanted to live there and never leave. I had never seen such an amazing collection of sparkly bangles, brooches and rings...ever! It was funny how you could tell just by looking at a piece of jewelry which character it was suited for: chains and silver studded cuffs for Little J, dainty gold necklaces with hearts for Serena, stately crystal and emerald rings for Blair and colorful woven bangles for Vanessa.
It was really amazing to see how much work gets put into creating the "looks" on the show. Eric gave me some cool style tips as well. He said, "If you think you are wearing too many accessories, then you are. Take something off." And my personal fave: "Confidence is the best accessory."
XOXO,
Gossip Girl Julie