Did the new Gossip Girl hold its own compared to the original?
by Jacob Selemonsky
HBOMax released the reboot of the fan-favorite series, “Gossip Girl,” this past summer. Everyone was anxiously awaiting the show’s premiere and all the drama, lavishness and fashion that it would entail. When the original “Gossip Girl” premiered, I was too young to watch it, but trust me when I say that once I did discover the show, I watched it many times. I was drawn in by the New York City life lived by teenagers, and rich ones at that. Seeing them ditch school for fashion shows and go to the Hamptons in the summer with no parents in sight at just fifteen years old, the show had me in love. However, as a fashion marketing/merchandising major, I practically screamed out loud when HBOMax announced this reboot. Immediately, I started considering all the amazing fashions the characters would wear and the handbags that would replace backpacks, very much like in the fashion department at SCAD. Before delving into the fashions featured on this show, it is important to note that we only got a handful of episodes this summer, with the second half of the first season being released later this year. That being said, let’s open the closets of Manhattan’s elite.
One of the best decisions HBO made when producing this reboot was retaining Eric Daman for the costuming, as he was the stylist for the original series, allowing him to bring in the new while retaining the stylistic features from the OG show. Including him in this reboot was really the only way I saw this reboot being successful, in a fashion sense, that is. When I remove myself from the plot and character dynamics of the show and look at the fashions, I truly think he hit it right on the head. First, for being high school students, they are all incredibly stylish and on-trend, exactly what we all expected and wanted, given these are the children of the richest of New York City. Each character has a clear aesthetic that they are placed within and that speaks to their identities.
Monet De Haan and Luna La, played by Savannah Lee Smith and Zion Moreno respectively, display a style most connected to the original series. Tweed and Chanel are favorites of Monet, and I have no complaints whatsoever. She pulls off the old money style with a modern take so well and oozes wealth in a way reminiscent of Blair Waldorf herself. It’s also the small details, like the staple of Monet and Luna wearing mid-calf socks with their heels to school that reminds the audience of the young age of these characters, and in a way their innocence. Luna’s style is similar to Monet’s, but still independent enough to be recognized as her own. The Burberry cape that she wears is such in the vein of “school-girl”, especially for New York City, and it is all paired so well with the Louis Vuitton bag and the neutral boots that match well with the cape. These two photos really display their love for the preppy style that is so popular within Manhattan private schools as well as that old money vibe.
One more “old school” character I want to highlight is Max Wolfe. He has been compared by many, in behavior and dress, to Chuck Bass, the man we all loved to hate and hated to love. On the show, Max is a sexually fiery student, who spends most of the season attempting to seduce one of the teachers (again, very Chuck Bass). Within his style, we see lots of components that are very reminiscent of the original “Gossip Girl.” The slightly ruffled and undone school uniform, and then a wildly adult suit when out of school, attending events or parties. He maintains a line between young and sophisticated, all while being dangerously charming and stylish. His style certainly belongs well within the world of “Gossip Girl.”
Now, not to completely dump on Zoya Lott, played by Whitney Peak, but she annoys me way more than Dan Humphrey ever did, as it is clear she is meant to succeed him. Dan was always very awkward and uncomfortable in the clothes he would wear, whether it was his own or some fancy get-up he put on to try to fit in. The same can be said with Zoya. Her style is not necessarily bad, but when she wears her thrifted looks among all the Gucci and Balenciaga, it just comes off so awkward, which I am sure is the point. And when she wears something like her orange sequin dress, shown below, it seems like she is trying too hard. Zoya is the only one who probably looks her age, so I do applaud the styling team for that. At the end of the day, they nailed the individual aesthetics they were going for.
When I went into this article, I was truly ready to utterly tear apart the fashion in this show, but my tune has obviously changed. As I watched this show, I always knew something was off, but I now realize it was never the fashion itself, but the camera work. The director of this show filmed this in this new style that I have noticed on HBO, focusing mainly on the upper body and face of characters versus the classic full-body take, especially in regard to a show in which fashion is a major component. There are so many accessories and total outfit shots that are missed when watching the show, which is so unfortunate because in the original we got so many outfit shots or montages. For example, in one episode, Luna, Monet and Julian attend a school benefit and wear gorgeous full-length gowns, all designer. However, we barely ever see the full view of any of these dresses because of the way the show is filmed. Going forward, I hope they readjust the cameras so that we can fully appreciate the fashion displayed.
Overall, the fashion of the show definitely held its own compared to the original. I think they should delve deeper into the fact that money is nothing to these children and luxury is the norm. In the next seasons, I want to see more unapologetic opulence and full outfits.
