Ranking Saks's 'SNL' collection items, from least to most ridiculous
If you’ve ever wanted to dress like a super chic version of your favorite Saturday Night Live character, Saks Fifth Avenue has you covered. Especially if your favorite SNL character is Gilly.
The department store’s “Live From New York” collection, which was guided by SNL‘s costume designer Tom Broecker, features items from a variety of high-end designers that were inspired by classic SNL sketches. In some cases, the connections to SNL are tenuous at best. (Hello, Coneheads beanie.) In others, they’re obvious—which is good news for those who can spend upwards of $1,000 to look vaguely like Mary Katherine Gallagher. (I guess that would truly make one a superstar.)
Saks isn’t only honoring Saturday Night Live‘s 40th anniversary; it’s also teaming with the show for its Key to the Cure campaign. SNL stars of past and present posed in a Rag & Bone t-shirt, proceeds from the sale of which will go to the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Women’s Cancer Research Fund. (Original Not Ready for Primetime Player Gilda Radner died of cancer at the age of 42.) This weekend, 2 percent of the sales of the SNL collection looks “will be donated to help benefit a local and national women’s cancer charity,” according to Saks.
But even though it’s for a good cause, the mix of SNL and high fashion still comes off as a little, well, ridiculous. How ridiculous? This ridiculous:
7. Diane Von Furstenberg Californians dress
Sure, the price is <a href="https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCTprd_id=845524446730947&R=886115984202&P_name=Diane+von+Furstenberg&N=306624776&FOLDERfolder_id=2534374306404425&ASSORTMENTast_id=1408474395222441&site_refer=SOC_POV” target=”_blank”>exorbitant—but then again, they all are. And the SNL connection makes a sort of sense; if the characters in the “Californians” actually existed they might wear something like this.
6. Alice + Olivia’s Lisa Loopner look
This outfit alludes to Gilda Radner’s lovable nerd without being too on the nose. It looks like something Zooey Deschanel would wear on New Girl. To some, that may be incredibly unappealing; to me, that means it’s cute.
5. Suno’s Gilly dress
I think Meghan Trainor has this outfit already, but I’m not holding that against this. It’s definitely better than what Gilly actually wears—hello argyle hearts—but still references the character. Take away the bow, and it’s a sweetly girly dress. Plus, Gilly’s all about the attitude. Go wreak havoc while wearing it. Sorry.
4. Rag & Bone’s Mary Katherine Gallagher get-up
The individual pieces of the Mary Katherine Gallagher look are just basics. Together they are a take on the age-old Catholic school girl concept.
3. Elizabeth and James’s cheerleader combo
This one just looks too much like a costume. You’d definitely have to come up with the perfect cheer if you wore it out.
2. Alexander Wang’s Mango shorts
Now, Wang and Mango have a history. Mango—or rather, Chris Kattan dressed as Mango—accompanied Wang to the CFDA Awards this past year. Wang also featured Mango in a video, and told Style.com, “Sometimes when fashion becomes too stiff, it’s great to have someone such as Mango come through and inject a new burst of energy. Having fun and a sense of humor is so important to me that when I’m able to incorporate it into my work, I run with it.” Mango would love these shorts. Mango always looks ridiculous. (Derek Blasberg even says so in the video.) Make your own conclusions.
1. Coneheads beanie
Okay, I see where hats and accessories designer Eugenia Kim was going with this. In fact, I can almost envision the brainstorm: Coneheads, Coneheads. They had cones for heads. So we should probably make a hat… Oh, hell, let’s just make it a beanie. And now you can buy a Coneheads-inspired beanie. For $225. The End.