The 8 most stylish television shows of 2018
From fashion-forward assassins to retro 1950s heroines, television offered us a diverse bunch of characters in 2018, all of whom needed to look their part. Here, we chart the eight shows that offered the best costume drama...
Killing Eve
As cocky female assassin Villanelle, actress Jodie Comer became this year’s most unlikely TV fashion star. Costume designer Phoebe de Gaye dispelled every possible stereotype associated with the character’s line of work (like black leather catsuits, or scratchy camouflage khakis) instead choosing to dress her in bubblegum pink tulle by Molly Goddard and brocade Dries Van Noten suiting. How they ever achieved this on a BBC wardrobe budget, we’ll never know...
The Assassination of Gianni Versace
Penelope Cruz took on the role of designer Donatella Versace in this American Crime Story series, wearing classic, high-voltage Donatella costumes throughout. The colourful Nineties world of Donatella and her brother Gianni was brought to life in a show that celebrated the designer's life and work as much as tell the story of his untimely, shocking death.
House of Cards
In the final series of the Netflix show, Claire Underwood became the first female president of the United States and needed the wardrobe to match. Costume designer Kemal Harris envisioned her more buttoned up and sharply tailored than ever, with distinct military details on most looks to echo her dictatorial nature.
McMafia
Back in January, the Russian crime family drama McMafia became one of the most-talked-about BBC shows. It was main character Alex’s mother, Oksana, who took the fashion lead, wearing all the furs and diamonds you might expect of a super-rich matriarch while Alex's girlfriend Rebecca's modern look was inspired by Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's pared-back elegance. Quote of the series; in the first episode, Oksana tells her son, “I had everything I wanted: I had you, I had your sister, I had Chanel and Dior”.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Mrs. Maisel, aka Midge, played by Rachel Brosnahan, is all about a great accessory. In episode two of the 1950s-set Amazon series her mother Rose describes how her daughter only bothered to learn to drive because she’d fallen for a pair of pink driving gloves. Matching everything was a key consideration in the era, and costume designer Donna Zakowska ensured that every Midge look consisted of a coat, prim dress, hat, gloves and shoes - usually in fifty shades of fuchsia or teal.
Bodyguard
Actress Keeley Hawes brought Westminster style to our screens as she took on the role of fictional Home secretary Julia Montague, in a wardrobe of costumes inspired by what our real female politicians wear- though possibly a little more polished. Sharp tailoring and a palette of red, black and blue hues dominated.
Sharp Objects
Based on the Gillian Flynn novel, this series followed reporter Camille Parker (played by Amy Adams) as she investigated two murders in her hometown. It was a thriller, and every outfit was carefully considered by costume designer Alix Friedberg to set a mood - and to look lived in.
The Little Drummer Girl
1983-set spy drama The Little Drummer Girl has been described as director Park Chan-wook’s ‘colour spree’ so it makes complete sense that the hues of the clothing used are as rich as the settings. Actress Florence Pugh’s challenge was to pull off a split personality - and therefore required two wardrobes. We see her character Charlie, who wears denim and ripped tights in her normal life, transform into a woman who wears long silk dresses in canary-yellow, lime green and cerulean as she goes undercover in style.
