Exclusive: “Empire” Costume Designer Spills Her Best Secrets

Obsessed with Empire? You’re not alone. Fox’s new hip-hop-infused family soap delivers melodrama, music you actually want to listen to, and enviable fashion. The latter is thanks to costume designer Rita McGhee, who grew up in Guam and got her big break working on Spike Lee films. “I came to the U.S. for university,” she told Yahoo Style on the phone. “And when I was in school I became very interested in costumes, very excited about filmmaking, and costume design. So I sent my resumé to Lee’s costume designer, Ruth Carter. I said, ‘I’ll be a PA, I’ll be an intern, I’ll get coffee, whatever you need, I just want to learn.’ And grace be to God, I got a job working with her as a PA.” Carter’s been mentoring McGhee ever since; she calls her “my mentor, my muse, my inspiration.” But what inspires McGhee on Empire? She was gracious enough to answer all of our fan-girl questions!

Cookie’s look is a cross between Sheryl Sandberg, Arianna Huffington, and Michelle Obama. “Boss women: That’s who inspires Cookie’s look. Mary J. Blige, Diana Ross, Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface. I researched mob wives, mob women. And executive women: The woman who wrote Lean In, and Arianna Huffington. Women in power. And mothers. Grace Kelly, Michelle Obama…the inspiration comes from everywhere because that’s who Cookie is. Taraji [P. Henson] makes it work. She makes it come alive.”

While Donald Trump and Genghis Khan had a hand in Lucious’ style. “His look is inspired by Puffy, Jay Z, Russell Simmons, Clive Davis. Men in the music industry. But also powerful men: Donald Trump, Obama. The suits they wear, their colors. I also looked at emperors, like Ghengis Khan. The colors they wore—purple, red—only royalty was allowed to wear.”

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The characters wear clothes from Target, Kohl’s and Macy’s, but they also shop at Balmain and Barneys. McGhee manages to make the cast look like they’re living large on a comparatively small budget: She’s given $27,000 per episode to outfit the whole cast and is not allowed to spend more than $1,000 on one item. “I call it a wardrobe challenge. We go to the high-end stores and look at what’s on sale. We go to Target, Macy’s, Kohl’s—there’s a capsule line at Target I love, that’s also sold at Neiman’s—and then we mix it all together. You’ll be watching the show, and you won’t know if it’s high or low end. Her hat could be from Target, the dress could be from Neiman’s, and then something borrowed that’s worth $10,000. When you know who you are, you make the fashion work.”

Luckily, McGhee has a few wardrobe aces up her sleeve thanks to two very generous music industry vets. “We also borrow a lot from women in the industry—Janet Bailey, [first wife of Earth, Wind & Fire singer Philip Bailey, and McGhee’s mother-in-law] and Monique Mosley [the wife of Timbaland, who is musical director for the show]. We get jewelry, clothes, purses, fur from them, as well as insight on the characters, and that lifestyle. The most expensive items on the show are from these two women: Monique loaned the black and silver Balmain gown that Cookie wears to the club (it costs several thousands of dollars), and then we have a one-of-a-kind designer bag by Gucci (we don’t even know the price). We have Cavalli, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton—and the furs are expensive too.”

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Naomi Campbell came with her own wardrobe. “When Naomi came, she came with her own clothes. She was already styled. We told her the theme, and what Hakeem [her much younger love interest] would wear. And she came dressed according to that. She was a pleasure to work with. Just so awesome.”

Courtney Love was nice too! “Courtney Love [who guest stars on an upcoming episode] was also great. She gave input on the wardrobe and she was a dream to work with.”

Tiana is inspired by Rihanna. Sort of. “I looked to Destiny’s Child, Rihanna, Rita Ora, and other pop stars—Katy Perry, Pink—when putting together Tiana’s look. It’s a combination of inspiration and then just full speed Tiana. She’s a young ingénue: untouched, beautiful, sexy, cute, but not over the top or slutty.”

McGhee takes the same approach to dressing plus-size Gabby Sidibe as she does for anyone else. “She is just as beautiful a woman as anyone else. She is plus-size, but she can wear a shapely dress and have cool style. So I dress her like I dress anyone else. She’s dressed according to her character: fun, flirty and young, but appropriate for work. It’s just about finding what works for her. We’ve shopped at Eloquii and Lane Bryant and Gabby has given us great suggestions as well. We’ve been working together as a team.”

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Expect a wardrobe evolution from Andre Lyon, Lucious’ oldest, straight-laced son. “Andre wears suits. Because he is bipolar, he stays in dark colors, he’s not trying anything bright. But later in the show something changes in him—I can’t give it away—and then his color changes.”

Anika wants to be the boss, but she’s not there yet. “Anika and Cookie are very different, and it shows in their wardrobe. Anika is very refined, regal and distinctive. She’s striving to be the boss [whereas] Cookie already is the boss. Anika doesn’t do prints. She stays to solid colors and structure. When you look at Cookie, you might think she’s a little wild and crazy, but she’s still in charge.”