HBO’s new show, The Idol, launched its first episode last night after releasing a trailer at Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Euphoria’s Sam Levinson, it stars Lily Rose-Depp as a pop star on the verge of a nervous breakdown and The Weeknd as an older love interest. Their relationship explores the darker side of Hollywood and the music industry. Lily-Rose’s character, Jocelyn, feels stuck and pressured by the world’s expectations, while not knowing who she can trust and who is manipulating her to make money.
The first scene opens with Jocelyn posing in front of the camera and being asked to portray different emotions; laughing openly before suddenly crying. She wears a red silk kimono with black lace detailing, inspired by one Marilyn Monroe wore for a Slim Aarons photoshoot in 1955.
The costume designer for the show, Natasha Newman-Thomas, who also worked on The Wolf of Wall Street, described the ‘elegant chaos’ of the original photo as inspiration for Jocelyn’s kimono.
The show has an all star cast, with Blackpink’s Jennie Kim playing a dancer and friend, and the pilot being shot at The Weeknd’s house. The Weeknd’s character, Tedros, is portrayed as a sleazy man who Jocelyn is attracted to after meeting in a nightclub, because he gives her the sense of freedom she can’t have because of her career in the spotlight.
The clothing choices on the show were made to say a lot about each character, with Natasha Newman-Thomas telling E-News that, while Jocelyn’s outfits may show a lot of skin, they are actually meant to distract from who she really is. “There’s an innate mystery to anyone you idolise”. Natasha told E-News, “you see the façade and the persona, but there’s a mystery to what goes on behind the scenes.” She also added that pop superstars have to wear unattainable clothing to keep the ‘fantasy status’.
The show so far has set up a fascinating story and we can’t wait for the next episode this Sunday. In the meantime, let’s look at some of Jocelyn’s looks from the series so far:
In this photo, Jocelyn wears the Merano Knit Mini Dress from Aya Muse in blue from the resort 22 collection. The semi-transparent dress features vertical stripes and she has paired it with a silk evening bag with diamanté chains.
Aya Muse Merano Knit Mini Dress Blue
For this look, Jocelyn wears a pink metallic custom bodysuit from Nusi Quero, with panelled corset details and embellished pants.
This more casual look consists of a strapless velvet v-neck bustier from Saint Laurent with black booty shorts and vintage Chanel sunglasses.
Saint Laurent Strapless Velvet Bustier Top
Spotted while filming in Los Angeles, Lily-Rose wore this Dolce & Gabbana floral satin halter-neck jumpsuit set from the early 2000s.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CsPP6s0O4-p/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D
In this scene, Lily’s character wears a custom black floral lacy dress from Taiwanese designer Shawna Wu, inspired by the SS22 collection.
So far, the fashion in this show is amazing and we can’t wait to see more looks as the series goes on!
Words By Lucy Walshe
Header Image : @theidol Instagram
