When you hear the words “TV show” and “The Idol,” some negative connotations might come to mind. MAX’s new show landed in hot water well before it debuted at Cannes Film Festival when production nightmares from set were leaked to the press.
Although the season finale has yet to debut, many fans believe the show has fallen short of its potential, citing that the co-creators, Abel Tesfaye and Sam Levinson, opted for style over substance. I’d like to posit that these ideas aren’t mutually exclusive – especially when you consider the hidden life and messages of costumes onscreen.
The Idol tells a story of a struggling young pop star facing mental health problems after losing her mother. Insiders agree that the show appears to be suggesting the character is based on a sloppy approximation of the challenges faced by stars, including Britney Spears and Selena Gomez.
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The lead character Jocelyn, played by Lily-Rose Depp, has a disturbing psychosexual relationship with cult leader Tedros, played by Abel. Jocelyn tries to make a comeback as her music team (also cultish) unsuccessfully tries to balance her mental health and her career.
Being familiar with popstars’ downfalls in the music industry, and even hearing firsthand as a stylist and costume designer about the real stories of our own pop princesses, still did not prepare me for the upsetting scenes and undertones of misogyny in this series. All that being said, the show is fascinating, and Lily-Rose Depp’s wardrobe is dreamy.
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Costume designers can make a character seen with their wardrobe through nuanced and intentional details that draw the viewer in and reveal hints as to their backstory, world-view and experiences. To play up the dark, deviant fantasy of the show, costume designer Natasha Newman Thomas revealed to E Online that the fashion on The Idol was meant to be a “little scandalous.”
When watching the series, I see that Natasha intentionally portrayed the theme of “power over pain” through Jocelyn’s thoughtful, always desirable wardrobe. Lily-Rose Depp, who is winning constant accolades for her work on the series, wears a wardrobe that shows power and strength, even in scenes where she would otherwise seem broken and fragile.
Here are a few of my favourite fits worn by Lily-Rose Depp in the series.
Episode: 1 Scene 1
The first scene of a main character is always important when it comes to wardrobe. The character can be defined by that moment, and it can establish what the writer wants you to believe or feel. We meet Jocelyn in a stellar silk red kimono with lace trim.
In the opening scene, Jocelyn was photographed for a Vanity Fair shoot, a highlight of any career, but all the chatter around her by her team and label is about her mental state. While the whispered conversations around her and the hospital bracelet on her wrist make you believe she has a mental illness, her wardrobe gives us hope that she’s strong enough to overcome and rise again. The red portrays confidence, energy, and sexuality, while the lace and silk are romantic.
Season 1, Episode 3
While chilling poolside, Jocelyn wears a full Saint Laurent look: taking casual velvet to another level for Summer. In a velvet boned corset and high-waisted velvet shorts, everything from the colours to the fabric, to the label suggests Pin-Up dreamgirl.
Although her style suggests a style queen at the top of her game, after the pool, Jocelyn goes shopping with Tedros for him to give her an “icon” makeover. (Kanye flashbacks, anyone?!) Tedros takes her to a Valentino boutique in Beverly Hills, where the paparazzi catch the popstar in a pin-up YSL look. Have we ever witnessed a popstar caught off guard shopping looking so damn good!?
Season 1 Episode 2: Music Video
One of my favourite artistic choices by Natasha Newman Thomas is the juxtaposition of Jocelyn’s personal wardrobe, which is high-end, classic and often sophisticated, contrasting sharply with her over-sexualised pop star wardrobe when she is recording or performing in her music video. Her pop star wardrobe highlights the expectations placed on Jocelyn and pop stars like her and how outside influences change who we get to be.
For the filming of Jocelyn’s new music video, she is wearing a metallic hot pink, lingerie-esque look with dramatic cutouts – only missing are her wings, or you would think she is walking down the runway of a Victoria’s Secret fashion show.
Yes, the wardrobe for pop stars in music videos is often more on the risqué side, but this showstopper also showcases Jocelyn’s vulnerability. Although a sheer or dramatic cutout bodysuit is definitely de rigueur in most pop princess performance wardrobes, we watch this one start to cut her body and fall apart onstage, as the character was simultaneously falling apart herself.
The fashion in the episode is used as a weapon against her, the price of wanting to be in the spotlight. Her physical inability to wear it could be foreshadowing what’s to come.
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The wardrobe that Jocelyn is wearing throughout the series is compelling, romantic and sexy, suggesting an inner confidence that we long to see the character step into. It’s yet to be determined if there will be a season two of the series or if Sunday’s episode is our last, but we can all agree that we would love to see brighter, more empowered days ahead for Depp’s Jocelyn.
