Haley Lu Richardson became a breakout star after her stint on the second season of The White Lotus, partially because of her character’s Y2K-forward fashion sense that went viral. This week it was announced that the actress is teaming up with ThredUp for the resale platform’s latest closet collab. On Wednesday, The White Lotus actress will offer up 100 pieces straight from her closet, along with secondhand styles inspired by what Richardson has already thrifted from ThredUp’s existing archives.
A stickler for vintage shopping, Richardson encouraged her 2.1 million Instagram followers to give their closets a sustainable refresh back in April. She captioned the post, “Just me bein silly on a rock and in some flowers wearin a cutie outfit from @thredUP asking you to thrift if you have a shopping addiction like me cause it’s better for the planet and it’s a BLAST peace out babies happy almost earth day weeee!!!!!!”
The brand’s “Shop Their Closet” series aims to promote spring cleaning and frequent wardrobe changes through sustainable means. ThredUp has offered its shoppers exclusive access to covetable styles from almost 50 celebrities, influencers and tastemakers.
Filled with Gen Z favorites, Richardson’s curated assortment reflects her signature maximalist style with youthful, playful and eclectic designs and sentimental pieces. A shearling coat she thrifted while filming 2021’s Montana Story is up for grabs, along with the purse she wore when she met the Jonas Brothers and a top she bought in Sicily during the filming of The White Lotus.
Known for portraying Portia, the assistant to Jennifer Coolidge’s character Tanya McQuoid in the second season of The White Lotus, Richardson’s divisive on-screen wardrobe quickly caught the attention of viewers, with heated online debates as to whether her style was good or bad.
Costume designer Alex Bovaird told the New York Times, “We decided that Portia wouldn’t always score.. We’d always try and do one or two things that were a little off. If she wore a cute sundress, we’d make sure she had the wrong shoe, or too many accessories. Portia is a bit of a mess. She doesn’t have money, makes some bad choices and spends all her time on TikTok. So we wanted her clothes to reflect that.”
Catching all of the online chatter, Richardson told the Today show in December, “Oh no, I’m scared to say this, because everyone thinks Portia’s clothes are ugly, but there were definitely some pieces I brought into it.”
Later, the actress took to her Instagram Stories to admit, “With a heavy heart I can confirm I dress identical to Portia in real life.”
A week later, she told Variety , “I feel like she is classically herself in the way she dresses, and how it connects to the person that she is on the inside, and the place that she’s at in her life…I just think that it’s very uniquely her — for better, or for worse.”
